January Blues

It may be that the January blues are catching up with you after all the Christmas excitement, but I say if you can’t beat them, join them… with some fabulous blue interiors! Whether you’re a fan of the dark and moody blues, or the bright and cheery, there’s something to suit everyone. Here are some fun ways to play around with blue this year.

Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball from RED Edition via Pinterest

Start off your blue interiors in a big way, with the wonderfully rich and deep Hague Blue; here it’s painted from top to toe of this room, giving a gentle hugging feeling. A great way to create an inviting space, especially for a study or cosy snug. If you want to go for a fresher, brighter blue, Light Blue from Farrow & Ball is also a great way to use blue as a neutral, but still keeping the room feeling colourful.

Light Blue by Farrow & Ball from SF Girl via Pinterest

You can also add in some textural big blue ideas into your interior. Some midnight blue curtains, like this Constantina design from Zoffany will help make a warm, but formal environment, a perfect solution for a dining room, where you want to create a sophisticated atmosphere but still make your guest feel at home.

Constantina by Zoffany

If you want keep up the light and contemporary feeling instead of the darker tones of blue, this Quill fabric from Designers Guild must surely make an appearance on your wish-list. The vibrant feathers on a simple background will add interest to a bedroom or living space, I love the additional sheer aqua blue added into the mix as well.

Quill in Duck Egg from Designers Guild

Once you’ve found your base tone of blue, you can build upon this with darker or lighter shades in your accessories. I love these sheepskin cushions from Oliver Bonas, in an indigo, light blue and pink; use a couple of either blue and add a pink one to balance them out.

Sheepskin Cushions from Oliver Bonas

It can be a good idea to contrast your lighting against your chosen wall colour, and really make a statement out of your centre pendant. This contemporary shade by Louis Poulsen in a baby blue shade would work wonderfully against a Hague Blue background.

Collage 450 Pendant Light by Louis Poulsen from Houseology

And if you want to dress up a lighter shade of blue, a dramatic dark pedant will really do the trick, like this Heathfield pedant, which is a match made in heaven for anyone who loves glamorous and luxe interiors, as the inner globes are an absolutely stunning feature.

Lexington 32″ from Heathfield

These tall ceramic vases from Oliver Bonas have a great ombre effect in a watercolour style. They’d make a great addition to a modern, mid-century style sideboard, or to brighten up a bare mantelpiece.

Isabella Tall Ceramic Vase from Oliver Bonas

If you’re looking for more of a pastel, powder blue accessory, this lovely little bowl comes from the Solstice collection at Anthropologie. It also comes in a striking indigo blue, but this light one is rather special, and the perfect addition to a light-hearted brunch table.

Solstice Bowl from Anthropologie

I would pair it with this little number from Anthropologie as well, the starry marble mixture is too good to pass up.

Night Sky Dessert Plate from Anthropologie

Dive straight into the blue, and find something big or small to make you feel a little better this January, and you’ll soon see that having the blues can be a good thing.

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Spots and Stripes

Using spots and stripes in your home may not be something you automatically gel with, I certainly didn’t; in fact spots and stripes had to work pretty hard to win me over. When it comes to spots and stripes it’s all about finding the right balance; for spots I think it’s about avoiding that twee and cutesy look, and for stripes finding a style that isn’t too traditional or beachy. I’ve found a few ideas of stylish spots and stripes that can be a great way to give a home a touch of the fun, patterned effect.

‘Fitzroy Black Stair Runner’ from Roger Oates

For me, when I think of stripes in the home I immediately think of Roger Oates and their fabulous stair runners, which in fact was major part in changing my opinion on stripes. The Fitzroy runner is smart, sleek and contemporary. The stripes bounce of the stark white stairs and walls, giving it a really punchy effect, it’s a great feature to see when you first walk in the door, showing off a relaxed but sophisticated sense of style.

If you don’t want to use stripes in such a dramatic way, this mirror from Barker & Stonehouse is an interesting twist on the pattern. With strips of mirror formed into one large piece, it gives a subtly to the motif, whilst still creating an intriguing design.

‘Cattelan Striped Mirror’ from Barker & Stonehouse

I love this spotted pattern by Marimekko, the dots squished together on rows is a simple design, but really gives the tableware a fun character, the jug is a great one-off piece in the collection to buy if you want a stand out item on your table.

‘Oiva Siirolapuutarha Pitcher’ from Marimekko

These Louis Poulsen pendants bring just the right amount of a coastal vibe, with a shell-like shape and beach tones, but with a sophisticated and contemporary design. They’ll hang elegantly alone or in a group, the three colourways could be mixed over a kitchen island unit for an eye-catching feature.

‘Cirque Pendant Lights’ from Louis Poulsen

Although polka dots in interiors aren’t something I would necessarily put in an interior, I’m a little smitten with the Polka Square wallpaper design by Farrow & Ball. It’s a delicate style that would look really sweet in a kid’s room or hallway.

‘Polka Square Wallpaper’ from Farrow & Ball

Sticking to wallpapers, this wavy stripe by Elitis, is a modern and fun way to make a strong statement in a room. Its design can hold its own style wise, but would work as a backdrop for your furniture as well.

‘Parure Memoires Wallpaper’ from Elitis

Margo Selby always has some beautiful designs, with just the right amount of colour, texture and retro design to give you a fresh look. I love this throw with its geometric circular pattern, it would make a great accent of colour in a living room.

‘Galeano Throw with Textured Velvet’ from Margo Selby

For a smaller addition of a few spots to your home, this little ceramic salt pot has an abstract spotted design that’ll look great on your dining room table, or next to your hob among the spices.

‘Selborne Pottery Blue Spot Salt Pot’ from Trouva

To keep stripes to more of a traditional form, William Yeoward has some classic designs. This stool has beautiful pink and cream stripes, and the curved wooden legs and the bouncing seat pads gives it an extra spark of personality.

‘Triple Elka Stool’ from William Yeoward

Finally, I had to pop in this sweet cushion from Houseology, the colourful stripes have begun to run like water colours, giving the cushion a softer look. A quick and easy way to add stripes while giving a chair a splash of colour.

‘Bluebell Gray Lomond Cushion’ from Houseology

A spot and a stripe here and there in your home is a great way to add character and break up a space, while offering an alternative pattern and design to a room to keep it looking fresh. Whether you want to stick to traditional styles, or test out some more contemporary looks, there are all sorts of ways to have a little fun with a few spots and stripes.

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