Trends

The combination of blue and white has endured the millenia to surface again and gain as a trend in interior decorating. Perhaps it is the siren song of the sea calling us...a place of pure light, fresh air and clean lines of sand and sky.

To use blue effectively you have to create the right mixture of light and dark, texture and shine...too much blue and a room becomes gloomy, too little and it becomes stark.
This season look for blues the remind you of nature: the cerulean of the European coast, the tender china blue of a hot summer sky, the rich purpley hue of a Nordic iris.
If you don't want to make a big commitment to blue try an accent rug , a toss pillow, or a loosely woven throw. Add a line of fused glass tiles to your bathroom or across the threshold of a patio door. Or paint one wall, perfect for setting off white furniture, a plain wooden chest, or a splash of color such as tiger lily in a side chair. Simple blue and white rooms can also offer the perfect resting place for eastern influenced furniture, complimenting the graceful tracery and unusual lines and showing them off without distraction.

Often when I hear blue and white I think of the Blue Willow plates of my childhood. Blue and white has a tendency to feel country cottage or English countryside. To modernize this trend and give it zing we recommend looking to the Mediterranean for influence. Greek homes abound with blue and white in glossy paint and nubby weavings, glazed ceramics, or smooth embroidery...the simplicity of ocean and sky are represented in a palette of textures. Red blooms in a vase or wooden bowl full of tangerines are all you need to add zest and unexpected color.

The key to a clean, modern, blue and white room is simplicity, good lines, and a hint of saturated color for life.