Perhaps because it's the color of both the sky and the sea: In color therapy, blue tones are said to evoke clarity, pureness, and increased intuition. In the home, the shade is immediately calming and welcoming, whether used in a deep navy for a touch of drama, or a pale robin's egg in a more subtle space. Whatever shade of blue is for you—and whatever decorating style, from nautical to regal—ahead are more than 50 examples of blue-centered design that's just right.
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Photography By William Waldron/ Produced By Robert Rufino
Royal Walls
A daybed in the guest room of this Hampton's home is draped with a vintage throw, and the sofa is by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; the cocktail tables from Tonic Home have custom-made tops by Plexi-Craft, the side tables are by Jonathan Adler, and the walls are painted in Benjamin Moore Regal in Patriot Blue.
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Michael Mundy
Blue if by Sea
In this Hamptons home decorated by , white furniture is part of a nautical theme that is just as striking as it is cozy. A white armchair and large white coffee table are cushioned by deep blues evocative of the nearby sea.
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Obert Gili
Pop of Pastel
Fashion designer stripped her family's Florida getaway to its purest white essence, then filled it with bright colors and bold artworks. The incredibly white living room sofa is by , the cocktail table is by and the painting, Elaidyl Alcohol, is by .
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Photography by Simon Upton
Coordinated Tones
In the living room of a Paris apartment, which was designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, a sofa by Collection Pierre is upholstered in a Brochier fabric trimmed with ribbons by Samuel & Sons; lamps by Paul Evans flank a glass wall sculpture by Christophe Gaignon, the cocktail tables are custom designs, and the walls are painted in Paint Library's Eucalyptus.
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Simon Upton
Ceiling, Too
The tub in the master bath of this Paris apartment is by Jacob Delafon, with fittings by Waterworks, the sconces are by Niermann Weeks, and the Veere Grenney chair is covered in an Armani/Casa fabric; the chandelier is by Tony Duquette, and the vanity, mirror, and marble flooring are all custom designs.
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Björn Wallander
Upholstered Accents
In the living room of and Dan Holland’s Arts and Crafts bungalow in Oakland, California, the custom sofa is covered in a linen by , a pair of vintage chairs is upholstered in a tartan, the bust on the custom cocktail table is by and the rug is from Iran. The fireplace, repainted a high-gloss black, the bookcases and the oak flooring are all original to the house and the walls are painted in .
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Björn Wallander
Room to Room Blue
A foyer opens to a blue-tinted living room, which features crisp blue curtains, in this Oakland home. The walls are painted in and the ceiling in , both by .
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Björn Wallander
Blue With Tan Accents
In the master bedroom of this Oakland bungalow, the bed by is dressed with a duvet, the antique chest is English, the custom love seat is upholstered in a and the pendant light is from . The rug is an antique Heriz and the walls are painted in .
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Eric Piasecki
Right Light Blue
In this Manhattan townhouse, Quadrille fabric curtains with just a touch of blue play off the bold turquoise walls, painted in C2 Paint Luxe in . The sofa and club chair, both by , are covered in wools.
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Simon Upton
Moody Grey Blue
In the master suite of an Upper East Side home, the curtains in this monochromatic blue room perfectly match the decor. The armchairs are a 1950s Gianfranco Frattini design and the painting is by Friedrich Kunath.
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Andrew Boyd
Sapphire Board Room
In an opulent boardroom, deep blue curtains and wallcoverings perk up a cognac table and chair set-up.
Play with varying shapes like a spherical chandelier or an oval rug.Design by
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Thomas Loof
Blue Trimmed Celing
In this East Hampton house designed by , the living room walls are painted in a high gloss by Fine Paints of Europe to match Pantone's Legion Blue. The sofas are by Celerie Kemble for , upholstered in a printed linen. The ceiling is inset with a felt paper by Star, the midcentury chandelier is by Stilnovothe and the vintage chairs in front of the faux-mable mantle are from .
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Mark D. Sikes
New Nautical
A blue striped rug is an ideal base for overstuffed club chairs upholstered in a blue pattern of the same tone.
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Ricardo Labougle
Cerulean Opulence
The custom sofas in the library of this Seville home are upholstered in a Nobilis velvet and a Madeleine Castaing fabric from Kravet. The 19th-century chairs and bronze side table are Italian, the Empire chandelier is French, and the mantel is Louis XVI. The custom wallpaper is by Zuber, and the floor tiles are a combination of Carrara, Nero Marquina, and Bardiglio gray marbles.
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Ricard Labougle
Navy Couches
Milan-based designers at the vacation home they built on the Greek island of Folégandros. In the living room, Meridiani sofas are covered in a fabric by Dominique Kieffer, the Charlotte Perriand cock-tail table was found at a Paris flea market, and the flooring is Karystos stone; the artwork over the sofa is by Marco Basta, and the two small oil paintings were found at flea markets in Milan and Athens.
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Simon Upton
Ombre Rug
In the living room of Jean-Louis Deniot's Miami penthouse, the sofa from Deniot’s collection for is in a fabric, the 1930s chairs are in a fabric, the vintage cocktail table is by , and the gold side table is by ; the 1920s bronze-and-alabaster chandelier once hung in the Villa Kerylos in France, the indoor-outdoor rug is by , the artwork is by , and the shelf holds a sculpture (center) and a French 1940s lamp.
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Simon Upton
Floor to Ceiling
In a French-inspired Chicago penthouse guest bedroom, the headboard covered in a vintage French fabric, and a pillow and coverlet in a silk.
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James Merrell
Teal Tones
Blue gives this dining room in a Bridgehampton farmhouse a calming atmosphere. The Julian Chichester chairs are covered in Lulu DK and Rose Tarlow Melrose House fabrics. The trim is painted in Aegean Teal by Benjamin Moore. The blue is broken up by the white and black curtains.
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William Waldron
Statement Blue Tiles
In a Bordeaux, France bathroom designed by Michael Coorengel and Jean-Pierre Calvagrac, vibrant blue tiles complement a 19th-century washbasin.
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William Waldron
An Ode to Indigo
From the sofa to the walls, this library designed by Thom Filicia is an ode to indigo.
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Björn Wallander
Cool-Toned Blue
Architect Cynthia Wang and designer Jamie Bush helped conjure this country cabin in Lake Tahoe with a touch of cool for a Silicon Valley family. In the modern master bedroom, the wall's blue-grey hue complements the cool-toned furniture: an armchair and stool by Minotti, upholstered in a Holly Hunt leather, a side table by Jonathan Adler and a bench and dresser by Lawson-Fenning. The drawing is by Ching Ho Cheng and the carpet is by Decorative Carpets.
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Simon Upton
Patterned Blue Walls
The whimsical walls in this Southampton cottage, belonging to fashion designer Lorry Newhouse, are saturated with blue patterns. The wallpaper in the bedroom and the fabric for the chair, bed skirts, and curtains are by Rose Cumming. The coverlet and shams are by Matouk. The prints and mirror are Victorian.
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William Waldron; Produced by Robert Rufino
Vibrant Blue Living Room
A wallcovering by Elitis adds a pop of color in a Hamptons beach house. The living room sofa is by Calypso Home and the slipper chairs are upholstered in a fabric by Prismatek; the Orkney Island-style chair is from Room Service Home.
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Mikkel Vang
All Over Blue
In a New York City apartment designed by Alex Papachristidis, the husband's office is personalized with a muted blue Cowtan & Tout sisal-blend paper. The steel desk by John Vesey was found at an auction and the lamp is from John Rosselli Antiques.
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Richard Powers
Robin's Egg Blue
Robin's-egg blue walls in the Marrakech living room of Caitlin and Samuel Dowe-Sandes's home. The handmade cement tiles used for the flooring is from the couple's design firm, Popham Design.
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William Waldron
Soft Blue Room
Designer furniture and art dealer Ralph Pucci recruited Vicente Wolf to design his Long Island, New York, beach house. In the home's blue guest room, a Charles P. Rogers bed is dressed in bedding by Restoration Hardware. The Bertoia chair is paired with a vintage Indonesian desk, and the photograph is by Christopher Makos.
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Simon Upton
Bold Blue
A San Francisco home office designed by Thomas Britt features walls and chairs that are upholstered in a bold blue cotton by Etro. The painting is by Kim Douglas Wiggins; the table is vintage, and the rug is by AM Collections.
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Francesco lagnese
Blue Meets Red
In the living room of Amy Fine Collins's family getaway, a powder blue wall complements painted Louis XVI chairs that surround a 1940s table from Sutter Antiques.
