As an individual who loves inside design, there’s a factor I’ve seen over time. There are specific design parts that you simply’ll hold coming again to, whether or not it’s a wallpaper print, a sort of flooring, a chunk of furnishings, or, on this case, a paint shade.
For years, I’ve frequently returned to a form of gentle blue paint shade. I’ve needed to make use of it as the first shade in a number of rooms, each on this house and our previous one, however it hasn’t come to fruition but. Recently, I’ve seen it increasingly more in designs I like.
At the moment I’m sharing why I’m so drawn to this gentle blue paint shade, the place I’ve thought of utilizing it, and the place I would use it in our house sooner or later.
Why I’m so drawn to this gentle blue shade
I bear in mind one of many first occasions (but not *the* first) I used to be actually taken by this sort of gentle blue paint shade. The yr was 2019. The colour was in a kitchen stuffed with honey oak wooden accents, featured in Architectural Digest. The way in which the honey oak and blue paired collectively felt so distinctive and timeless. Seeing it on this context gave me such a visceral feeling and I instantly knew I needed to make use of it in my very own design. (Word: Upon additional inspection of the unique article, it seems the cabinetry shade is definitely grey, though it appears blue to me within the photograph under!)
Once I dig slightly deeper into what I felt upon seeing it, I understand there’s one thing so acquainted about this shade. It’s an ideal steadiness of heat and funky, with loads of white undertones, resulting in a shade that’s each calming and glad.
The sunshine blue sunroom that by no means was
The primary place I actually thought of utilizing this shade was in the sunroom of our earlier house. I needed to apply it to the partitions, trim, and ceiling. I even had our designer create a mockup of this utility for us (proven under). In a sunroom, design parts continuously evolve based mostly on the angle of the daylight. There’s one thing about this that invitations you to have a special expertise than in different areas of a house, and I feel shade is usually a great method to lean into this distinctive high quality.
I just lately discovered the e-mail thread the place our McDonald Transforming designer, Alisa, and I went forwards and backwards about utilizing both gentle blue OR gentle pink (Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball, to be actual) within the sunroom. I used to be already leaning towards utilizing extra shade in our earlier house’s design, although I in the end turned a bit overwhelmed by the considered it and determined to go together with the colour we’d already used on the principle flooring (White Dove by Benjamin Moore). It was so enjoyable to revisit these design conversations with Alisa as a result of she fully GOT what I needed for the house, even though I used to be slightly nervous about utilizing shade.
I feel this goes to point out you the potential lifespan of a design factor you really LOVE. All these years later, I’m nonetheless interested by what that room would have appeared like had I gone with my intestine. I’m right here interested by this gentle blue paint shade once more and I’ve already used Setting Plaster in my house in a number of rooms (on the trim within the entryway and guest room). White Dove was not a foul alternative—it was an important alternative! However that sunroom might have been one thing fully completely different. It’s an instance that helps illustrate why we had been already primed to embrace daring colours after we moved into our present house.
The place I would use a lightweight blue paint shade in our present house
I’ve thought of—and am at present contemplating—utilizing this gentle blue paint shade in varied rooms in our house. Once we did our kitchen remodel, I used to be drawn to utilizing it on the cupboards, however we in the end went a special route. Proper now, as I’m interested by broader design updates in our basement, I feel it might be enjoyable to make use of this shade in what’s the current playroom. This playroom might ultimately turn out to be a secondary visitor room. It has no home windows and I feel bringing a playful shade to the partitions (that are at present white) could be a enjoyable method to remodel the house.
The ironic factor is that as I used to be writing, I noticed I have used gentle blue in our house. It’s simply not within the full-scale utility I’d initially envisioned. We painted the chairs in our dining room the precise gentle blue (Aleutian by Sherwin Williams) I’ve been drawn to for thus lengthy. We additionally pulled in the same blue shade within the eating room rug (proven within the high photograph). Because it seems, the belongings you’re drawn to have a approach of displaying up in your life. Hold an eye fixed out for extra makes use of of this shade in our house sooner or later! I’ve little doubt it is going to present up once more.
Kate is at present studying to play the Ukulele, a lot to the despair of her husband, youngsters, and canines. Observe her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
