New blue room ideas

If we look at the four key themes that inform the 2017 palette, blue is prominent in each. It’s a colour that informs every aspect of our lives and, combined with different shades, it can promote various moods and feelings, from tranquillity to energy.

When we think of our home as the place we share, eat, sleep, laugh, cry and celebrate – where we live and often work as well, the versatility of blue stands out. It can be used in subtle ways. Denim Drift combines well with other tones of blue or natural wood colours; or it can be used in sharp contrast to yellow hues to add a sense of vibrancy.

“You can do more with paint than just painting your walls,” explains Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of the Global Aesthetic Centre. “Painting a ceiling is a simple yet effective way to immerse yourself in a colour.”

Similarly, by painting doors or units such as cupboards in complimentary colours, or using furniture and soft furnishings in the same way, you can start to make new and unexpected combinations.

And of course, if you’re nervous about using blue in a large expanse of wall, you can paint details on a feature wall, or within recesses or shelves – allowing you to play with different palettes in simple yet effective ways.

The structure of each room in your house can be used as a guide to creating different zones of colour. Hand rails, staircases and existing divisions within your space can all create natural breaks for you to experiment with different hues within the same colour scheme. Don’t be afraid to play with the lines that are already in the architecture of the building.

Nothing has to be perfect. Hand-painted motifs and deliberately rough blending between different hues on walls can add a degree of bold imperfection that adds to the overall effect. “These feature wall ideas are really easy,” says Heleen. “There’s no need for stencils. It’s a playful way to add some colour.”

Find your kind of blue

Still unsure about going bold with blue? Download the Dulux Visualizer app {link to app} for an immediate impression of how inventive use of blue hues can be applied to every room in your home.

{USE SECTION BELOW IF LOCAL MARKETS DON’T WANT TO USE ‘WHICH PAINTS’ SECTIONS}

Get the look with these paints:

S0.10.50 / 87BG27/077
S7.19.59 / 06BB39/179
S1.05.81 / 89BG72/060
HN.02.83 / 89YY80/039
U3.15.11 / 66BB06/077