"Blue doesn't go everywhere for me. It's successful on islands or in a kitchen in the South, anyplace hot or watery. But if I'm inland or in a northern climate --a house in Mineapolis, say, or a farmhouse in Virginia -- there's nothing bleaker than a blue room in winter. It makes me feel 10 degrees colder. I've never understood why that certain blue-gray shade is so popular in Scandinavia and northern Russia. People drink vodka to get through those winters! Why in the world would they paint a room icy blue and make matters worse?"
~Barry Dixon
House Beautiful, March 2010
When I was at the bookstore, and picked up this magazine I almost didn't buy it!
I am not a fan of blue. But some of the images, actually the article on "Blue as a Titian" Interior Designed by Babs Watkins, Julie Watkins Baker & Eleanor Cummings is why I purchased the magazine this month! They did a wonderful interior of this Houston home with beautiful antiques and luscious drapery in soft wonderfully muted shades of blues, grays,lilac, and olive greens and gilding. So beautifully done, see the photo above and you will see such loveliness without so much BLUE. I had to use this quote, it made me laugh out loud!!
In this room I would enjoy a cup of tea and a few biscuits, oh who am I kidding at least 5 biscuits and a pot of tea!!
Your thoughts on blue?
xx
callie
Not a fan but in this room it is beautiful. The mixture of grey blue and pinky creme works wonderfully, xv,
ReplyDeletemy thoughts exactly! ALWAYS wondered why would extreme northern climes decorate in blue.....usually too icy, but then again....the vodka....changes everything
ReplyDeletedebra
haha, that IS a funny quote. But i'm with you- I don't LOVE a ton of icy blue... it leaves me feeling a little sad. I DO love icy blue as a background to other bright poppy colors (tangerine or plum!) or the very Jonathan Adler-esque white background with the blue playing center stage. But all blue makes me blue. ha ha.
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing that blue, royal blue and indigo blue, especially are going to be the new interior color this year... I guess we'll see.
Gorgeous photo. *Sigh* How I would love to curl up in that bed a read a book with summer breeze drifting in through that gorgeous gorgeous window.
ReplyDeleteBlue - when used right - is awesome in my books. It's calming and one of my favourite colours
Love this picture!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate and got a subscription to House Beautiful for $5 through Amazon!
Oh and Freddy just got back from the vets, he had to have emergency surgery on Monday night. Fun times!!!
great quote, funny, my best friend is from finland and when she was living here for a number of years she was all about color, orange walls, purple curtains, she couldn't get enough of adding color! even to her wardrobe. they must certainly crave color much of the year. i did go to visit her in finland a few years ago and she had alot of color in her apartment there too! :) happy weekend, that's a great image by the way, very french in appearance, i love it.
ReplyDeletethis room is amazing and i'm a huge fan of blue! i love the subtlety of the palette in this space.
ReplyDelete