My Love for Navy Blue and the Next Big Plan

Summer is officially here!!  🙌  🙌  Nothing spells summer like good ole' navy blue; its nautical vibe automatically lends a tranquil and relaxing feel to any decor.  At times giving off a relaxing casual vibe, at others, the deep hue is also seen in more traditional setting, such as the navy blue and white porcelain wares.  It's such a versatile colour for home decor, that it also takes the middle ground between a casual and traditional ambience - a contemporary colour anchor of choice as an alternative to the modern black.

How can I not love navy blue?  It's a softer contrasting colour over the harshness of black, and I especially love a blue and white theme in our home.

The first time we encountered the power of navy blue was probably at our previous home.  We used a navy blue as the background colour of this DIY office built-in, where the colour not only helped ground the unit but the whole office amidst a cream and greige palette.

Our love of navy blue continues as we decorate our current home.  A blue and white porcelain chinoiserie vase lends its contrasting touch and adds some colour to this otherwise light-coloured foyer vignette.

I experimented with the same vase in our kitchen, and I loved how it draws the eyes full circle and back around the kitchen.

In our living room, the pair of navy blue pillows complement the blue tones in the statement painting, and ground the soft toned space.

I keep these blue agate coasters on the coffee table to provide continuance of the navy from the painting and the couch.  These lime rocks that little man collected from the school playground completes the blue and white touch to this crystallized vignette.

A vignette on our dining room console isn't complete until you add a touch of navy on it.  It echoes the French blue of the console table, while acts as the contrasting object in this simple setting.

The family room is the best place to extend the casual vibe of navy blue.  This pair of nautical pillows suits the theme perfectly, while the tufted navy ottoman by Sarah Richardson keeps the space from being too casual.

Sometimes I wonder if I would still use navy blue in a girl's room.  Well, good that we have a boy!  I scattered navy blue pillows on his bed to balance the grey and white softness in his room.

Of course I didn't leave his playroom alone!  It's the perfect space to add some navy blue with this fun union jack rug, and picked up by the navy chevron pillow in his work space.

And I couldn't leave our master suite alone either.  Our dressing room and master ensuite across are both in soft white and grey.  I always prefer to have a contrasting colour in any room, so the navy blue bench at the foot of our bed helps to draw the eyes inward.

So, as you can see, navy blue is all around our house.  Where do all these lead to?  Well, I've been contemplating about some big plans for our master ensuite.  Can you guess how navy blue relates to this plan?

Let me give you some hints:

Mindy Gayer Design Co.

Studio McGee

Fiorella Design

And I changed yet again...  I was originally going for a spa-like feel in the ensuite, so I had previously wished for a white and grey master ensuite in this design board, ie. grey cabinets.  Yet, everytime I see a deep rich navy vanity (thank you Pinterest), I would fall head over heels with that luxurious contrast it gives to the bathroom.  Oh, especially when it's paired with a marble countertop and brass hardware...  I think I'm totally in love.

It may be a daring move, but I feel all the more certain that this rich luxurious look is the perfect match for our master suite's decor.  A navy blue vanity would offer great contrast to the light grey dressing room that's right across from the ensuite.

What are your thoughts about a navy blue vanity?  Would you consider it for your bathroom reno?

New House Design Board - Entryway

Since our move to the current rental, I don't drive by the site of our new house everyday.  Not being able to keep an eye on its progress doesn't stop me from longing for its completion!  Coming home to a rental, and knowing it's a temporary home, just doesn't feel very homey.  I look forward to the day of going home to our new house and be greeted with a welcoming entrance.  Let me share with you today what we have done and will do to make our entryway a statement for our home.

The size of the new house's foyer is around half the size of that in our old house, so we had to figure out how to create a welcoming entry that also displays our style in that tight space.   We wanted to make the entryway/ hallway as open as possible, so we made some changes to the builder's blueprint.

1. Remove the closet at the front door, since there's another smaller one by the garage entrance down the hall.
2. The main thing was opening up the whole basement staircase instead of the builder's plan with enclosed stairs via a doorway beside the foyer.
3. Remove the full wall beside basement stairs and replace with a structural pole and stair spindles.  The foyer would look more continuous this way with the wall knocked out, instead of ending it at the wall.

With the changes in place, the squarish foyer now feels much more open.  It's also much easier for us to decorate to make it a welcoming space, like how any home's entrway should be.

Remember my beloved blue ceramic trunk table, as decorated like this in our old house's entryway?  We can no longer use it at the new house for the same purpose, since it would take up half the foyer!  The foyer at the new house is approximately 8' across.  To keep a modest walkway from the door through the hallway, I looked for a narrow hall table to be placed on the left wall.  I was inspired by these beautiful foyers.

image via Style At Home

image via House & Home

To keep the entryway with an open feel, we opted for a console table instead of a cupboard.   I was considering glass console table options, until I saw this. 

Troy Console Table \ Joss & Main

Never in a million years would I consider something like this, since the Mr. and I aren't big fans of mixing wood and metal on a piece.  But somehow this seems to work.  Its wooden top mimics the rustic touch of our existing dining table, while the gold metal legs give it a more polished look.  I think this piece makes a great addition to our home, as I believe the entryway should project a style of what's to come in the rest of the house.  For us, it's a bit of polished casualness… does that make sense?!

The next integral piece of this entryway vignette would be a generous sized mirror.  Don't know about you, but mirror shopping can sometimes be daunting.  After a while, they all look pretty much the same.  There're some mirrors that at first seemed to be a great touch when used by a designer, and then we would start seeing the same style of mirror mass produced and over-used for a thousand times.  If you scroll through my Entryway Pinterest board, you would notice I've pinned numerous mirrors.  But none screams to me except for this:

Gleaming Primrose Mirror |  Anthropologie

This mirror with a delicate iron frame (not resin!) is regal yet understated.  The style of the frame elevates the flare in the casual console table.  At just over 3' high and across, it's the perfect size to complement the console table and draw attention to our 9' high ceiling.  I'm so in love with this mirror.  Do you think there's any chance this will be on sale?  Ever?

Another important piece in our previous home's entryway was the tufted bench.  Again, given the smaller foyer in our new house, we better not stuff the bench there and create a fire hazaard!  Once you've had a seat in the foyer, you won't do without one.  And so the hunt for our entryway seating begins!

Since a large bench doesn't fit in the space, it's time to switch to a chair.  Essentially, I'm looking for an accent chair that's the size of a dining chair.  Here are some examples:

1. Claire Tufted Chair | One Kings Lane; 2. Olivia Slipper Chair | One Kings Lane; 3. Faux Bamboo Chair | Maggie G Designs

I wanted the console table vignette to be the focal point of the entryway, so I chose a light neutral fabric colour for our chair choices.  Although I would have the chair blend in as a background, I would still want the chair to be visible to act as a visual extension of the console table.  That being said, #2 would have to be eliminated, as it's lower than the height of the console.  Another reason for it to go is, the Mr. always prefers a chair with arms over one without.  #1 and #3 both have a very welcoming feel to them, and I love the chippendale style of #3.  However, with the point of the chair being more blended into the entire console table vignette, I would pick #1 over #3, to avoid the tonal contrast of the dark chair frame.

Now that I've the basic pieces down, here's the fun part - accessorizing the space!  Lighting plays a big part in a room's ambiance, and that's especially true for the entrway.  We want to create a bright and welcoming entrance, and one can never go wrong with bling bling.  I think this chandelier hits all the right notes.  It's an appropriate size for the space, and its antiqued silver finish tones down the shiny metal, letting the jewels speak for themselves.  

Veronica Mini Chandelier | Joss & Main

We love classic blue and white decor, as in the photo inspiration above.  This rug below would ground the space nicely with the navy blue pattern and provide some contrast to the entryway vignette.

Barrington Rug  | Joss & Main

From the rug, I came up with the rest of accessories for the entryway vignette, by running through my usual vignette setting guidelines found here.  Blue and white boxes for hidden knick-knacks with a lamp to soften any harsh overhead light.  A chinoiserie pot of tall arrangement on the round mirror tray, which offsets the straight lines of the console table. A rose coloured bowl for an unexpected touch of colour and something to just toss in whatever as we walk through the front door.  Here's my idea of how it would look as you face the left wall of the entryway, with the armchair beside the railings to the basement.

Entryway Design Board | Classy Glam Living; Lamp  Horchow; blue and white boxes, mirror tray, faux orchid arrangement, rose compote  | One Kings Lane.

I CAN'T wait to come home to this!!

What do you think makes an entryway most welcoming?  I'm thinking of adding a tall floor plant or an umbrella stand to the left of the console table.  Let me know if you have any other ideas!

Disclaimer:  The reveal of the entryway may differ somewhat.  Who knows, maybe I would entertain a real orchid plant for once, but who am I kidding...  I'm a plant murderer.

COLOR TREND - BLACK WHITE GOLD VS. NAVY WHITE GOLD

Been shopping lately?  Then I'm sure you have noticed the trending metal of choice.  From jewelries to bags to home decor, designers are cooling off from the cold tone of silver to embrace the red hot trend for the warm undertone of gold. Checking in on my Pinterest pages, I'm always attracted to these black/ white/ gold combination images.

http://madebygirl.blogspot.ca/

http://simplyamna.tumblr.com

Although they're not decor-related photos, I can't help but notice how elegant this colour combination would be for home interiors.  The black and white combination is as classic as can be, and gold adds an elegant vibe that warms up the formality.  Adding greeneries to a black, white and gold decor provides a color contrast that allows the eyes a place to rest between the two color extremes.

I'm so in love with these simple yet stylish decor...

http://fashion-zeit.tumblr.com/

http://cookedhead.tumblr.com/

http://christinedovey.com

The intelligent mix of gold adds warmth to an otherwise stark color combination.  All are so pretty, but I think it's a tad too formal for our family.  I can, however, live with this color combination in a small beautiful space...  the powder room.   

Sources:  Chrystal Chandelier / Marble tile back wall (similar) / Mother of pearl mirror / Gold leg base / Marble basket weave floor tiles / Kohler Tresham toilet

The black and white in the marble basket weave floor tiles, paired with lightly veined marble backsplash, would be an elegant background against the vintagy look of the gold sink legs. The creamy gold tone of the mother of pearl framed mirror would reflect its warm lights from the gold framed crystal chandelier.  

Now, let me just show this to the Mr!

Another color combination that I've grown to love is navy white and gold.  This artwork just about sums up my take on it.

https://img1.etsystatic.com/039/0/9223328/il_340x270.582226109_1w9c.jpg

The navy and white combination evokes a sense of preppy elegance.  It can either take on a casual nautical theme, like the one in the artwork above, or a sense of formality with chinoiserie ceramics.  

One Kings Lane

This navy and white based living room by Sarah Richardson looks elegant yet welcoming.  Her signature cushion-filled couch in a soft navy palette grounds the lower half of the room against its light walls.  

Here is another example of welcoming elegance, but in a crisper contrast of navy and white. The crystal chandelier, large corner plant, and other warm wood tones pull the room's two main colors together.

http://theglampad.blogspot.ca/

In any case, I think the navy blue and white combination would be most suitable for our family room.  It is more forgiving than black and white, and the blue exerts a relaxed vibe to the room. Using gold sparingly in brass accent tables brings some shiny elements to glam up the room with warm undertones.  The crystal chandelier, mirror top tray on the ottoman, and the glass top accent tables fortify the sparkling details of the room.

Sources:  Sofa - Restoration Hardware; Crystal Chandelier, blue and white lamp, armchair, gold campaign sidetable, rug - Joss & Main; Brass twig sidetable, faux orchid arrangement, artwork - One Kings Lane; mercury glass lamp - Candelebra Inc.; navy cushions; gold console table; gold mirror tray.

We are slowly building our home decor and accessories towards this dream family room of ours.  The Mr. loves this Schumacher fabric in navy and white Chiang Mai Dragon.  Anything with a dragon suits his fancy!

I just bought him a pair of cushions for the couch made from this fabric...  for his Father's Day present =)  He's an easy fella!

What are your favorite color combination for interior decor?  Which room(s) in the house would you use it for?