Blue and White Inspiration, Paint Colors, and a Design Tip

Design trends can be fickle, and there are many times when not everyone can agree on what the trends are, exactly.  One blog or home decorating magazine says something is in, another says it’s out.

But one thing that everyone seems to be agreeing on these days is that BLUE is still in.  In fact, it’s more popular than ever.

And pairing those popular blues with crisp white always feels fresh, yet classic – spun different ways, depending on your style.

Today I’ve rounded up three spaces with blue and white inspiration for you.  (Rooms that I noticed also happen to have one thing (design tip) in common.  See if you see the same thing I did, and we’ll talk at the end of the post.)

Modern Loft Bedroom.

This modern bedroom has such a fresh, light, and airy feel and, for those of us that work with room images every day, it’s definitely one of our current favorites.

The light wood tones of the furniture are a perfect soft contrast against the white walls, and the clean lines give the space a modern, but-not-too-modern, edge.

A dreamy bedroom overall, wouldn’t you say?

SHOP: modern loft bedroom | nightstand | chest | rug | art (stores only)

Laid-back living room.

We love the way the brighter blue of our Janet sectional pops against the black and white backdrop of this small living room area. Fresh, fun, and oh-so-comfy.

This space is a perfect example of how it can be possible to create a welcoming entry, and have a sectional, in a smaller space.  And that dog art gallery wall…  Perfect.

(And, oh yes, proof that black and blue are “A-OK” together when you’re decorating!)

Another great thing about this space?  The Janet sectional has a reversible chaise. Really.  And it’s SO easy to swap out, thanks to an ottoman.

We just had to show you, so we did a quick little switcharoo when we were shooting this space.  Left chaise above — quickly moved to the right below.  Easy peasy.

Crisp contrast on the sunporch.

If you visited the recent Parade of Homes, you may have seen this beautiful townhome by Wooddale Builders.

We love how they weren’t afraid to go with a dark navy paint color on the sunporch walls.  It creates a “ta-da” moment when you walk through the dining room, and the crisp white trim and all of the windows in the space keep it from feeling too dark.

Sectional from this post  Photography: Spacecrafting

So what was the design tip?

In our post on Adding Accent Colors to Neutral Spaces, we shared this tip: “…it’s a good idea to add your new accent colors a minimum of 3 times, preferably in various spots and at different levels throughout your space.”

When I saw the rooms for today’s post, I realized that all of the designers had done exactly that.

Image 1: Blue rug. Blue bedding/throw. Blue art.
Image 2: Black rug. Black clock. Black/white art. ( The burst of blue in the sofa makes it more of a focal point, even though it’s offset somewhat with the blue and white art.)
Image 3: Blue rug. Blue pillows. Blue walls.

If you want a simple, tried and true method of pulling a room together this is definitely an easy one to master and it works every time.

So is that what you noticed, or something else?  What was your favorite part of these rooms?

Paint colors.

If our blue and white inspiration has you thinking you may want to paint your walls fresh white or go bold with navy, we’ve got some paint options for you.

We’ve already shared some top white paint choices in this post, and in our next post we’ll share top navy blue paint colors. (update: You can check those out here.)

And for lots more design tips, check out our Design Tip page!