- Design Inspo
The Art Of Styling French Blue
Roxanne Robinson
Notably, one such example of Kemble’s work is the dining room/library of a Manhattan townhouse she completed in 2015. “Like many rooms in New York City, this room had to be multifunctional: for eating, reading, and passing from the living room to the kitchen,” she explains. “What I love about the French blue here is that it’s fresh but still holds the seriousness of the library.” Furthermore, she also recommends using strong colors in a balanced way; in this example, the blue dining/reading room is the most intense overall in the apartment.
In places such as Kemble’s native Palm Beach, however, the blue takes on a different personality. In that tropical environment, for example, she pairs it with bright white instead of cream. While she considers this color combo ubiquitous, she also sees it as a challenge to create something unique. “I recommend pairing it with a zesty color, like bright sunny yellow, geranium pink, or African daisy orange,” she says. “Ultimately, it feels fresh and bright in this location.”
Nest Casa couldn’t agree more. A vivid blue-and-white combo, even with a bright pop, can easily be tempered with natural fibers when styling a coastal home. Rattan furniture, jute carpets, and grasscloth wallcoverings all support the theme. In particular, Baker’s Bay Ocean & Golf Club in the Bahamas grounds this blue-and-white lobby and sitting room overlooking the ocean in rattan and wicker for a calm and natural atmosphere.
Additionally, French blue and white prove popular in other wallcoverings, demonstrated by this Savannah, Georgia, showhouse using Michelle Nussbaumer fabrics or on a wallpapered closet. Simply painting dramatic architecture with this Parisian favorite — for instance, with this arched entryway that leads to a big blue painting tableau, or showing up unexpectedly in this kitchen island in a Dallas home — may ignite a lifelong love of this lovely hue.
These color wheel opposites certainly make for a winning combo. This graphic French blue kitchen by Anthony Authié of Zyva Studio Paris douses the walls and cabinetry of this kitchen, dining area, and reading nook in the soothing shade and gives a modern pop of pigment via Los Angeles designer’s Ara Thorose’s ‘soft cylinder’ chairs. Ultimately, the dynamic tones of French blue combined with this coral shade of orange are dramatic yet not overwhelming.
