I used to think a pale blue living room was something you'd only tend to see in coastal-style interiors. It felt like it would be a hard shade to complement, and the risk of the room feeling washed out and cold was simply too high.
But it turns out I was wrong. Opting for a blue living room in its lightest incarnation is one of the most versatile color choices you can make. 'Blue is an expansive color we see in nature each and every day, so as a familiar tone to our eye, it's no wonder we are naturally drawn to it,' says interior designer Matthew Williamson. 'It's easy and polite, without being boring.'
Depending on the tone you choose, light blue living rooms can be subtle yet vibrant, and carry a certain sense of freshness — like cool, crisp sheets.
Is light blue a good color for a living room?
If you're looking to introduce more color into your living room but are not quite sure where to start, light blue is a great transitional shade. You can wash you walls with a barely-there baby blue paint color, or even try mixing up your furnishings with a new blue sofa or blue rug.
Our living spaces are designed for rest and relaxation, and light blue is a shade that promotes exactly that — making it an ideal color for your living room. It can be serene and soothing, or full of energy and warmth. Not to mention there are plenty of other colors that go with light blue, so it's the perfect base.
Still not convinced that a light blue living room is for you? Let these six spaces by some of the best designers show you otherwise.
1. SELECT A CALMING SOFT SHADE
Located on West End Avenue in New York, local architecture and interior design firm, Mendelson Group, reconfigured this apartment living room in order to make it more open-plan and modern. Not wanting to loose the original architectural details of the space, however — including an ornate fireplace, oversized baseboards and architraves — they used a soft, duck egg blue paint color on the walls to create contrast against the original accents which were painted white.
'I wanted to use a calm, pale blue that would connect with the views outside,' adds the firm's founder Gideon Mendelson, on how the light blue living room palette helped to contribute to the spaces new sense of openness.
2. CHOOSE LIGHT BLUE FURNISHINGS
But your walls aren't the only way you can create a light blue living room scheme. Opting for a rug, sofa or blue accent chair in the soft shade is yet another way to introduce the color, but in a much less permanent way.
In the modern living room shown above, interior designer Sandra Weingort, who works between Miami and New York City, opted to contrast the cool tones of the light blue sofa and rug with rich, warm wooden finishes — creating a space that feels balanced and timeless.
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3. ADD ENERGY WITH BOLD ACCENTS
Taking a less subtle approach, this light blue living room scheme by Austin and Los Angeles-based architecture firm, Arterberry Cooke, uses the shade to inject energy and vibrancy into the room — demonstrating its versatility. Coating the TV cabinet, door trims and window frames of the living space, the more saturated paint color is a striking and playful contrast to the white walls and more neutral furnishings.
Alice Arterberry and Barrett Cooke, the creative forces behind the firm, say they love incorporating shades of blue into their projects. 'We love blues that are muted and take on the highlight colors of objects that surround them, as well as deep and powerful blues,' they add.
4. PAIR IT WITH PATTERNS
Interior designer Matthew Williamson says he doesn't tend to use light blue on walls all that often, as he sees it as a color that lends itself better to fabrics and accessories. That's because as a backdrop color, light blue can risk making a room feel too cold, but as an accent, it can 'feel chic, elegant and refined,' he says.
'This lounge above was an experiment,' he admits. 'I wanted to try a white living room with rattan and seagrass — I’m not really into white as a rule — but soon realized that it just wasn't me. It become a more eclectic space, with lots of patterns and accents in aqua and electric blue.'
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5. USE AS A BASE FOR AN ELEGANT COLOR PALETTE
'From baby and Wedgwood shades to sky and sea blue, blue offers an endless palette,' says interior designer Matthew Williamson. 'In that sense, it’s hard to talk about blue as one homogeneous color. There are simply so many variations.'
The light blue living room seen above is further evidence of that. It's completely different to some of the other spaces shown, and paired with a warm color scheme of dusty pinks and gold, has an elegance and sophistication.
6. CAPTURE THE COASTAL AESTHETIC
And, of course, I couldn't finish this without including at least one living room with a light blue coastal color palette. With soft tones that mimic the colors found by the seaside — the blue skies, white sands, driftwoods and gentle seafoams — along with quaint patterns and a comfortable aesthetic, it's uplifting, elegant and refined.
With its washed blue walls, light blue sofa and patterned curtains, the coastal-style living room shown above feels fresh, inviting and crisp — just like dipping your toes in the ocean.
It may not be the first color you'd think of, but you'd be mistaken for not considering a light blue living room. The color has so much versatility and personality. 'Blue isn’t warm, but it’s so many other things — refreshing, light, airy and cool,' says interior designer Matthew Williamson.
Whether its your walls, trims, an accent piece in the space, a fabric choice or everything and anything in between, light blue can calm a space or add energy. It can brighten or i can soften, and when done right, it can also make what was otherwise white walls feel warm and enveloping, cozy and cool.
