Few days ago I read somewhere that if you grow your confidence using blue, then you’ll have a colour scheme for every room! I looked around my blue room and realised that this couldn’t be more true. I was never very confident with colours, but somehow blue was always featuring in our house. Blue colour kept appearing and I kept on adding it with no second thoughts. And the house evolved around it somehow. And I guess, that’s the power of blue. It somehow always works!
But apart from being my long time favourite blue colour is also the easiest to decorate with! So if you’ve been itching to add some colour to your home decor, but you’re not quite sure where or how to start, then blue is your answer. Why?
Blue is the colour of the sky and the oceans. So whichever shade you’ll go for, it will always bring happiness to your home. Because who doesn’t like to look at the sky twinkling with the stars or go for a dip in a turquoise sea water? Exactly! We all love it. And that’s why blue colour is the nation’s favourite. And if it’s not your favourite, that’s ok. You don’t have to paint your entire house blue. Adding some blue accessories to your home can have the same impact. And that’s as good starting point as any other to start using colour in your home.
So now let’s go into more detail…
Blue is the warmest colour!
Ok, that may not be entirely true because actually blue colour lies on the cooler side of the colour wheel, but you can make it true. Confused? Well, me too, but here’s a little explanation… Gone are the days when we had only few colours to choose from when shopping for a paint. Three primary, few secondary and maybe couple of tones and shades of each colour and that’s it. (Don’t know the difference between them all? Check out my blog post here)
These days there are not just fifty shades of grey! They are actually more than fifty shades of every colour! That’s including blue! To make it even possible to have so many shades of one colour, they have to have different undertones. And if those undertones lean towards warmer colours, than the end result is that the colour is warm. Even the blue! Simple!
Blue room in every home, with every light!
Despite what I’ve just talked about, undeniably blue has a potential to create a sense of coldness in a space. And that’s why it is so important to use the right blue, in accordance to your home’s light. To avoid giving a north-facing room even more chill, choose blues with warmer undertones, like purple or red. But if your room is filled with warm sunlight, you can balance it with colder shades of blue with green or grey undertones.
Blue adds the feeling of spaciousness!
As the colour of the sky, blue is an advancing colour that is perfect for rooms of any size. And you don’t have to just trust me on this. Here’s what Marianne Shillingford, a creative director at Dulux, said about blue:
“When you paint blue in a room, it almost destroys the walls. It reminds us of the sky and really expands the space.”
I heard that few years ago, but still, even now, I could not put that better myself (obviously). And the same goes for darker shades of blue. They still enhance the space, even the small ones. In fact dark blue is the only dark colour that won’t make your room look smaller. So if you’ve been swooning over dark interiors on Pinterest or Instagram, but you’re too afraid to go dark in your own home, blue is in fact your safest option.
How to use blue in your home?
As I’m a little bit more confident with blue now, I use it as my neutral colour. That means if I buy anything blue for the house, I can literally use it in any room. That gives me the freedom to move things around if I fancy a change (which is pretty much every day) But if you’re new to colours and you want to create yourself the perfect blue room, just remember this:
- use blue at its lightest as a neutral for the room
- at its darkest use blue for feature walls (safe option)
- or paint the whole room for a dramatic effect
- use blue in accessories and mix it with other colours
- or use blue as one stand out colour on all white background
Colours that go with blue
There’s actually not that many colours that don’t go with blue. In fact, I can’t even think of any right now. But because I’m a little bit colour crazy, I’ll concentrate on those few that, in my opinion, are the perfect company for blue. Starting with the match made in heaven. Literally!
The sky on a sunny day. Also known as blue and yellow. You can’t go wrong with this colour combination and it’s definitely one of my favourites. Although it is regarded as a safe option, you can add some punch to it when both colours are in their strong primary hues.
Or create your perfect blue room and add some pink to it. Chose as the Pantone’s colours of the year 2016. The only year when they chose two colours together. And for a good reason as they complement each other perfectly! Ideally they should both have the same intensity otherwise one will overshadow the other. It’s like with humans, right? This relationship can only survive when the two are equal. Blue and pink – I mean…
Blue and green combination is another great example of mother nature’s colour work. And if there are colours that work together out there, than they’re gonna work as good in our homes too. Besides blue and green are next to each other on the colour wheel, so they create the perfect harmonious colour scheme.
Say it with furniture
Not brave enough to take the leap and start painting your house blue? How about painting some of your furniture then? You can start with a small piece like a coffee table or a bedside cabinet! It won’t take much time and it’s easy to fix it in case you decide that blue is not for you (I doubt that). It will work especially well if your walls are neutral, ideally white, as they will let your blue piece really stand out!
So, now you see, creating the perfect blue room does not necessarily mean painting every wall in your house blue!
Will my blue room make me feel blue?
Like any other colour, blue can evoke different moods and feelings. And feeling blue is not one of them! In fact colour blue is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and that it brings the feeling of calmness and serenity. But be careful not to get carried away, as too much blue (in its cooler shades) can, in fact, create a feeling of sadness. But that can be said about any other colour too.
So unless you’re planning to paint the entire house blue, along with the furniture and the kids, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about! And apparently research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms so study is where you should start your new blue room obsession. Or in a dining room if you’re trying to loose weight. I even eat from blue plates. The weight hasn’t shifted but I’m convinced that cakes taste much better of my blue plates…
So, how do you feel about blue now? Have you always been a blue lover? Have I made you change the way you feel about this colour? Or maybe you will just never like it, no matter what?
In case you need more convincing about the idea of a blue room in your own house, here’s some more photos for you…
Some other blue room ideas
Pin me for later!
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Juan Sandiego
July 14, 2018Brilliant post, Anne Marie! I’m thinking about going al navy in the bedroom as it’s too bright at the moment (with baby blue walls). That may be a 2045 makeover! Haha.
Anonymous
July 16, 2018I’ve just painted the rest of my bedroom blue and I love it even more ? Its the best colour for bedrooms so you should go ahead ??
Joanne
May 29, 2018Who’d of thought – blue and green looking so good together!
Anonymous
May 31, 2018Yes! In fact they are perfect together! 🙂
Donna Ford
May 21, 2018Blue is definitely my favourite colour along with green to decorate with. Great images here, totally inspiring and I loved the explanations along the way (especially the quote from Dulux)
Anonymous
May 22, 2018I know right? when I heard Marianne’s words I knew they’re gonna stick with me for a very long time ?
Mary Middleton | hellopeagreen
May 21, 2018A huge blue fan, but only one blue room in my house – how strange is that? LOVE the images you’ve used especially the Studio McGee one. Oh hang on, just remember I painted my kitchen cabinets blue just before Christmas – what an idiot!. Love live blue interiors.
Anonymous
May 22, 2018Ha ha… I’ve painted my kitchen cabinets blue too ? And not every room is blue but there is blue in every room ?
Maria
May 21, 2018Fab post and having written about it recently too, you have raised some great points on how to and why you should use it. I’m late to the game adding blue to my home with the planning of a bedroom redesign as I’ve always been a lover of green …… it’s funny how our styles and colour choices change over the years. Although, I think you will always be Queen of Blue Anne Marie 😀
JENNY KAKOUDAKIS
May 20, 2018I find blue relaxing and easy to work with. It can be a little too cold with the cooler undertones but even then it can help with bold, statement decor. I love our blue dining room.
Anonymous
May 20, 2018Ha ha… there’s not that many people that don’t like blue ( it turns out ?)
Evija
May 20, 2018I absolutely love blue colour and your picks are stunning!!!! I have become slightly obsessed with it in the last couple of years. I think it is such a classy colour and in the home design I think it is very calming too! Sometimes adding a little splash of blue is all you need!!
Anonymous
May 20, 2018Yes to all of it ? Let’s blue the world ? Although it doesn’t sound good in that contest ??
Katie Potts
May 20, 2018Everything about blue is always interesting for me. That color represent calm down and create steady atmosphere.
Anonymous
May 20, 2018I agree, there’s not that many colours that you just can’t go wrong with ?
Tamsin Allen
May 20, 2018Who doesn’t like blue? Love your pairings, especially the blue and green together. 🙂
Anonymous
May 20, 2018I know, right? Isn’t that just a perfection? ?
Fiona
May 20, 2018Some really lovely images here. Blue and white coastal style is one of my favourite timeless classic designs for a home.
Nicola Capper
May 19, 2018Loving all the amazing blue products around right now, I’m a big fan of navy in particular x
Anonymous
May 20, 2018Yes, navy for me wins it too ?
Ruthie
May 19, 2018Great piece lovely, I am also a big blue fan in the home (as you know), totally agree with you about blues infinite qualities, so many lovely images, I especially loved the blue bedding in the pared back bedroom xx
Anonymous
May 19, 2018Thank you Ruthie. It seems like you can’t go wrong with blue, it’s such an easy colour to decorate with… but it’s defenitely not boring?
Jumi Awomosu
May 19, 2018I do love the calmness and serenity of blu and I love to mix it u with other colours! Great post!
Anonymous
May 19, 2018Thank you Jumi, it’s definitely one of the best colours for interiors ?
Melanie
May 18, 2018I just had to read this! As you know I love blue! Some lovely inspo images here. I saw your table on stories looking forward to the blue reveal!
Anonymous
May 18, 2018Oh thank you Melanie, yep, the blue post just had to happen ? My trolley is not finished yet but I already love it… well, mainly because it’s blue ??
Issie
May 17, 2018I’ve always opted for blue when I’ve been stuck on a colour scheme, and it seems to take off from there! I love contrasting neutral furniture with navy blue walls. Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous
May 17, 2018Thank you. I totally agree, blue is a magical colour that seems to be the most liable base for every scheme. ?