Name: Galvanized UL12 (above)
Brand: Ralph Lauren
If great minds think alike, then I think we’d all agree on one thing: blue and brown go perfectly together and are the greatest pair since pizza and beer...
I don’t think I’d really call this color combination a fad, and I can’t quite call it retro either. The thing that really turns my crank is the pairing of a warm dark with a cool light, and readers of this column will know that dark brown is one of my favorite colors.
The first photo was taken chez moi, and my accent wall (Ralph Lauren Galvanized UL12) was the first column I ever wrote for this website. Here I combine brown with blue in the accents: robin’s-egg blue pillow cases, the backing on my grandmother’s quilt, and an oil sketch by artist Brian Gilmartin.
Jonathan Adler has created a large portion of his inventory in blue and brown, including these throw pillows in retro patterns. See his website for further details.
The last photo is from my friend Richard, an editor in L.A. He painted his dinette in Ralph Lauren Edwardian Burgundy (VM95) and Benjamin Moore Sea Foam (2123-60), and tied the two together with vintage drapes. I find the result to be smart and homey.
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
A Contemporary Space in the Queen City 
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Comments (15)
we used galvanized in our kitchen after reading about it here -- it's funny that it is the darkest paint color we've ever used, but the only one we've simply never second-guessed. it's gorgeous!!
Wow, those are the exact colors of the outfit I wore today (for the first time, and before reading this post). Great minds do think alike.
I had a blue and brown bedroom in my apartment from 2002 to 2004. I'm tempted to make my living room some variation of blue and brown now. It's currently a pumpkin pie: french vanilla ice cream on the walls with a pumpkin orange accent wall, and dark brown trim (crust!) and floor. I'm tired of living in a thanksgiving wonderland!
Too funny! I was just talking to a coworker about what a great combination blue and brown can be. I just received an espresso-brown paper book cover set with silver type--also a nice color combo.
It's pretty -- but it also IS a fad and a spin on retro. Not that there's anything wrong with that....
I love dark brown-with blue, with green or with pink. I just think that it's a great neutral and makes any space seem like it has character. I especially love dark brown with white. And yes, it can seem retro depending on the furnishings. I can also seem very fresh and new.
The brown is perfeck; the blue is the difficult one. I haven't ever picked a blue paint I like the next week.
^ good point. we tried 3 different shades of robin's egg blue before giving up and going with a soft green instead.
that is my favourite colour combo -- my (dk brown) winter coat and (pale blue) cashmere scarf; the baby's (dk brown) bear suit and blanket and (pale blue) hat...
I do like the combination very much, but sometimes it feels like it's the ONLY combination available right now. I've been shopping for duvet covers and contemplating the color scheme for my bedroom and I'm a turquoise-teal-emerald kind of gal; however, the choices in that range are sparse to non-existent. too 80's? do I have to wait for the fashion wheels to turn again before I can find something with colors that I like (& that is not too quaint or floral)?
This is one of those colors I love even more becuase of the name.
So I find myself buying and gravitating towards a lot of navy blue. What should I be using to balance that? Tan maybe?
moiety, go with nuttier, tanner, medium browns - it looks fantastic
I find the result a bit hotel-theme-room-ish
I just made a post on Style Estate in response to this article titled, Chocolate Brown and Blue.