Blue (and White) Heaven
Blue and white is back, and nowhere was it more apparent than on the fall fashion runways.
Designers put a contemporary spin on the classic hues, cutting their clothes in silhouettes that lent glamour,
femininity, and fun to the universally beloved colors. From electric, petrol,
and ink to azure, aquamarine, and turquoise, this season’s clothes are saturated in blue.
When it comes to decorative possibilities, the opportunities to use blue and white in your home are endless –
not the least because both colors have a wider range of tones than any other, all of which live comfortably
together in any combination. Whether your taste runs toward the spare, whimsical, classic,
or is globally influenced, our Soliloque collection offers dozens of ways to live with –
and love – blue and white now.
The Minimalist
If the words “blue and white” conjure only charming florals and beachy stripes, think again.
Use graphic patterns on sofas and chairs, and the effect is bold enough to stand out in a
room full of stark pieces. Consider the Marci armless chair, a generous occasional piece with
streamlined proportions covered in navy, cornflower, or slate blue and white gridded fabric.
Want to tone it down a touch? Try a fabric with a smaller graphic repeat that hints that it’s
a pattern only when you experience it up close. If covering a piece of furniture feels overly much,
arrange a single pillow in either of these fabrics on a mid-century modern sofa or chair.
The Romantic
Fabric covered with huge pink garden roses may have once made you swoon, but switch the palette to blue
and white, and you’ll find your heart racing again. You can hang your collection of blue and white plates
on the wall all over the house. Then outfit your rooms with curvaceous and luxuriously cushioned furnishings
that evoke romance. Upholster them in blue and white florals that recall china patterns, and pile on pillows
in complementary fabrics. To keep it current, choose crisp piping on cushions and pillows rather than ruffled
trim, and opt for tailored skirts on sofas and chairs.
The Traditionalist
If time-honored interiors make you tick, take a page from today’s hottest classicistic decorators –
choose elegant, ornately styled furnishings and upholster them in a mix of blue and white stripes,
florals, and solids. A graceful rolled-arm on the Celebrity sofa and Soliloque’s upholstered dining
chairs are perfect examples of classic yet current silhouettes. Underfoot, roll out an Oriental-inspired
rug in blue and white. The trick to updating the look? Avoid a too-formal feeling by tossing a modernist
piece into the mix – a pair of cobalt-blue glass or crystal rectangular table lamps with white paper shades.
The Eclectic
On your far-flung travels, there’s invariably a piece of fabric, furniture, or objet d’art that makes your
heart race. So how can you bring it all home in a fresh way now? Choose fabrics one might unearth at
Middle Eastern bazaars or that could be worn as saris on the streets of India. Outfit your rooms with a
mix of exotic furnishings – there’s the polished nickel finish of the Metal Hall Chest that recalls
Moroccan silver, the exotic arches of the Lamp Table, and a taste of the Raj in the intricately carved
Storage Cabinet. Collect treasures with your blue and white palette in mind, then create a still life
atop or inside these pieces – they’ll take you away every time you look at them.