It's an Azure Thing

From the Breton stripe made famous by Coco Chanel to sailor chic, blue and white when used together impart a cool, light and relaxed air, not dissimilar to the feeling you experience when on a European seaside escape. This combination of colours is not only utterly fresh but a timeless choice and thus we deem it a great option for decorating one’s home. Here we show you how to make a room fade to blue and white with fabrics, paint, tiles, decorative objects and books while retaining a modern edge.

Books: Not only do beautiful books like Water Sings Blue, by Kate Coombs, illustrated by Meilo So (Chronicle Books), look great on display, but also provide great inspiration to help you bedeck your home. This gorgeous tome is filled with dreamy watercolours and whimsical poems making it the perfect musing for blue and white inspirations.

Paint: Paint is a really great way to work different shades of blue into any space. It is where you should begin when decorating a room. Think of it like your canvas on which you can build upon all other features. And why limit yourself to one shade when you can unleash your creativity and enjoy multiple hues at once. Just remember that choosing the right blues is all about creating a mood. Our favourites to evoke a tranquil and breezy space are (from left): ‘Ethereal Blue’ matt emulsion by Sanderson; ‘Dove Blue’ matt emulsion by Sanderson; ‘Bluebird’ flat emulsion by Paint & Paper Library; ‘Sapphire Springs’ matt emulsion by Dulux.

Fabric: Textiles are a great way to layer different shades of colour into a room while introducing texture and depth. We love to use fabric to not only work tone on tone but to also bring amazing prints into a room – whether it is a feature sofa, a collection of cushions or an ottoman. We love this chair that has been covered in ‘Seabra’ linen fabric by Richard Smith for No.9 Thompson (137cm wide).

Décor: Decorative pieces would have to be one of our favourite ways of adding the finishing touches to a space. Much in the same way that you use accessories to complete an outfit, we love grouping odd numbers of vases, jars, dishes and more to add interest and finesse to a room. Keep your décor items to simple stripes of blue and white like these beautiful ones from The Conran Shop, or, use solid colour-block accents to allow your pieces to seamlessly mix with different tones so they’re not fighting for attention with your printed fabrics.

Tiles: An unexpected way of layering tone on tone and introducing more colour and pattern into your home is with interesting tiles. Look for a design and palette that draws upon the hues used elsewhere in the room like these handmade ‘Evora’ Encaustic tiles by Fired Earth (20 x 20cm). They tie together the navy, white and sky-blue shades of this chic interior.

© 2012 Dalani Home & Living - written by Alexandra O’Brien
Main shot: A. Mezza & E. Escalante; other photos courtesy of No.9 Thompson by Richard Smith;
The Conran Shop; Fired Earth