Inspiration: Pale Blue Walls

A little while ago, we looked at dark blue walls and the way they can bring a sense of drama to a space. Pale blue walls, on the other hand, tend to make a room feel calm and airy. There are a lot of light blue bedrooms in this roundup, but it's also a color that works well in living rooms, hallways, and entrances...

FIRST ROW
• 1 Terisa, Colin & Lauren's Family Home
• 2 Amy's Vintage-Modern Nest
• 3 Ushak Morocco Rug from the Rug Company
• 4 Karl's Mid-Century Minneapolis Retreat
• 5 Hallway from Colorama

SECOND ROW
• 6 Melissa and Matt's Design Lab
• 7 Componibili by Anna Castelli Ferrieri
• 8 Christy and John's Logan Square Bungalow
• 9 Whittier Drive Residence
• 10 Lisa's Beach Regency Modern Mix

Photos: Sarah Coffey (1,2,7,8), Karl Madcharo (4), Colorama (5), Evan Thomas (6), Burnham Design (9), Leslie W (10)

Comments (9)

I think it's crucial to have lots of white trim or other white elements on the walls if you paint pale blue. Otherwise it just reads to the eye as a "cold white" and you don't get a feel for the colour.

posted by tam-tbag on August 3rd 2009 at 6:45pm
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The blue doesn't thrill me- it's chilly!

However, I'm all about that sea urchin lamp in the first image. Acacia no longer carries them- anyone have a new source? I need one!

posted by shockthebourgeois on August 3rd 2009 at 7:21pm
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Where is the lamp from in the first photo? Crate and Barrel just came out with one similar but I like this better.

posted by jacasi on August 3rd 2009 at 7:29pm
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I love pale blue walls. Decorate using black, airy white and ivory, silver and blond wood and you get a calm, reserved, dreamy feel. Or you can go in a more pop direction since pale blue is also a good backdrop for brighter splashes of color. My bedroom walls are currently a light aqua-blue with yellow, red, cobalt and kelly green accents. Of course, cool, icy blues won't work as well in perpetually overcast climates or dim homes.

posted by slowdown on August 3rd 2009 at 8:52pm
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I used Behr's Ocean Pearl, which I thought was a taupey light grey, but ended up a crisp pale blue... love it in my bedroom!

(I also had it mixed into Dutch Boy's Refresh Base)

posted by JenJen on August 3rd 2009 at 9:43pm
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That second last photo, the bedroom, is beautiful.

posted by Mlle Kate on August 4th 2009 at 1:49am
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my bedroom is that exact same color! and I always feel relaxed in it =)

posted by lovelyrita on August 5th 2009 at 3:41pm
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shockthebourgeois and jacasi -

http://acaciacatalog.com/sea-urchin-lampreg-%252489%252E95/p/51929/ad/y/

i love the lamp too!! they were out of stock a while ago, but they must have got more, looks like you can buy them again.

posted by maverick12 on August 7th 2009 at 2:16pm
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For anyone who may see this, I'm hoping for some blue bedroom wall advice . . .

I'm moving to a small home with normal height ceilings (I'm used to far more character than this), hardwood floors . . . and I only have a budget for paint.

I'm wanting to use a lot of blue paint, different shades, throughout the house. The bedroom is serving as the greatest obstacle. It might not work.

I have this duvet: http://www.blisslivinghome.com/categories.php?cPath=152_826

and a vintage chair that is sort of the peach color from the leaves on the duvet

So given those colors, is there a blue in the world that would work, if I were to work it in some of the decor as well or I am stuck with a neutral?

ALL ideas welcome.

posted by lij on October 29th 2009 at 10:46am
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