Last week, we looked at adding red to your decor. This week, we’ll look at another popular primary colour: blue.
We have a medium sky blue wall colour in our bedroom and absolutely love it.
It’s cheerful and airy during the day but calming at the same time. The crispness of it against white trim, bedding and curtains makes for a great palette. We brought the white ceiling colour down onto the walls a few inches for a crown moulding effect and I absolutely love the way it looks. White closet slider doors and white bedroom door finish off the look. A light, sandy-coloured laminate flooring offers a beach feel to the space.
Blue can come in so many lovely shades. Think airy skies and misty oceans, cheerful shades of blue that emit a sense of serenity and calmness. Darker blues, such as navy, offer drama while pale blue offers a dreamy, watercolour feeling to a room.
"While blue is known to be the most popular colour in the world, when it comes to home decor, many Canadians shy away from infusing it into their homes, opting for neutral colour schemes instead," said Martin Tustin-Fuchs, brand manager for Dulux Paints. "Yet, blue is a wonderful, versatile complement to any decor."
Not surprisingly, Dulux Paints has chosen an ethereal blue called Bear Run (10BG 46/112) — as its colour of the year for 2016.
(Our feature photo boasts this colour, which can work in any room in the home.)
Want to make a splash in your home with this year’s hottest colour? Dulux offers these suggestions to incorporate blue into your decor:
Warm things up
Combining blue walls with warm, paler colours — such as sandy brown, creamy grey or this year’s popular golden yellow creates a cozy feel in a room. For a calming, monochromatic look, pair different shades of blue in a space — altering the tone on walls, trim, doors and even ceilings. Warm up blue walls even more and create an inviting beach-house feel with wood flooring underfoot.
Pair with white
If traditional is your style, complement blue walls with white trim for a timeless decor. For a more modern look, paint walls white and make them pop with open bookcases revealing a painted backdrop of vibrant blue. Prefer a coastal feel? Complement a blue and white palette with striped fabrics and natural textures, such as grass cloth and jute. No matter what your style, add touches of blue accents around the room to bring it all together.
Make it work
Known to stimulate the mind, encourage focus and help increase productivity, blue is a good choice for a home office. Adding one or two other hues to the workspace will complete the look and create a sense of balance. Good colour complements to Dulux Paints’ popular Bear Run (10BG 46/112) blue are Newborn (35YY 78/269) yellow and Coral Flower (21YR 57/250) orange. To keep the space light and bright, opt for white or pale office furniture.
Soak it in
Soothing blue is a natural fit for a bathroom, regardless of the shade. Combined with pastel accents of off-white, light grey or tan — such as Dulux Paints’ Song Porcelain (00NN 83/000) white, Silver Trophy (30BB 53/012) grey or Brown Bag (10YY 35/196) tan — a blue bathroom can take on a relaxing, spa-like feel. For an ultimate spa effect, paint the ceiling an airy shade of light blue to mimic the sky and create the appearance of added height.
All of these colours can be found online at www.dulux.ca if you want to check them out. You can paint a room online to see how the colours work for you.
Connieoliver2016@gmail.com
