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Collection by Heather Corcoran

Blue Mood: 9 Creative Ways to Use Color

With a palette that spans from baby blue to midnight, discover how designers are using this too-cool hue.

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Glimpsed from the outside, it becomes clear how an internal corridor flows through both structures at an uncommon angle.
Glimpsed from the outside, it becomes clear how an internal corridor flows through both structures at an uncommon angle.
The budget was nearly as tight as the space in this cheerful renovation of a 516-square-foot flat in Bratislava. The centerpiece of Lukáš Kordík’s new kitchen is the cabinetry surrounding the sink, a feat he managed by altering the facing and pulls of an off-the-rack Ikea system. The laminate offers a good punch of blue, and in modernist fashion, Kordík forwent door handles in favor of cutouts. “I wanted the kitchen to be one simple block of color without any additional design,” he says.
The budget was nearly as tight as the space in this cheerful renovation of a 516-square-foot flat in Bratislava. The centerpiece of Lukáš Kordík’s new kitchen is the cabinetry surrounding the sink, a feat he managed by altering the facing and pulls of an off-the-rack Ikea system. The laminate offers a good punch of blue, and in modernist fashion, Kordík forwent door handles in favor of cutouts. “I wanted the kitchen to be one simple block of color without any additional design,” he says.
Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.
Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.
The lovely cornflower-blue kitchen cabinets in this Brooklyn, New York, home by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design were professionally painted.
The lovely cornflower-blue kitchen cabinets in this Brooklyn, New York, home by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design were professionally painted.
In February of 2007, two San Francisco art and travel addicts purchased a 3,200-square-foot former Chinese laundry and tooth-powder factory with column-free interiors and a zigzagging sawtooth roof in lower Pacific Heights. They customized a pair of shipping containers to accommodate their collection and reflect their passions, and hired a local company to sandblast the interior to expose the board-formed concrete walls and replace the carpeted floors with Georgia hickory pecan planks to further lengthen the loft and make it look more like a warehouse.
In February of 2007, two San Francisco art and travel addicts purchased a 3,200-square-foot former Chinese laundry and tooth-powder factory with column-free interiors and a zigzagging sawtooth roof in lower Pacific Heights. They customized a pair of shipping containers to accommodate their collection and reflect their passions, and hired a local company to sandblast the interior to expose the board-formed concrete walls and replace the carpeted floors with Georgia hickory pecan planks to further lengthen the loft and make it look more like a warehouse.
The blue entry door packs a punch in the neutral living area, which is sparsely furnished with inexpensive pieces — some from local Portuguese companies, others self-made or purchased in flea markets.
The blue entry door packs a punch in the neutral living area, which is sparsely furnished with inexpensive pieces — some from local Portuguese companies, others self-made or purchased in flea markets.
While shopping for containers, the resident of this San Antonio shipping container home was instantly drawn to this one’s existing blue color and chose to buy it and leave it as is. The architect added floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to allow light in, as well as a cantilevered overhang to shade a window on the left side, which houses a small garden storage area.
While shopping for containers, the resident of this San Antonio shipping container home was instantly drawn to this one’s existing blue color and chose to buy it and leave it as is. The architect added floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to allow light in, as well as a cantilevered overhang to shade a window on the left side, which houses a small garden storage area.
When folded down, deep navy-blue cushions give the effect of a lush headboard. While the home does not yet have a proper master bedroom, the couple plans to create an addition sometime next year.
When folded down, deep navy-blue cushions give the effect of a lush headboard. While the home does not yet have a proper master bedroom, the couple plans to create an addition sometime next year.