September 10th, 2018. By Karen Van Nort, Interior Designer
This months’ blog is about blue and white….a popular combination in catalogues and books these days but in northern Michigan where I live, it’s always popular. So this month I decided to talk about it a little bit. Blue and white…..capturing the clouds and the sky and up here, the lake…..no wonder it’s so popular.
I actually have loved blue and white for many years as it is crisp and clean and always fresh looking. It can have a coastal or lake vibe or a very formal representation depending on the furniture and accessories one chooses. But, when you have beautiful views of lake and sky it becomes a combination you might crave.
Decorating with blue and white to me is an opportunity to embrace blue walls and white furniture accessorized with patterns of both. Then I like to reverse it and have white walls with maybe some dark blue accent walls and lighter blue furniture. The opportunities for using this combination are endless.
Try a combination of blues with white walls for a sense of depth.
Another way to combine these two colors is in wall paper. We are seeing a comeback in wallpaper and blue and white has become very popular. In a bathroom I love dark blue walls and white cabinets teamed with brushed pewter hardware. A two tone dark blue and white wallpaper brings this combination together seamlessly. In a bedroom I love pale blue walls and white furniture coupled with light blue linens with white sheets. This makes for a peaceful and calm environment.
We are programmed it seems to put carpet on stairs but doing a runner in a blue and white print or painting the back of each step with a pattern of blue and white adds interest and in a lake side cottage makes it easier to keep clean. No more carpet stains.
Blue is a connector to nature but it also connects us to many possibilities.
Whether you just use blue and white or add coral, green or red….it provides a jumping off place for unlimited potential. Have fun with blue and take note of what the French painter Raul Dufy said, “It will always stay blue.”
Happy decorating! ~Karen