The journal

Blue Paint Ideas for Every Style of Living Room

28 January 2022 6 min read

Does your living room need a little love? If it's time to redecorate, a blue palette could be the answer. Blue living rooms are firmly on trend, and a quick scroll through Instagram shows just how popular blue décor has become.

Why? Blue is a perennial favourite, and now more than ever we crave the freshness and optimism that natural blue tones bring, that lift you feel gazing into a cloudless sky or dipping a toe into a clear blue sea. Blue is supremely versatile and suits countless styles, so whether you want a sleek modern room, an airy coastal look or a dark, cosy retreat, there's a blue to fit.

A sitting room with blue-grey Walpole No.42 walls, Long Acre No.102 woodwork and a linen sofa — Walpole No.42 walls with Long Acre No.102 woodwork in a country sitting room

The elegant heritage living room

For rooms with period features from centuries past, pale blue walls set off traditional décor beautifully. The pairing of light blue and white is classic and elegant, used in stately homes and royal palaces for hundreds of years. Against a serene backdrop of pale blue, you can layer in pattern, texture and vibrancy through soft furnishings, flooring and artwork, while the calm blue lets period details like fireplaces and coving stand out.

Add grandeur with showstopping touches such as ornate chandeliers, striking art in luxe gold frames and beautifully crafted patterned furniture. Mylands' Hawkesmoor™ No.112 (on the walls below) is a delicate, almost silvery blue, cool and calming, and an ideal partner for white or deeper, darker tones.

A period drawing room with pale blue Hawksmoor No.112 walls, white cornice and an unlit chandelier — Pale silvery Hawksmoor No.112 walls with white woodwork in a period drawing room

The mid-century modern living room

Teal is hugely popular right now, with no sign of fading. This blue-green is welcoming, warm and sophisticated, ideal for entertaining spaces like a living or dining room. Earthy and natural, reminiscent of the sea, teal is as on-trend now as it was in the 1960s, so it sits happily within the mid-century palette.

Mustard yellow, burnt orange and olive green alongside teal make a wonderfully balanced, reassuring scheme. Style it with mid-century wooden furniture, a sideboard or coffee table in rich, dark teak or walnut, for that authentic sixties feel.

A mid-century living room with teal Burlington Arcade No.216 walls, a teak sideboard and a mustard armchair — Teal Burlington Arcade No.216 walls with teak furniture and mustard velvet in a mid-century room

The glamorous jewel-toned living room

Dark blue is the perfect backdrop for pops of bright colour, and jewel tones work particularly well, emerald green, ruby red, amethyst purple, golden yellow. It could be a bright green sofa, bold blue throws, vibrant red armchairs or hot pink cushions, that strong colour creating an eye-catching focal point. Luxurious textures like velvet suit this glam look, indulgent and tactile, while the dark blue deflects attention onto the vibrant accents. To stop the blue overpowering, crisp white walls and ceilings add lightness, contrast and a polished finish.

Alcove shelving painted bright Blueprint No.50 against Pure White No.1 walls, with an emerald velvet sofa — Left, shelving in Blueprint No.50 against Pure White No.1 walls; right, a hallway in Stone Castle No.71 with architraves in Lock Keeper No.18

A hallway with Stone Castle No.71 walls and door architraves picked out in Lock Keeper No.18 — Left, shelving in Blueprint No.50 against Pure White No.1 walls; right, a hallway in Stone Castle No.71 with architraves in Lock Keeper No.18

The light and airy Scandi-inspired living room

Tall ceilings and beautiful wood panelling lend themselves to a Scandi look, everything pale and calming, from the flooring to the paint to the textiles, promoting natural light so the room feels bright and airy. A powder blue and white scheme can make small spaces feel bigger and more open.

Blue and white can also evoke the nautical beach house; coastal chic works with navy or pastel blue, and like Scandi style it enhances daylight and simplicity, with natural textures like wood, rope and stone. Both looks are beautifully complemented by adjacent blue walls in maritime tones such as aqua. The space below showcases Mylands' Walpole™ No.42, a fresh, welcoming blue-grey, with the soft blue-grey Long Acre™ No.102 on the woodwork and white on the walls; this calming colour is said to aid concentration, so it would suit a home office too.

A tall panelled living room in blue-grey Walpole No.42 with Long Acre No.102 woodwork, pale floor and linen sofa — Panelled walls in Walpole No.42 with Long Acre No.102 woodwork in a tall, pale Scandi-style room

The dark and cosy living room

How do you use your living room, and how do you want it to feel? If its focal points are the comfy sofa, open fire and supersize TV, this style may be for you. Light and airy it is not, it's dark, cosy and comforting, a snug that makes you want to hibernate. Embrace it.

This isn't a look you dip into with a single feature wall; create a cocoon by covering every wall in a deep, dark blue, and consider the ceiling in the same shade for a fully immersive effect that blurs the room's edges. It works well in a small living room, turning snugness into a feature. Mylands' Mayfair Dark™ No.218 is a rich navy with slight red undertones, opulent and intense, exactly the deep blue for this style.

A small snug with walls and ceiling in deep navy Mayfair Dark No.218, a velvet sofa and an unlit stove — A snug drenched in navy Mayfair Dark No.218 on walls and ceiling with a velvet sofa

Three simple ways to introduce a splash of blue

Does painting every wall blue feel daunting? If you're not ready for fully blue walls, there are gentler ways in.

Blue shelving:

a stylish statement and a wonderful backdrop for colourful accessories and books; a bold colour can revive a neglected nook or transform an area entirely, so try royal blue, cobalt or ultramarine for zingy, lively shades. The gorgeous unit below is an eye-catching feature set off by neutral walls, textiles and furniture.

Blue sofa:

make the furniture the star and keep walls neutral, so a striking bright blue sofa becomes the focal point against a light contrast; a navy sofa is lovely in a coastal white room with navy accents, while in a heritage room pale blue walls complement more elaborate, patterned furniture.

Blue panelling:

painting woodwork and panelling really enhances the look, and dark blue panelling feels sophisticated yet inviting, think chic members' club, somewhere you want to relax. Restrict it to one section if you like, the lower half of a wall with a lighter colour above, or draw attention to a fireplace by painting the surround or chimney breast blue, softening the effect with another colour on the adjacent walls.

A living room with dark blue Bond Street No.219 half-height panelling, pale blue walls above and a stone fireplace — Bond Street No.219 panelling below Hawksmoor No.112 walls around a fireplace in a living room

Whatever your style or preferred shade of blue, you'll find the right one at Mylands. Take a look at our guide for more paint ideas and living room inspiration.