Blue And White Decorating Ideas

Jacob Snavely

So many colors go with blue beautifully, but none is more classic than a splash of white. This is especially true in the world of interior design. Together, blue and white create a fresh but timeless color combo—and with the right decorating tricks and tips, it will never feel overdone or unexciting. If you're looking for a stylish way to use the two colors together in your home, we've got all the inspiration you need right here, from contemporary and modern designer examples to traditional and preppy spaces. Keep reading for 18 blue and white room ideas ahead.

blue and white mudroom

Beatriz da Costa

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Have Fun With Pattern

Pretty floral motif wallpaper, striped fabric bench cushion, and mosaic floor tiles bring so much fun to this family-friendly mudroom by Brooke Crew Interior Design & Decoration. The highly varied patterns all work together because they use the same blue-and-white color palette.

blue and white dining room

BARBARA CORSICO PHOTOGRAPHY

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Pile on the Tiles

This dining room by Kingston Lafferty Design actually doubles the headcount of a dinner party by extending the bench and table outdoors and connecting the two with a bifold pass-through window. Tiles are an outdoor go-to material, thanks to their durability, but they also look luxe and fresh in high-gloss cobalt blue and crisp white grout.

blue and white room

Werner Straube

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Go Half and Half

Design Corey Damen Jenkins explains that one of his clients "loved jewel tones and embellishment" while the other "was on the total opposite end of the spectrum—no color, no wallpaper." So the living room walls were painted in Garlic Clove by PPG, "which has enough warmth to counterbalance the bright white of the often snowy landscape," while a door to the adjacent room got a splash of color with Navy Masterpiece by Benjamin Moore.

blue bedroom

Annie Schlechter

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Add Warmth

When decorating with deep, bold, and saturated blues, punctuate the space with a marigold accent as designer Matthew Bees did in this pattern-packed bedroom. The marigold is introduced via the trim of the canopy fabric as well as the lampshade and the deep espresso walls.

blue bedroom

Bjorn Wallander

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Go High-Gloss

High-gloss paints are a surefire way to make a bold statement. In this bedroom designed by decorator Alisa Bloom, the rich, liquidy sheen bounces light around a dark room, a spin on that old mirror trick designers love. Bloom used Fine Paints of Europe's Delft Blue 4003 in Hollandlac Brilliant to illuminate the entire bedroom.

blue and white living room

Jacob Snavely

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Choose an Anchor Piece

A large round sectional steals the spotlight in this blue and white living room by Aamir Khandwala. The crisp white paint accentuates the tall ceilings while the blue sofa grounds and centers the space. An oversized pendant and roaring fireplace bring it all down to a human scale.

blue and white rooms

Maura McEvoy

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Keep It Consistent

Blue and white dominate in this bedroom by Eliza Crater. Thanks to the many layers of blue and white prints, fabrics, and more, this color scheme has so much depth and dimension while still remaining cohesive and tight.

blue and white kitchen

KATIE NIXON

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Mix Your Blues

You might shy away from mixing blues, but this kitchen designed by Caitlin Wilson is proof that it can often work in your favor. The periwinkle hood and range mixes beautifully with bright blue ceramic pieces and checkered stools. Plus, ceramics are maybe the easiest way ever to add color to an all-white space. Blue and white Chinoiserie is classic but can blend into many different decor styles.

blue and cream room

LAURA RESEN

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Try Cream Instead

For a warmer take on the classic color scheme, opt for a bright royal blue and cream combo, as designer Chloe Warner of Redmond Aldrich Design did in this contemporary hangout space.

blue and white patio

Anna Spiro Design

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Take It Outside

Blue and white are foolproof outdoor colors, (yes, even if you don't live by the coast). This patio by Anna Spiro incorporates some gray and wooden accents for contrast and to reflect the tones of the city skyline beyond, which is even further contrasted by the surrounding foliage.

blue and white bathroom

House Beautiful

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Go Nautical

That being said, blue-and-white does lend itself particularly well to a nautical theme in a coastal locale. The combo feels inherently coastal, as in this bathroom (part of a New Jersey home by Alexandra Angle), but you can play it up even more with an ocean-adjacent artwork and millwork reminiscent of a ship's.

Curtain, Room, Interior design, Property, Furniture, Window treatment, Floor, Wall, Window covering, Building,

House Beautiful

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Be Bold (and Beautiful)

If you're dreaming of a bold-patterned wallpaper in your bedroom, consider choosing blue. It's a calming color, as seen in the bedroom of this Maine home by designers John Knott and John Fondas, so even though the pattern is busy, it keeps your sleeping space tranquil.

contemporary blue and gray bathroom

Catherine Kwong Design

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Pair With Natural Stone

Dark gray natural stone pairs so beautifully with cooler, neutral shades of blue. This bathroom by Catherine Kwong Design proves it. Instead of a bright blue, opt for something a bit moody that changes with the light. And of course, you can get your pop of white without even trying... Read: via the porcelain throne.

wall, window, mirror, room, interior design, architecture, furniture, wallpaper, plant, curtain,

House Beautiful

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A Hypnotic Effect

This half bath, in the home of cookbook author Alex Hitz, is tiny, so the bold blue-and-white Pierre Frey wallpaper cocoons the small space. It creates an almost jewel-box effect.

room, furniture, dining room, table, interior design, chair, turquoise, home, purple, floor,

House Beautiful

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Laid-Back Bistro

We'd wake up early to have breakfast in this space by Markham Roberts every day. Choose bamboo bistro chairs for an even more relaxed feel.

brooklyn residence designed by benjamin vandiver

Fran Parente

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Add Pops of Red

Working in a bright accent color, as designer Benjamin Vandiver did in this English-inspired Brooklyn townhouse, will keep the room from feeling too predictable. A dark paint in a matte finish gives these cabinets a sophisticated look, and keeps the brass handles from feeling too bling-y.

tablecloth, green, table, furniture, centrepiece, room, textile, flower, linens, tree,

House Beautiful

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Azul Goes Al Fresco

Summer, never leave us. This blue-and-white floral tablecloth (a Clarence House linen: Dahlia) picks up the blue on the iron chairs, tying the two together. Combined with the rose bush, it's a totally 'gram-worthy yard. Or as the designer Lindsay Reid puts it: "Crisp hemstitch linen napkins, candlelight, jasmine in a 19th-century bowl — these are simple and refined luxuries."

living room, room, furniture, white, interior design, home, property, couch, wall, ceiling,

House Beautiful

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Ice Ice Baby

Blue—particularly in an icy shade, like this one in the living room of a Greenwich, Connecticut, house by designer Ashley Whittaker—and white feels airy and fresh in the summer, but still cozy (thanks to this fireplace) in the winter. Proof that you can rock it all year long.