Valley Homes and Style - Through The Front Door, Decorate with the Serenity of Blue By Lisa Bartell

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Through The Front Door
Decorate with the Serenity of Blue
By Lisa Bartell

Want to bring calmness and tranquility to a room? Try using a splash of blue. Blue has a peaceful effect on the soul; it reminds us of the heavens and the mystic seas. It's the favorite crayon in the box and if it's your favorite color, it says you are a patient, reliable and a trustworthy person.

Blue Possibilities
Dig out that old piece of furniture you have been waiting to redo, and give it life again by painting it blue. Apply a lively coat of turquoise and after it dries, sand the edges and apply some faux gold leaf from your craft store for a sophisticated look. Place this piece in a family room, entryway or bedroom. Turn your kitchen into a French Country retreat by painting your breakfast table bright blue, accented with painted chairs of red or bright yellow-gold.

Make a shadowbox by painting an old picture frame white, then attaching a box made from plywood and 1-by-2-inch pine boards. Hinge the frame to the box to open and close. Spray-glue blue patterned scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper or old wall paper to the back of the shadowbox and display your favorite treasures in it. If it's big enough, flip it over and put four legs on the bottom for a curio coffee table. This shabby-chic piece would look great as a side or coffee table in a sitting room or sunroom. I have a curio table in my sitting room, with antique compacts, and purses and perfume bottles inside.

Blue Moods
Some ideas for table arrangements: Use open-weave or open metalwork baskets of faux robins' eggs, topped with blue and purple hydrangea flower heads. Take a tall, slender vase with a narrow opening and place a cluster of peacock feathers loosely inside, for an exotic look. Use a large Blue Willow serving bowl to display lemons. A pristine white tureen, minus the lid, can be planted with grape hyacinths this spring for a spectacular centerpiece.

For something special at the dinner table, make natural placecards by planting a purple pansy in a mini terra cotta pot painted periwinkle or bright blue, then write each guest's name on a pot rim with a marker or gel pen.

The Blues
Use blue-inspired artwork in any room for a calming effect on the eyes. Make your own art by stretching blue-patterned decorator fabric over homemade or store-bought frames until taut, then stapling. Mix and match patterns for an eclectic look. Or try painting several artist canvases solid shades of different blues, then paint one a shade of orange -- or any contrasting color of your choice -- and place them in a horizontal row on a wall for a modern statement.

Here are a few accent colors that go with different hues of blue:
Cobalt Blue: red, orange, burnt sienna, sunny yellow and leaf green.
Light Sapphire: pale yellow, pale orange, pale green and lavender
Slate Blue: burgundy, bright gold-yellow, muted orange, darker wood (tones such as mahogany)
Periwinkle: pale bright yellow, white, rose pink or fuschia