Today’s decorating dilemma:I have recently bought a house with a light blue carpet running through out. I need some advice on how I should go about choosing an appropriate colour for the walls and decor. I have already purchased medium brown coloured furniture. Can you give me some inspiration?
I have thought of painting the house an ivory colour so it would compliment the colour of the carpet and furniture. Need your advice for interior decor! Hope I am not doomed by the blue! –Melanie
Kate’s Note: During June and July designer and guest blogger Bethany Good will be assisting me to answer the dozens of questions that I receive each week. Take it away Bethany….
Bethany suggests:
Actually blue is coming back in a big way, so you are in a good position! What I like to do is find an ‘inspiration piece’. A colorfully complex, interesting piece of art, decorative or functional (coaster) or table cloth, that would be a springboard for getting the wheels turning and builds the momentum for the tone of the room. Look for a piece that includes the tint of blue you have in the carpet.
Blue can be a calming, serene, pleasant color especially if it is paired with more earthy browns and pearly ivory. You could do an accent wall on an interior wall in a deeper shade of blue, just to make the commitment to blue, and then have some fun accents to pick up different colors.
For example, here is a room that I think would work well with a light blue carpet, with furnishings in earthy tans, creams and browns, and the artwork displaying more splashes of color such as the rusty orange and verdant green.
Resources:
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Picture from Patricia Gray’s blog
Light blue is a terrific color for carpet! When decorating think contrast: cool colors next to warm colors, pale tones with dark tones. Pair your blue carpet with complementary colors in the cream, orange, rust, and brown ranges, which are easy to find right now.
I have carpet that is a cool blue-gray color and I painted the majority of my walls Behr 260A-1 Feather White, which has nice creamy, warm, orange undertones without being obviously orange. The living room has a terra-cotta accent wall and I have a cream colored couch. Wonderful!
Maria– You make some very good suggestions and your living room sounds beautiful! Thanks for adding to the conversation. ~Kate
Dear Bethany, Maria and Kate,
Boohoo, what fantastic advice!. The honest truth is that I am not feeling as blue as I was. I guess the colour is growing on me and its fun looking for options. It’s a greyish blue and nothing too offensive. My confort zone is usually neutrals especially beiges and off whites and this is quite the challenge and with your advice I am confident of taking the next step and will be able to work it out. Am glad to know that I was on the right track with the creams, golds and browns. The orange quite frankly I had given thought to, looks adventurous. I have a spectacular blue and gold china set that I will incorporate in the decor. I will keep you posted and most definitely send pictures! I had lost the link to this web page and was not able to follow up effciently, sorry abt that.
Thank you once again!
Your true blue friend!
Melanie
Hi Melanie,
Always nice to have a true blue friend
I’m glad the color is growing on you and it does sound like you are on the right track with your decor. The blue and gold china will work in beautifully too I bet.
Thanks for the update and we look forward to seeing and sharing pictures of your room.
~Kate
Melanie,
I am so glad it is working out for you! Some times it just takes a nudge and some support to branch out to new color possibilities. I am proud of you for doing such! And it seems like you are embracing the blue with the glorious sounding accent you have with the china set. Put it in the room, and let it inspire you to build off of what you have that you like and find elements for the room that compliment and don’t compete with the stronger pieces, such as the creams, golds and browns. Test out toned down oranges in the room and see how they are set off.
Sounds like you are on the right track!
Blessings, and looking forward to seeing pics,
Bethany