How to bottle up the ocean's cool, tranquil blues and bring them home with us? Consider painting a ceiling, accent wall, or whole room. Here are several of our favorites, plus a few recommendations from members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.
Above: Top row, from left: Valspar Sea Salt Blue, Benjamin Moore Buxton Blue, and Valspar Royal Gray. Bottom row: Benjamin Moore Blue Nose, Farrow & Ball Skylight, and Benjamin Moore Horizon.
Above: Sea Salt Blue from Valspar is very similar to Farrow & Ball's Skylight, shown second to last (Sea Salt Blue is slightly greener).
Above: Benjamin Moore's Buxton Blue is part of the paint line's Historical Collection and is a favorite of New York interior designers Joan and Jayne Michaels of 2Michaels.
Above: Valspar's Royal Gray is dark and gray enough to be serious, but blue enough to please color lovers. It also has a beautiful chalky finish that photos can't convey.
Above: Benjamin Moore's Blue Nose lives in the same cool, dark vein as Valspar's Royal Gray, but is bluer and lighter.
Above: Farrow & Ball Skylight is the pick of Portland, Oregon, designer Carole Magness of Magness Interiors, who considers it the most beautiful and flexible blue she knows. She says it's ideal on an accent wall, ceiling, or trim.
Above: Benjamin Moore's Horizon is another tip from the 2Michaels, who used the hue on the master bedroom walls of their Abingdon project.
Choosing paint colors can be daunting; browse the designer-vetted colors in our Palette & Paints series, which includes:
• Happiness-Inducing Colors
• Moody Paints Picks
• Metallic Wall Paints
• 10 Best Pink Paints
• Celadon Greens
Go to Gardenista for advice on Exterior Paints.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 18, 2014, as part of our British Isles issue.
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