'Neutral' doesn't have to mean 'colorless.' The timeless blue exterior of Vanessa Hudgens's home is definitive proof. While the color is a departure from classic white, cream, or gray houses, it maintains the same calming, 'go-with-everything' charm.
Hudgens' shared her paint color in an Instagram post. She poses, pregnant, against a blue wall, with a bit of purple and a bit of gray mixed in. It has a matte finish. Though the High School Musical actress has since given birth, the beauty of her blue home remains unchanged. This color is on trend today, and will be just as on trend in 100 years.
Furthermore, blue paint is lauded for its mood-boosting properties. Helen Shaw, color expert at Benjamin Moore, tells Homes & Gardens: 'Soft and subdued, muted blue is a modern twist on the traditional neutral and will take you from season to season feeling fresh. This hue exudes a sense of tranquillity due to its connection to nature, adding a beautiful warmth to homes and complementing the outside world rather than distracting from it. It creates a feeling of optimism and lightness when used on these properties, especially on masonry.'
Despite its status as a 'new neutral,' dark blue paints are also popular because of how striking they can look. Patrick O'Donnell, color expert at Farrow & Ball, states: 'Blue makes a lovely addition to exteriors. As well as looking rather smart, it helps to make any mundane fencing disappear.' The shade is neutral because of its versatility, but it doesn't just blend into the background; instead, it makes everything around look more beautiful and design-led. The color serves to distract from eyesores on the property and draw the eye towards something more beautiful.
Experts also say that Vanessa Hudgens' paint color choice is excellent because of how it blends into the surrounding landscape. O'Donnell says: 'It creates a very flattering backdrop to planting and greenery. Mid to deep blues, in the right tone, work wonderfully well with ubiquitous red brick and look beautiful against most stonework.' Shaw adds: 'Homes in coastal environments offer the perfect canvas for this beautiful, muted pastel.' Based on the turn towards more biophilic interiors, these properties may cause blue to become an exterior paint trend for 2024.
Shop H&G's Blue Paint Picks
If you are hoping to recreate Vanessa Hudgens's exterior paint color, you are in luck because our experts shared their top picks to replicate the color. Shaw recommends: 'Harlequin Blue 830 emulates Vanessa Hudgens’ shade, offering the seamless balance of a greyish blue infused with a hint of purple.' If you're more drawn to the greenish hues in Hudgen's exterior wall, O'Donnell suggests a more turquoise shade. He states: 'A smart option here would be Inchyra Blue, which has an empathetic lick of green through it.'
If painting the entire exterior of your home blue feels a bit out of reach, remember that this color is also a celebrated shade for the inside of a home. Especially when paired with white, blue paint can help create a timeless and stunning look with range. From coastal interiors to traditional interiors, there is a spot for this vibrant, ocean-like hue.
Vanessa Hudgens is setting an unexpected color trend that is both exciting and classic. As this shade is solidified as a 'new neutral' we can't wait to see more blue homes popping up all around the world.
