Moody Blues (Part 3): Pairing Blue with Other Colors in Interior Design

As you may have gathered from my other posts this week, I have found myself heading for the blues in my color fan a great deal lately! In the world of  interior design, shades of aqua have been incredibly popular for the last 5 years. Now, I am seeing a huge surgence of stronger, bolder blues. It is absolutely true that blue can be one of the most peaceful, soothing colors for a room. However, there are definitely some aspects of working with blue that can prove quite challenging if not addressed with the proper insight.

Right off the bat, when working with blue, you can find your home looking “one or two dimensional”, simply because blue is, well, so…BLUE! Homes without depth tend to look predictable, rather than evolved and “lived in”.  To avoid this narrow dimensional outcome, make sure to pair your blues with several other colors, not just one. Blue is such a strong color that many people assume that they should not combine it with multiple colors. Unfortunately, the outcome of too much stand-alone blue is that the room ends up looking dull and dated.  So, just remember…. Blue plays well with others!

So, how do I establish WHICH colors should be combined with specific blues? One of my favorite ways to successfully pair blue is to select a fabric that includes the blues of my choice, along with several colors other colors in it (even if I only use it in pillows). I frequently refer back to this “magic fabric” as the launching pad for my room’s overall color scheme.  Another twist on the same concept is to substitute a colorful wallpaper in lieu of my “magic fabric”. By using this tip, you will greatly increase your chances of creating an exciting room that is multi-dimensional and unique!

Look at this Brunschwig & Fils "magic fabric" that contains a lovely array of beautiful colors to blend with blue!

Venetian Carnival fabric from Scalamandre.

Shanghai wallpaper from Scalamandre

Some of my favorite color combinations include blue and green with an occasional touch of sunny yellow, as well as yellow with accents of blue and brown.  And of course (as you may remember from my previous blog posts lat week), Ralph Lauren blends blue into everything, and it always looks fabulous! One of my favorite new combinations is sapphire blue mixed with turquoise and a dash of hot pink.  In fact, I like this combination so well that it is the color scheme we will be using for my daughter’s wedding!  (I will keep you updated with photos of that as it comes to fruition!)

Here are some blue-combination photos for inspiration….

THIS IS ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE BLUE ROOMS! It was designed by Jan Showers. The acid green chairs are just fabulous next to the blue walls!

Photo from Traditional Home.

Photo from The Glam Lamb

Photo from Traditional Home.

Photo from Traditional Home.

Photo from Traditional Home.

Designed by Shelly Riehl David

What are YOUR favorite blue combinations? Where have you used them in your home? Tell me all about it in the comments section of this blog post. I would love to hear your ideas!

If you need help pairing blues or introducing blue into your home, then contact me for an online or in-home consultation at kimberly@knottinghillinteriors.com.

NOW, GO HAVE AN “It’s So Fabulous!” DAY!