From light blue to navy, discover this timeless colour’s versatility and calming qualities with these stylish blue living room ideas.
Reminiscent of the ocean, blue is a relaxing colour that’s favoured for its versatility. From the jewel tones of teal and sapphire to the soothing hues of the sea - the colour blue is a classic in the home (especially in the living room), and for good reason. These blue living room ideas will showcase blue’s versatility as it can be both a calming, gentle hue or a bold, vibrant accent colour.
Smart and sophisticated to relaxing and breezy, a blue living room will set the mood no matter what style you go for. Blue’s adaptability also extends to sofa colour options, paint colours and accessory choices.
Discover our favourite tips and décor styles for the living room featuring this timeless colour. After you’re done reading our blue living room ideas, browse our range of blue sofas to get started on decorating.
We’re going to get to blue as a wall colour in just a bit, but one of the easiest blue living room ideas to start is with a sofa. Choose a rich, navy sofa - particularly in a textured fabric like velvet or plush fabric. A blue sofa like this makes a strong, stylish centrepiece that can easily be a standout. Use it as an anchor to build the living room around, introducing different textures like brass or wood to add contrast.
On the other hand, you could also take advantage of the bright, airy nature of light blue and incorporate it into your living room. Pastel, powdery tones work beautifully when you’re considering blue living room walls, whether you’re just looking for an alternative to neutral tones, or styling a contemporary space.
Choose a light grey sofa as the neutral base to ground the room while still maintaining the relaxing, carefree vibe. Light blue’s softer touch also means that it can be incorporated into different elements of the room, such as pillows, artwork or a rug for a tonal look. For more ideas on how to decorate with blue and grey, read our grey and blue living room ideas guide.
If you’re feeling dramatic, navy blue walls are the way to go. While this colour can seem intimidating (in theory), darker navy or jewel tones are very welcoming and calming choices for a wall colour in the living room.
To create a cosy effect, you can even paint your ceiling dark blue to match your walls. However, when going the navy route try to avoid the space from feeling too one-dimensional. Bring in contrasts through a beige or off-white sofa and accessories to lighten up the space and add more depth.
Since blue is such a classic shade, it’s important to add textural elements to keep your blue living room looking fresh and elegant. Introducing eye-catching patterns and fabrics like tie-dye fabrics, ikat or shibori are one of the many blue living room ideas to shake things up. Or you can use natural materials to add seasonal touches. For example, update your living room with rattan or a fresh bouquet of flowers for spring. Or if you’re going for a more vintage look, bring in porcelain accessories or tiles to emphasise the style.
When painting your living room walls blue, selecting the type of finish you want matters too. One of the most stylish blue living room ideas is to paint your walls with matte or lacquer to add an interesting touch. Choosing a matte finish will give your walls a smooth almost velvet-like appearance. Meanwhile, lacquered walls will make your walls look ultra glossy and highly reflective.
Combining these finishes with the type of blue you have chosen will set the mood of your living room. Picking a light powder blue with a lacquer finish will give your living room a glamorous vibe and add a vintage touch. If you want to enhance a navy blue living room, a matte finish will add depth and hide any imperfections.
If you want to introduce blue as the accent colour of your living room, look towards coastal décor for its breezy relaxing style. Make blue the focal point of the room with a half-painted wall. Focus on clean simple lines and keep the rest of the décor neutral, think beige, cream or off-white. Choose natural elements such as a linen or cotton sofa alongside rattan accessories and a jute rug. Bring in other pops of blue through pillows and throws to break up the neutrals.
If you want to add more colour to your blue living room, blue’s sophisticated, yet gentle tones pair up beautifully with lots of different hues. When you have a blue sofa, look out for other furniture - such as coffee tables and armchairs - that can introduce different colour dimensions to your room.
One of our favourites is pink which gives a soft contrast. If you have a navy blue sofa, choose a light pastel pink for your armchairs or cushions for a chic jewel tone look.
For anyone who wants to be bold, one blue living room idea would be to go for a high-contrast look by pairing blue with orange or yellow. With such bright colours, the trick is to use them sparingly, as accents and pops of décor and print. For instance, cushions and throws are always quick ways to incorporate colour into the room, as are upholstered pieces, such as footstools.
The sweet spot between blue and green, choosing teal will give your living room a tranquil yet eye-catching feel. Compared to neutral hues, choosing teal as a wall colour will give the room an unexpected twist. For added contrast, opt for a sofa in a contrasting colour and material like brown leather. Against the stylish backdrop, bring in other pops of colour in small doses through artwork and cushions.
Sometimes an accent armchair is all you need to shake things up. Go for a bold blue armchair to make a statement. The key here is to choose an armchair with texture like velvet or plush fabric for an elegant feel. Keep the rest of the room neutral for the armchair to be the focal point of the room.
Light blue walls provide a carefree backdrop to showcase a gallery wall with colourful artwork and photographs. Choose prints or artwork that contrast the most with the backdrop to create a dynamic display. If you’re in the mood to shake things up, go with an asymmetrical layout for a more playful and whimsical feel.
What colours go with blue living rooms?
— Light pink, hot pink and bubblegum pink
— Burnt orange, tangerine, coral and peach
— White and grey
— Yellow
— Violet and lilac
— Sage green and mint green
— Off-white, cream, beige and taupe
— Gold, silver, brass and copper
We hope these blue living room ideas inspire you to decorate your living room. Interested in more articles like this? For more blue-inspired decorating tips, read our blue bedroom ideas guide and how to style classic blue at home.
