I find that advertisements in high fashion and home style magazines are some of the best places to track where color is going. Advertisers want to be at the forefront, and I can find all sorts of color direction in what they’ve designed.
As you know, we’ve been in a “green” era for quite some time, and blue has finally started to return. What I find interesting is that there are several shades out there now, some a bit waning and others coming on strong, and several shades being used together as if no one can really make a decision about them.
Perhaps we are just so happy to be surrounded by blue tones that we are willing to keep them all! The first blue to make any headway recently in design was a pretty soft aqua blue. It is still seen frequently used on its own but also mixed beautifully with the browns that are so popular. It also has been used with a bright spring green or cream. This hue is so sophisticated that it looks gorgeous in jewelry, on dressy furniture, on high- end wallpapers and even in rugs.
Another light blue that is gaining ground might be referred to as “sky.” It’s bluer than the aqua but it is light and lovely done in solids and used with white or brown or all three. With the popularity of orange in the past year, sky blue blends very nicely with coral and creates interesting sea life, shell and coral reef patterns.
Now, the true up and coming blue is medium to dark value. It can be called indigo or periwinkle and can be as deep as a royal or navy blue, with navy being the freshest blue of all. It too is teamed with creams and browns like the other popular blues, but it is also seen in combination with the other blues.
I’ve always found it interesting that “blue skies” make you think everything is going to be OK, and in fact can cure, “the blues.” My feeling is that generally, blue has more positive associations than negative. It is cool, soothing and orderly. Blue and white rooms have a regal, neat and crisp quality to them that speaks of discipline and beauty.
Blue’s calming effects make them perfect for rooms in the home where relaxation is important. Blue is meant for bedrooms and perhaps living rooms and even studies; blue creates the perfect mood or ambiance. However, blue in the kitchen may not be the best choice since blue is associated with food in a cheap sense when we talk about the “blue plate special.”
In many cases, food isn’t supposed to look as appetizing on blue plates. However, my partner and co-host, Matt, had a set of blue plates and I thought barbecue chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob looked superb on his blue plates. Now it might have something to do with not cooking it myself but I’d rather think it was the beautiful blue background.
For those of you contemplating updating your home with cool new blues, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
— Light tints of blue will open up a room just like the huge expanse of the sky.
— Dark shades of blue like cobalt and royal blue anchor a room and add drama.
— Different blues mix well together. Paint sample boards before going to the walls and trim. Even the ceiling in a coordinating shade would be nice.
— Warm up a too cool blue room with yellow daffodils, a touch of red or a warm green.
— An overly bright and sunny room can be cooled down with a blue palette. Conversely, a north facing room done in blue with little sunlight might be too cool for comfort.
— Blue has some natural mates in the very popular blue and white color scheme, blue and yellow, red, white and blue and a tricky but interesting blue and orange combination.
If blues hold some interest for you, now is the time to make the switch. They are abundant in home furnishings and will be for the next couple of years. It’s hard to believe we’re actually, “thrilled to have the blues.”
