There are plenty of reasons you might want to use blue as a starting point for decorating your house or apartment -- it's your favorite color, it reminds you of the ocean, or you want to showcase your favorite piece of furniture that's a rich royal blue. No matter the reason you want to go blue, be it warm or cool tones, you should first decide how you'll go about your home decorating project.
Read on for tips on types of blues to use, where to place your furniture and what accents to buy, themes for various shades of blue, and much more!
First, pick color (or two, or three...)
Wouldn't it be easy to decorate if there was only one standard shade of blue? Sure - but it would also be pretty boring. Luckily for you, you have a plethora of blues to choose from when making your decoration decisions in your home or apartment. Here are a few variations you may want to consider:
- Periwinkle
- Powder blue
- Baby blue
- Royal blue
- Navy
- Ultramarine
- Midnight
- Catalina blue
- Cyan
- Sapphire
- Cerulean
If you're going for a softer look, maybe for spring decor or just country chic, periwinkle and powder blue will do the trick. If you want a little more pop, choose from deeper hues like royal blue, sapphire and cerulean (or mix them all together!)
Do I want a blue theme?
This will depend. Some people live by the beach, and want a
beach-inspired color palette as well as decor. Or maybe you're really into the New York Yankees and would have no problem
devoting an entire room to Navy blue and pin stripes. Or, maybe you're just really into that 90s song 'I'm Blue' by Eiffel 65. Whatever your muse is for decoration, use it as a starting point, but remember not to go too overboard if you plan on doing a lot of entertaining in that room. Too much of anything can overwhelm your house guests. Here are a few different themes you can consider:
- Nautical
- Patriotic (Navy blue)
- Ocean/beach
- Country chic
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (using Tiffany blue)
- Ombre
- Floral (take inspiration from your favorite blue flowers)
- Space/galaxy (for a boy's bedroom)
- Sports teams (with blue colors, of course)
- Aviation
Warm vs. cool tones
Consider a little bit of color psychology when filling your space. Certain warmer tones of blue can be tranquil and calming and are rumored to help relieve stress-- is this what you want for your space? Maybe if it's in your bedroom or living room, but maybe not so much in your kitchen -- you don't want anyone falling asleep over their oatmeal in the morning!
- Warm blues also give an illusion of coming towards you, which can make a room more inviting and comforting. So slap some slate or ocean blue on your walls (you can also sponge paint for a more textured denim look) and complement it with light neutral furniture in off-whites and light grays to make the space cozy yet open and airy.
- Cool tones of blue, on the contrary, have yellow undertones and often trick the eye into thinking the color is actually receding. If you live in a small studio apartment, or just have a small room you'd like to open up, use colors like cobalt or turquoise (small rooms: think bathroom). You might even be able to give your home office a nice clean look with sky blue and some darker neutrals like brown or black.
Mix it up
Remember, it's your space, so you can choose to stick to the "rules" or bend, break, or crack them whenever you want. Do you really love vibrant electric blue, but are afraid of painting your entire space that bright? Choose a single wall to express yourself, and stick to a paler (but complementary) blue for the rest of the walls. You can tie in your warm and cool tone mix with furniture, great accent pieces, and even a few DIY projects. Try an off white sofa with a blend of white, baby blue and electric blue accent pillows (or maybe even striped pillows with all three!) arranged along the back. You can even have any wooden chairs in your space upholstered to match (or again, do it yourself!)
TIP: If you have lighter walls, keep your window treatments and furniture darker to promote a nice contrast in the space. Not to warm, not too cool, but just right for you to live in your own blue little world.
Here are some out-of-the-box decoration ideas to get you started:
- Paint your bannister 'ombre' by painting the first few rungs a light blue, and gradually work up to your darkest blue -- creating a gradient effect as you climb your stairs
- Install blue neon lights under a child's work desk (if his/her room has blue in it) for some added personality (and a night light!) -- you could also do this for your 'space' themed room
- Use accents of orange to brighten up rooms you have decorated mostly with darker blues -- orange is its complementary color
- Repurpose any old or worn furniture pieces by gently sanding, then spray painting -- this will work for rooms with a rustic or country decor
- Overhead track lighting can give an illusion of varying shades of blue on one wall, even though you only used a single can of paint!