As we head into the last full week of summer, here at Whittington Design Studio we feel like singing the blues. Blue skies! Blue oceans! Blue lakes! Blue pools! We are really going to miss the endless, soothing blues of our summer vacations.
The good news is that blue is a color for all seasons. Here are a few ideas to keep you seeing blue all year long.
Make a splash with pool-inspired glass mosaic in your kitchen:
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| Photo: House Beautiful |
Don’t want to invest in a new tile backsplash?
Try some blue and white dishes in a display cabinet:
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| Photo: House Beautiful |
Or a painted blue backdrop for your white dishes:
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| Photo: House and Home |
Blue and white bathroom tile is another gorgeous way to make a splash:
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| Photo: House Beautiful |
Thinking about how you are going to miss the summer sky?
The shimmer in this blue wall paper evokes the romance of a soft, blue dawn:
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| John Mahoney Kiku Komon wallpaper printed on silver mylar. Photo: House Beautiful |
Or go bold with the deep, cobalt blues of twilight ocean waves.
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| Love these big blue bubbles! Blue Baloons Wallpaper by Dedar of Milan. |
Here’s another way to add a touch of blue sky:
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| Benjamin Moore “Ocean Air” ceiling. Room by Whittington Design Studio |
You may not be able to dip your toes into the cool of the pool come autumn,
but you can slip into some cool, blue leather:
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| Basset blue gray vinyl ottoman with cream piping. Room by Whittington Design Studio |
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| Global Views vintage arm chair. |
Or sink your toes into a sand and blue rug:
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| Jaipur Monsoon Rug (Jenny Jones Global) |
Evoke the memories of your beach-combing finds with these beach glass-inspired lamps:
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| Use blue as a neutral to pair with any color. Here we used a Jamie Young lamp and Benjamin Moore “Tranquil Blue” walls. Room by Whittington Design Studio |
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| Regina Andrew Baha Blue Glass Lamp |
The natural wonder of ocean-side flora comes through in these organic fabrics of blue, white and gray. They add earthy sophistication to dining chairs, pillows or accent chairs.
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| Coralshade Linen (Breeze) Katerina Tana Collection |
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| Schumacher Feather Bloom. |
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| Martyn Lawrence Bullard Majorelle fabric (as seen in House Beautiful). |
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| Smokey blue linen dining chairs. Photo: House & Home |
Sea grass anyone?
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| Blue can feel so earthy paired with greens and textured grasscloth on the walls. Room by Whittington Design Studio |
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| Silvery blue green grasscloth from York paired with Lacefield Pillows. Room by Whittington Design Studio |
Sigh. You can almost hear the sound of the breeze rustling through the grasses in the dunes.
Summer slipped through our fingers way too quickly, as usual. Hold tight to the season’s true blue beauty by adding more gorgeous blue hues to your home.
And then go inside to wait for summer 2014.
Do it!
p.s. Even in Ireland — the land of 1000 shades of green — they love their blue! Check out these gorgeous blue and white house fronts against an impossibly blue Dingle, Ireland sky.
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