Blue Hallway Makeover: How I Chose the Perfect Blue Paint Colour
I’d been saving a lot of blue hallway images and ideas on my Pinterest account since last summer, knowing this was the colour that I wanted to redecorate my own hallway with at home. However, it took me a while to work out what blue paint shade to go with and if I should colour-drench the entire space, or, combine it with stronger colours or neutral woodwork. In the end, I painted the walls, woodwork, coving and parts of the ceiling all in Celestial Blue by Little Greene Paint Company and used the bolder hues of red, yellow and orange within the accessories.
With the hallway spanning three floors (from the basement to the entrance hall and then up onto the landing), there is light coming from all directions, so I needed to paint the space in a balanced blue that didn’t feel cold in cooler, north-facing light and wasn’t too vibrant in direct sunshine. While green-based blues are notoriously warmer, I still wanted a clean, crisp blue that was more blue than green. Celestial Blue has base notes of green but there is also a nice balance of grey in there, making it a warm shade that isn’t too rich in bright light.
As the colour was working so well, I decided not to throw any other shades into the mix and I painted the doors and windows all in the same hue. To lengthen the walls, I also painted the skirting and parts of the ceiling in the lower parts of the house where the ceiling wasn’t so high. The only time that I strayed away from Celestial Blue was on the staircase spindles: I felt they needed to be a few shades lighter, so I painted them in Bone China Blue Pale - a white with a strong blue undertone. I felt that this colour worked better with the stained oak handrails that spun all the way down the three floors, rather than the stronger blue hue.
To break up all the blue, I added accents of yellow, red and orange via artwork, lighting and window dressings. The Ellie Vandoorne piece (titled ‘Bird Girl’) that I had owned for a while worked so well against the blue backdrop on the landing. Underneath, I placed this burgundy Lazio side table from Heal’s.
In the entranceway as soon as you walk in via the front door, this striking 9-arm Pigalle pendant from David Hunt Lighting pops out against the blue. It was customised for me by David Hunt who offer this service via their website. I had the Pigalle painted in Marmalade with Air Force Blue candle shades to accompany it.
To match the Pigalle, I purchased a small blind online for the adjacent window from Blinds2Go. It came with the orange border, but to make it feel a bit more special and bespoke I took some of the blue ribbons I used on my Christmas tree and attached some bow detailing with fabric glue. You can see how I did that in more detail over on my Instagram account.
What do you think of my new blue hallway? Add your comment in the box below!
