How to use blue in interior design
Friday, 6 May 2011 2:45 PM
Interior designer Eliska Sapera discusses how to use blue when decorating your home, and looks at the colours that complement different shades of blue.
Blue is a soothing colour which makes us think of the sky and ocean, or the rippling water in a swimming pool. It is thought to lower the heart rate and inspire calmness. In some cultures, blue signifies the infinite, mysterious and the supreme.
When it comes to interior design, blue is a perennial favourite – it's never in or out of fashion. Furthermore, choose your shade carefully and blue can work well in any room of the home.
Wedgwood blue – a clear blue with a hint of grey – has been used for centuries, but nowadays it's best used in reception rooms and studies to create a restful, cool ambience. Complement it with a creamy white to avoid the overall effect being too cold.
Lavender is particularly effective in the bedroom: bedroom colours should always be subtle in order to induce calm and sleep. If the room is small, paint doors and walls the same colour – it will make the room look more cohesive – and always use matte paint when painting wood.
Warm blues, which have a little pink in them, work really well in the UK. Bright blues like ultramarine, on the other hand, can be difficult to use in home decorating because of the pale light we have here: a colour like that needs a strong sun to make it sing!
In terms of complementary shades of blue in interior design, pale blue should be teamed with soft white; warm blue works beautifully with light rose shades; and dark blues will look jewel-like when accented with emerald green.
Eliska Sapera is an interior designer with over 25 years’ experience and a gorgeous shop named Eliská. She was formerly the exhibition director of the British Interior Design Association (now known as the British Institute of Interior Design).
Main image credit: Upper wall, Portuguese Blue 2; lower wall, Portuguese Blue 1; both part of the Dulux Tailor-Made Colour range, £21.69 for 2.5 litres. Available from B&Q, Homebase and selected independent stores.
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