tortoise shell Archives - Sara Gilbane Interiors

Blue- sapphire, azure, aqua, teal, turquoise, sky, ocean, blueberry, chinese blue, baby blue, Lanvin blue, cobalt, haze, royal blue, Mediterranean blue, slate, denim, navy, marine, sea foam, robins egg, Tiffany blue.

Blue is contemplative, meditative, and depending on the shade can be energizing (deep blues) or relaxing and light ( pale blues). It conjures thoughts of water and sky. I often paint ceilings in the palest blue to raise the height of the room. Whether you go with a textured grasscloth on your walls, several slick shiny coats of paint, or just blue accessories it is hard to go wrong with this color.

Light Blue:

Cristina Cuomo’s house by Emma Pilkington features a study with pale blue walls ( and a fab etching by Cy Twombly)

Getting deeper….

This soft blue bedroom has a cool, feminine, eclectic feel.

A beautiful country house decorated by Miles Redd stays true to form with blue on blue stripe wallpaper in the hallway. Hallways are important spaces through out a home and a great chance to try a wallpaper.

High gloss slate blue walls in a room decorated by Steven Gambrel look like water. This is the perfect backdrop for all the dark wood furniture and brass fixtures.

Cadet blue walls look warm and inviting with saffron yellow drapes, a pickled/ bleached floor, and tortoise shell moldings. Delicious!

Deep Dark Blues:

This room, recently featured in House Beautiful, is grounded by the deep blue grasscloth on the walls. I love the texture and color.

This blue is amazing! It seems to glow. Anytime blue and red are together they make they other color feel richer. Room by Christopher Maya.

In a room by Ashley Whittaker we have a deep blue wall and bookshelves paired with pale orange and a rusty red. I love blue in a library. It is totally enveloping.

This small galley kitchen is handsome in lacquered navy.

Another blue library featured in the recent Elle Decor ( Patricia Lansing’s) is fabulous. The navy lacquered walls seem to recede and make the room bigger ( dark colors do this!) while the white sofa and blue and white zebra linen upholstered chair pop out at you. I love this room!

Paint colors:

1. Farrow and Ball Chinese Blue

2. Benjamin Moore Paddington Blue

3. Sherwin Williams Verditer Blue

4. Dunn Edwards After The Storm

5. Benjamin Moore Patriot Blue

6. Pratt and Lambert Blueberry Myrtille

All colors shown in House beautiful

Wall coverings:

1. Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute in Tantalizing Teal

2. Neisha Crossland through Stark Berry Flower in Marrakesh Blue

3. Farrow and Ball Ringwold Paper BP1650

4. Manuel Canovas through Cowtan and Tout trellis

Fabrics:

1. Gracieux through John Rosselli Serrano in Cobalt on Oph

2. Chapas Textiles Safari in Sapphire Ochre

3. Robert Kime Palmette Blue- embroidery

4. Lisa Fine through John Rosselli Rambagh reverse in indigo

5. Celerie for F. Schumacher Bleeker in Twilight 23969260

6. Celerie for F. Schumacher 711897

7. Osborne and Little Papini F5851-04

8. Chapas Textiles Vienna in Deep teal

9. Edelman Leather Shagreen City Lights in Blue Streak

Accessories:

1. William Sonoma Home bed linens with classic greek key embroidery in blue

http://www.wshome.com/products/p4000/index.cfm?pkey=csheets%2Dbed%2Dsheet%2Dsets

2. Holland and Sherry custom embroidered pillow Java EMB 717

3. Blue and white ceramic lamp by Bunny Williams through Mecox Gardens

http://www.mecoxgardens.com/pageItemDetail.asp?RECORDID=12027

4. Peacock Rug by Matthew Williamson through The Rug Company

http://www.therugcompany.info/designer-collection/matthew-williamson/peacock-dark.htm

5. Small agate napkin rings through Vivre.com

http://www.vivre.com/product/agate_napkin_rings_set_of_2

6. Daphne Blue Hollywood Regency chair through Madeline Weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/furniture/HollywoodRegency-BlueDaphne.htm

7. Fez indigo dhurrie through Vanderhurd

http://www.vanderhurd.com/silk.php?t=silk&p=0&id=135

8. Matignon arm chair through TK Collections

http://www.tkcollections.com/bistrochairs_tables/armchairs/matignon/

9. Clinton Sofa in navy velvet through Jayson Home and Garden

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=5947

xo,

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Orange – pumpkin, rust, saffron, marigold, paprika, melon, peach, copper, spice, gold, flame, citrus, poppy, curry, mandarin, tangerine. Orange brings energy to a room. It can be dramatic in a deep rich shade or soothing in a pale peach or apricot. It works well with all colors ( just get the shade right, for example, a pale blue or a navy blue, a soft lavender paired with a deep orange is calming, orange paired with green brings a tropical feel to a space, bright orange with crisp white and chocolate brown keeps a space modern and fresh). Below are a collection of my favorite oranges:

The above image is Fredric Fekkai and his wife Shirin Von Wulffen’s 5th avenue apartment. I love the eclectic mix and the deep orange velvet in the living room is stunning.

Tory Burch’s orange library in her New York City apartment is amazing. Pulling in deep blues, chocolate brown alligator (the cocktail table), leopard print ( on stools), and tortoise shell decorative painting ( on the molding around the doors) makes this room work.

The above bedroom by Sarah Story is all neutrals aside from the vibrant orange bird wallpaper. When you have a wallpaper like this…who needs anything else! The side tables, lamps, and headboard keep the room from going vintage.

I love this room with it’s hot orange de Gournay wallpaper, bright coral silk drapes, and blue and white ikat chair seats. The rug, table, chairs, and wallpaper are quite traditional but the colors make it modern.

This room by James Lumden for the Greystone Estate show house is wonderful. The melon colored walls bring a warm glow to this bedroom while the moses rug from the Rug Company and the soft brown tufted mattress ground the room.

Another fabulously energizing room by my close friend ( and former colleague at Kemble!) Christina Murphy. The orange sofa pops dramatically off all of the chocolate brown and white. Love it!

The slightly more subdued cantaloupe orange walls work well off the grasscloth insets and dark wood.

Both images above are of the same room designed by Honey Collins. Again we see how nicely orange pops against dark wood and canvas. I love the orange piped trunk, throw pillows, and pops of orange in the rug and wing chair fabric.

The above room by David Netto is all cool blues, greys, and crisp whites. The orange throw gives the room some zip. If you are nervous about bathing your room in orange this is a good way to test the waters.