Q: We painted our guest bedroom the most beautiful rich, deep blue - Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball - before learning that we were pregnant. We love the color of the room and would like not to repaint it. However, we're expecting a baby girl. Can you offer any color scheme advice/tips/images on how to make the room more 'girl friendly'? Obviously the room won't be over-the-top girly, but I would definitely like for it to look like a baby girl's room.
Sent by Kelly
Editor: This is a rather sophisticated color - almost navy, but not quite. I would consider using an accent color that is equally rich and sophisticated like a deep lavender or vivid magenta. Readers, what ideas do you have?
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I love this color. I would just use lighter colors throughout the room. White bed, white dresser, light sheets.
I agree on the white... that would look beautiful. That is a beautiful paint colour - I wouldn't change it either.
I think that colour would be great with pinks. So cute!
another vote for white, maybe some brown and fuchsia accents?
I'm seeing white furniture and my first thought is hot pink/fuschia and orange accent colors. But I also think that color would look great with yellow.
this color, though blue, sort of tonally reminds me of the gray wall in this recent nursery tour on this very blog:
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/maeve-rosalinds-after-the-rain-roomnursery-tour-137602
a dark color like the one you've already chosen/used/want to keep could look really great paired with some carefully chosen brights. maybe get some paint chips in accent colors and play around? once you've found some accent colors you like, you could maybe then go about finding furniture and decorative objects in those colors...
I love the idea of white furniture with bright pinks and oranges, too. Or even yellow.
Love the color! Immediately reminded me of this room, which I have saved as inspiration for my own daughter's room:
http://pinterest.com/pin/2522503/
not quite the same colour, more of a medium grey, but this sweet room may spark some ideas. the pink really pops http://pinksugarphotography.typepad.com/pink_sugar_photography_bl/2011/02/lilas-room.html
yellow would be sweet too.
That's a gorgeous colour, and you could definitely do something very feminine and dramatic with it!
Match it with different shades of pink -- for example, an antique dresser and mirror painted a pale icy pink:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BH6r6QjWatk/THes-6ndqPI/AAAAAAAAFbo/_OImxG-QpAY/s1600/house+and+home,+candy+pink+dresser.jpg
And a comfy chair or upholstered rocker in fuschia velvet:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BH6r6QjWatk/THexlyJTbqI/AAAAAAAAFco/uIXCTc5YC98/s1600/decor+pad.jpg
Add some white shelves and crib, and perhaps a pretty crystal chandelier
So basically add pink and white, along with silvery (or mirrored things). Too keep it from looking too stilted, this rug, with these colours, would be perfect -- that is, add something golden, so that the room is not just full of "cool" colours (if not an aged golden persian, perhaps a rug which looks like a sisal, only softer?):
http://www.abccarpet.com/store/store/pc/Bidjar-12p598.htm
a pale but bright blue or light pink like this would look very pretty
http://liasynthis.blogspot.com/2011/02/balancing-dark-blue.html
-Erica
http://www.facebook.com/hazellikes
Love the icy pink idea. I was thinking soft gray. I can see a toile pattern in pink or gray on white looking amazing against this backdrop.
I agree, I love the idea of soft pretty pinks but with accents of fuchsia and whites! Love that color!
Beautiful color. I think it'd be great with white, yellow, and maybe a soft lavender in places. Imagine the paler version of that color and use that as an accent, maybe.
i say use white and yellow as accents.
Definitely white furniture. I clicked on the link to the paint color and loved one of the other colors they matched it with (Borrowed Light, http://us.farrow-ball.com/borrowed-light///fcp-product/100235) I know it is more blue but I'm just not a "pink" fan and love blue in a girl's room.
Do you sew? I think these bold florals from Amy Butler would look great (http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/fabrics_love_soul4.php)
I think it would go well with a Farrow & Ball's hardwick white or even pelt - which is sort of a purple, but maybe too dark. Maybe dove tale, and dead salmon (terrible name)? The Hague Blue is beautiful, with enough accenting either with furniture and or art pieces in some lavenders, pinks and whites, I think it's a great color for a girl's nursery.
I agree with the suggestion to use white, and I like the editor's suggestion to think of lavender. However, I wouldn't go vivid and strong, I'd go soft. A soft lavender or periwinkle colour would look really nice with a deep, rich colour like the one you've used. A soft robin's egg blue could also work really well. I personally think robin's egg blue is a feminine colour, but I understand that it may not be girly enough.
Congratulations, by the way!
My first thought was pale yellow.
The recent Gavin's Winning Woodsy Nursery (http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/nursery-tours/gavins-winning-woodsy-nurserynursery-tour-138041) and Maeve Rosalind's After the Rain Room (http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/maeve-rosalinds-after-the-rain-roomnursery-tour-137602) both use whites and brights to great effect on dark walls.
Have fun with it. My daughter's room is blue and it is definitely a feminine space - don't let the whole pink is for girls/blue is for boys thing hold you back!
blue can DEFINITELY be a girl's room color! we painted our guest room blue as well (the first thing we did after moving in because the walls were 9 different colors, but ours is not as dark as yours) and will NOT be repainting for our first-born (gender TBD on its birthday). don't let anyone make you repaint! there are so many ways to make it girly if you want to, or more toward the neutral if you don't want to support stereotypes.
if you want girly: i like the suggestions for white furniture and soft carnation pink accents. or that blue would probably look great with the currently trendy yellow & grey color scheme.
with our blue walls we're going with green and brown accents and lots of unfinished wood tones.
good luck! pictures (when you finish the preparations) are encouraged!
I LOVE that color. Wow, it's gorgeous. It would be a fun place to start in a girl or boy nursery.
I also love the idea of pale pinks and whites, BUT, I would also throw in a little bit of a dark pinkish red as an accent - rich and warm.
I'm thinking yellow would be lovely and red and pink would be nice as well.
White and raspberry:
http://misshavy.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/pink_navy.jpg
Just remembered that Honeysuckle is the color of the year, and it would look beautiful with your wall color. Or what about coral?
Our new baby's room was once my husband's office ... so its a dark nautical blue ... and I'm not changing it for anything! If its a girl ... I'm going with these curtains ... and a white crib, etc :)
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=16809253&CAWELAID=724103641
a few ruffles can only help!
I would go with a soft, muted lavender, white furniture to brighten the space, and natural fabrics and wood. I love this color- we're doing our living room in a very similar color right now!
Love this color! I'm thinking white furniture with pale yellow bedding/accents.
Light yelloe - Similar to the default colour of a post-it note or a lemon tart & light icy pink.
I would stay away from white funniture, but instead use white for a rug and other accent peices
Love the color. I agree with lots of white and some icy pinks, orange or tourquoise to set it off. Sophisticated and girly. She'll be able to grow with it.
notsospanish.wordpress.com
Sherwin Williams' website has some fun tools where you can play with colors to see what you like. I'm sure you could find a similar color in their repertoire. Then you could add others to see what you think looks best. I love the idea of bright pink and yellow together with it. Gorgeous!
Great color comments; I am really digging the idea of a dusty yellow, white, and turquoise (ok, throw some orange and pink in there, too)!
Play up soft and cozy textures and voila! Perfect space for your little lady :)
I'm thinking it would make for a fantastic night sky theme. Cloud and/or star decals would be nice along with complementary fabrics.
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/maeve-rosalinds-after-the-rain-roomnursery-tour-137602
this room I think is a great start, the walls are dark, but their not blue, maybe this will give you some ideas.
white tab top curtains. black and white bold print area rug. fuschia accents.
i LOVE that color!! i think it's fantastic for a girl's room.
The first thought that popped into my head was add some white and a bright, sunny yellow. Maybe a daisy theme?
Our friends have a little girl and the walls in her room are nearly the same color as yours. The furniture in the room is white and the ceiling is white, with accents of pink and butter yellow. The theme is owls and the walls work perfect as a night sky. It is such a calm and pretty space, and so much more interesting than most little girls rooms that I see.
i would also suggest loads of white and accents of honeysuckle/pink/magenta/fuchsia :D
love that color, but our bedrooms are dark enough without intense colours *sigh* :/
White and raspberry! White and raspberry!!!
(or another bright girly color, like magenta or fuschia)
(and/or orange)
White furniture, pink & yellow things, light but not too pale -- bubblegum and lemon. Fuschia would be nice in small doses, and maybe some apple green.
I think you could take it in another direction and use mint and pale yellow. The textures (patchwork, lace, ruffles) with hints of pinks here and there would be nice.
There are so many lovely possibilities (night sky! ocean! yellow! plum! turquoise! orange! lime!!), but I think my final vote is for a vibrant, dark peony or rose palette. I was so preoccupied by the question and inspired by the color that I made two inspiration boards. My new blog is not fully up and running, but here they are!
http://collectinglovely.blogspot.com/2011/02/inspiration-board-hague-blue-nursery.html
I hope you'll share the final product with us!
That color is hot right now! I love it for a nursery. You can use any color with it. Pick your favorite color or choose bedding/curtains and pull a color from the fabric. I have a friend who is doing a navy and coral nursery.
http://steenkbug.blogspot.com/2011/02/nursery-in-navy-and-coral.html