Tjena! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Today in Malmö, we've woken up to blue skies and sunshine - these days are few and far between AND such a blessing when they arrive. Cue: people you haven't seen all winter, suddenly outdoors, all smiles, with faces tilted up towards the sun! Yep, there's no sign of the winter blues today. Which got me thinking. Why is blue so often associated with melancholy and 'cold'. I actually think it can be such a lovely, warm and yet serene accent in the home, do you? Swedish stylist Emma Fischer has combined a dark blue accent with brown, beige and white in this Gothenburg home - and the result is beautiful! Plus, if you're looking to add an accent to your home and use it to create a cohesive look, this is a great example. Here are 5 ways Emma has used blue to create a 'red thread':
1. Kitchen cabinets - if you're looking to change the colour of your kitchen cabinets without replacing them the best way is to either to paint them yourself (if you like the slightly more brush stroke, rustic look) or take them to a professional spray painter. I'm for the latter since the colour will be more even and long lasting, but it is a personal preference!
2.
Accessories - the chances are, you've chosen your accent colour because you love it - and therefore naturally drawn to it when acquiring new items for your home. Even so, it's good to think about picking up small items such as textiles, mugs (seen in the first picture), and trinkets for your home in your accent colours. Details can make a big difference to the overall look! Notice how Emma has added a tea towel in deep blue and a lovely linen tablecloth in beige / natural (I love this
vintage one*), both of which help to strengthen the theme.
I love this corner by the window! The vintage piece looks similar to the Karin chair - I wonder what it's called? Anyone know? Otherwise, I'll have a little dig around and see if I can find out.
3. Paint the walls: Bit of an obvious one this, but the absolute easiest way to add an accent is to paint your walls. in this home, Emma has used popular
Jotun St Pauls Blue (NCS 6108-B08G) in the bedroom, and an off white
Jotun Antikgrå hue in the living room, which complement each other beautifully. Notice how, in the past it was popular to pick out one wall, but these days colour blocking the entire space (walls, wardrobes and all) is the way to go for a bang up to date look!
4. Bedding: there's a huge amount of beautiful bedding out there right now and you can pick up pretty much any colour under the sun! In this room, Emma has layered soft off-white /natural linen. If the room had beige walls, dark blue bedding mixed with browns and beiges would also have been a great option. Try
Bea Linen* for similar.
5. Art: whether you use the colours in art to inspire the room or feel naturally drawn to art with your favourite accent shades - prints and paintings are a perfect way to help create a cohesive look (as seen with the blue and beige tones in the 'Copenhagen' print by Astrid Wilson the sitting room below!). Beautiful use of colour, don't you think?
What accent colours do you have in your home?
I've realised, after looking at this, that my home is a little all over the shop. I guess that's OK, after all, I do love to break the rules. Even so, I can't help thinking it might feel a little more harmonious if I applied the 'red thread' idea. Hmmm.
It doesn't help that my home feels a total mess right now due to the school holidays (half term!). Thinking it might need to be a short week of blogging before the house completely transcends into chaos!!! Hope that's OK with you!
Have you also not quite established that cohesive look you're after? Here are some tips:
Or, if you're still deciding on a colour, the beautiful homes in these archives might help:
Wishing you a great start to the week!
Niki
*This post contains affiliate links which means I might make a very tiny amount of money if you click on something and buy it - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting My Scandinavian Home.
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