How To Use Blue In A Space- A Tale Of Two Blues

Having lived in Arizona for seven years, I have come to learn that blue is not a well used color for interiors here. I always find it funny that most residents of AZ relocated here from another state, many from the East and Mid- West, where blue is a normal, sometimes even dominating color in the world of design. Yet, we move here and become accustomed to tans and rusts of the Sedona skyline and quickly toss away the colors schemes of our past. But what about those of you who just truly love blue? Why can't you use it within your space? Well, you can! Let me show you two ways to create a luxurious interior using the color blue- (and NO, I don't mean the pale blue and brown we used a few years ago when everything could work with brown.)

With gray continuing to be the neutral of choice in room design, we're seeing a serious increase of blue making it's way into the color palettes of new glass tile, carpets, and accessories everywhere. It can be as tranquil as a baby blue or as regal and elegant as a cobalt or royal blue. Blue can also easily transform into a masculine or feminine neutral space- appealing to a couple looking for a design compromise. Take a look at the mood board above. On the left notice that we've gone more towards using blue in a neutral setting. When combined with paler shades of gray as a base, you can use a deep blue sofa as your crowning  piece in a room and then use a combination of gray, frosty white and even light blue as accent layers. In this application, let that blue sofa stand alone  (as the only blue furniture) and use chromes, nickels, mirrored pieces and lesser blue accents, like perhaps this ceramic stool, to tie the look together.


The right hand side uses blue entirely as an accent to punch up the room. By starting with a pale gray sofa and then adding the deep, exciting blue accents, we've now given this decor electricity. This look makes a blue accent chair a must have! Accent chairs are like a great pair of red shoes with a black dress. They are your unexpected delight to complete your look! Years down the road, when opting to change your look, a good quality sofa in this neutral color can remain and you simply re-upholster or replace your accent chair to achieve your next trend. Use wooden tables and quirky bold accessories like a blue budha head (one of my faves) or these fun foo dogs to complete the look.


You simply don't have to be scared of blue in your home. Even in the smallest doses, it can bring a little life into an otherwise standard space.