18 Ways to Use the Color Blue

Rosie and Joe McNamara’s light-filled house in Los Angeles once looked more Italian villa than beach bungalow. “When we bought it a decade ago, there were lots of small rooms that I filled with Mediterranean-inspired pieces in red, gold, and mustard shades,” says Rosie. The couple kept the moody palette for years, until three kids (from left, Maddie Jo, 7; Jack, 4; and Joey, 6) and two yellow Labs joined the family and the space began to feel cramped. After knocking down walls and adding a third floor, Rosie was ready to redecorate.

“It was hard letting go of the color scheme I’d been married to for so long,” she admits. Then one day she stopped by her friend Suzanne Ascher’s design shop, Waterleaf Interiors in Manhattan Beach. She loved everything in the store and worked with Suzanne to fill her house with sea-to-sky tones. “Blue is calming and easy to live with,” says Rosie. “Finally we have a home we won’t outgrow.”

Do blue with: cushions. Cabana stripe and solid blue fabrics were laminated before they were made into cushions in this family dining spot, so they’re easy to wipe down.

Do blue with: fabric. Open to the kitchen and patio, this family space is a far cry from its former stuffy self. The blue quotient is filled with a linen slipcovered sofa, Lacefield Designs pillows, and a ceramic garden stool (emissaryusa.com). The rest of the room has lots of quiet sandy tones, including a jute rug (meridameridian.com), raffia ottoman, and seashell-frame mirror.