A truly adaptable colour, blue has a wide range of personalities. It's the colour of infinity: endless oceans and limitless skies. It can be grand and regal or cool and quiet; it can rejuvenate or invigorate. With such a variety of depth and intensity, there's a shade of blue to suit nearly any mood. Here's how to harness its power when decorating various rooms in your home.
Designers sing the blues
1 Interior designer Carol McFarlane of Design Inc. describes pale blue as soft and romantic. She often uses it on ceilings, but it also looks great as a wash on floorboards. Carol recommends displaying decorative antique china plates in classic blue and white. With this combo being so prevalent, it's easy to collect pretty dishes for a striking statement.
2 Interior designer Timothy Mather of TM Design agrees that pale blue works well on ceilings, with walls and tiles in shades of taupe or beige. He uses light blue in kitchens and bathrooms to evoke tranquility.
3 According to designer Stephen Fermoyle, blue and white remain favourite accent colours because they're clean and crisp. To create a kitchen with punch, he suggests painting walls a deep sea blue in an eggshell finish. Since kitchen cupboards take up so much wall space, such a vivid wall colour isn't likely to overwhelm the room. Then choose white cabinetry, chrome hardware and a stunning chandelier. Fashion a backsplash with coordinating brick-pattern glass-block tiles.
Image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
