If you’ve seen the pages of our catalogs or shopped our site, there is no denying that we love blue rooms. Whether we’re painting a wall with this beautiful hue or upholstering it on all our furniture, blue rooms never go out of style in our eyes. Follow along as we share 25 blue rooms we love and why your home needs this timeless color.
A Classic Color that Never Goes out of Style
When we think of blue, the first thing that comes to mind is how timeless the color is. Trends will come and go, but the color blue has always remained. One of the reasons blues are such a fan favorite is because it evokes a sense of serenity to a space. Studies have shown that blues have the ability to lower our blood pressure due to their calming effect. Adding a touch of blue into your home also brings a feeling of nature, like the ocean or sky. Just look around you, blues are everywhere!
Another positive to using blue is that there are a variety of shades for every feel. If you want to go moody, use a dark blue like we used in the office above. For a serene setting, opt for lighter shades of blue. You can see in the room above on the right, the light blues give off a calm, coastal vibe.
What Color Goes with a Blue Room?
It’s more like, what color doesn’t go with a blue room? Blue is very versatile – think like your favorite pair of jeans that goes with everything. Since there are so many shades of blue to choose from, your options for creating blue rooms are endless.
A favorite color combination of ours is blue and white. We love how effortlessly these two colors mix together, but if you’re looking to shake things up, try pairing blue with another color you already have in your room. In the room on the left, we pulled the spice color from the rug to inspire our color palette. Since spice was already paired with blue in the rugs we continued that color on the drapes, upholstery, and pillows.
On the right, we paired blue and green together. These colors work well because they are analogous, meaning they are side-by-side on the color wheel. The bold pop of green wallpaper works beautifully with the light blue fabrics to create a mild contrast.
Color Wheel for Blue Rooms
Using the color wheel will help guide you on which color combinations work best for your blue rooms. If you’re not familiar with the color wheel, it’s a fool-proof way to help you choose your color palette. Read more about it here.
Spectrum of Blues
With so many shades to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down which blue is best for your space. If you don’t already have a shade in mind, consider the feeling you want your room to evoke. The shade of blue you select will dictate the emotion your room gives off.
Warmer versus Cooler Blues
Warm blues tend to lean more towards the green side of the color wheel, while cooler blues tend to lean towards the purple side. We love using warm blues for a playful, inviting feel. They’re perfect for the kid’s playroom or an entryway, like the one on the left. Cooler blues evoke a soothing vibe, making them perfect for a busy office, bedroom, or bathroom.
Darker versus Lighter Blues
Dark shades of blue contain deeper pigments, like black or grey. Think of these as your moodier shades. Light blues tend to have a whiter look to them, creating a softer look. You can see above the contrast between the two rooms. The office has darker blues and feels more vibrant, while the living room is soothing and laid back.
Start with Anchor Pieces
If you’re having trouble where to begin, find an anchor piece as a jumping off point. It could be a great fabric, a painting, or a rug pattern. Let the colors and shades in this piece guide your color choices and shades of blue throughout the rest of the room.
As you can see in the entryway above, we used the locker cabinet as our starting point. Since this is a focal piece, we wanted the other pieces in the room to compliment the locker. This piece inspired us to bring in the chair, mirror, shelf, and umbrella stand to help balance out the blues. In the bedroom on the right, we built the entire room around our blue Antelope Rug. We then pulled the blue from the rug and used it in the drapery, bedding, and table lamps.
Where to Add Color in Your Room
Your options are endless when it comes to the ways you can create blue rooms, so take look at your room and focus on what it needs. To make a big statement, use blue in your larger pieces like furniture, upholstery, rugs, and drapery. Using a blue paint color or wallpaper is another sure way to catch everyone’s eye.
For a softer approach, weave in blue with your decorative pieces and soft goods. This can be accomplished with wall art, pillows, bedding, throw blankets, lamp shades, and decorative pieces like chinoiserie vases.
Are you ready to design a blue room? Shop our favorite blue pieces and find more color inspiration from these helpful posts below:
- How to Use the Color Wheel for Decorating
- Small Ways to Add Color to Your Roomv
- Colorful Rooms: How to Add Color to Every Space
- Green Decorating Ideas – Why We Love Green
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Tara Laver
Can you please share the paint color in this photo above, https://www.ballarddesigns.com/howtodecorate/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Navy-blue-bedroom.gif?
Kelley Bostian
Hi Tara,
I believe this is Glace Bay #CC-814 by Benjamin Moore, which we covered in our Summer 2022 Paint Colors blog post. Hope that helps!
Happy Decorating,
Kelley
Tara Laver
Hi, in the section “What Color Goes with a Blue Room?”, it seems to indicate the green on the wall is wallpaper, but I wasn’t sure which one it is. Can you help?
Kelley Bostian
Hi Tara,
It looks like our Tover Faux Linen wallpaper in Forest Green. Hope that helps!
Happy Decorating,
Kelley
Sherryl
What is the design used in the chair, pillow, and draperies in picture number 1?
Kelley Bostian
Hi Sherryl,
Glad to hear you love this blue living room! I’m going to answer each of your questions in bullets:
– Chairs: Connely Uphostered Bench
– Pillow: Not sure which one you are referencing, but shop all of our throw pillows options here!
– Drapery: Becca Drapery Panel in Cloud Blue
Happy Decorating,
Kelley
Lynne
I’d love to know the pieces and fabrics of the chairs and sofa (reddish) in photo 8. Thank you!
Caroline McDonald
The sofa is in Marla Spice, and the chairs are Downey Blue. The ottomans are in Darcy Blue. Glad you like these pieces!
Debbie Wellbrock
Sorry – I meant the dining room chairs in picture # 9.
Mallory Thomas
Hi Debbie,
So glad you like the fabrics! The banquette and the dining chair seat are both upholstered in our Emrys Horizon InsideOut Performance Fabric. The back of the dining chair is upholstered in our Springdale Green Fabric. Such a pretty combination!
Best,
Mallory
Debbie Wellbrock
I love the blues shades. Can you tell me what the fabric is on the dining room chairs?
Melissa Lovely
As a Southern lady from Tennessee, I love your Georgia style- simple, yet elegant.
Abbey Nolte
Thanks, Melissa! So glad you like it!
Abbey
Grace Tucker
I’ve loved Ballard Designs for over 27 years. Always on trend and never disappointing!!
Abbey Nolte
Grace, thank you so much for the kind comment!
Abbey
Margaret E.
The article about decorating with blue is wonderful. Thank you. I only wish the furniture and fabrics were identified! I have been mulling over the website fabric choices, but seeing these photos is so much easier!
Abbey Nolte
Thank you, Margaret! If there are specific fabrics you’d like to know the names of, I’d be happy to provide them for you.
Happy Decorating,
Abbey
Jill Hayes
Love the blues. My house is decorated in blues. It’s called the house of blues now
Abbey Nolte
Jill, so glad you enjoyed this post!
Happy Decorating,
Abbey
Shellie
Love your taste. Getting great ideas for our quaint home. Thank you.
Abbey Nolte
Shellie,
So glad you liked it! Happy Decorating!
Abbey