Blue

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Color

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Decorating Guides

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Marine Blue Washes Ashore

Straight from the ocean waves, this deep, dramatic blue makes a perfect partner for landlocked interiors

Lisa Frederick September 17, 2012

Houzz Contributor. After journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.

Houzz Contributor. After journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately... More

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As its name implies, marine blue is drawn from naval uniforms and ocean depths, and it's a cornerstone of the classic coastal palette. Yet this soulful, satisfying color — a warm shade with the barest undercurrent of green — looks even fresher away from the sea.

Like a well-cut blazer, marine blue is versatile, handsome and always in good taste, whether it takes the form of Hollywood Regency glamour or eclectic chic. Check out the vastly different personalities it adopts in the spaces below.

ZeroEnergy Design

A delightful marine-blue background adds richness and depth to this recessed shelving. It complements the red-orange wall in the adjacent living area perfectly.

Contemporary Kitchen Contemporary Kitchen

Glazed marine-blue backsplash tiles give an otherwise neutral kitchen extra dimension. The crisp white and natural wood surfaces keep the focus on that gorgeous stroke of color.

Katie Denham Interiors

Marine blue accents help to ground the bold reds in this bedroom. Although this home sits on the California coast, the look would be just as appropriate for a Chicago pied-à-terre or a suburban ranch in Raleigh.

Studio William Hefner

This ranks up there with my all-time favorite photos on Houzz. The blue velvet glows in the light bouncing off the white walls and the antiqued mirror, its tones shifting between marine and navy and indigo for a quietly stunning effect.

Jeff Sheats Designs, Inc

Although this bath would feel on point in a coastal home, swapping out the artwork would push it in a more traditional direction. The copper sink picks up the warm undertones in the blue cabinet finish and represents a subtle take on the classic pairing of orange and blue.

Lizette Marie Interior Design

Nuanced, striated blue tiles in a pattern of interlocking ovals give this transitional bath a beautiful impression of movement and flow.

Savvy Interiors

The time-honored blue and yellow color palette gets a sophisticated spin with a butter-hued sofa and intense marine blue on the walls and ottoman.

Belzberg Architects

Under a cloak of luminous blue tile, this tub area shimmers like the sea.

Modern Paint Benjamin Moore Marine Blue 2059-10 Paint

Benjamin Moore Marine Blue 2059-10 Paint - $35.95

Rich and complex, this blue would be ideal for a study, a powder bath, a boudoir or a dining room. Add a coat of lacquer to give it a high-wattage gleam.

Sundance Catalog

Large Color-Tipped Cutting Board - $150

Dipped in a marine-blue wash, this cutting board goes from workhorse to work of art. It's almost too pretty to mar with knife marks — I'd hang it on a kitchen wall instead.

Candelabra

Robert Abbey Triple Gourd Table Lamp, Marine Blue - $261.80

A classic lamp base profile gets an update in vivid marine blue.

User

Santorini Print, Marine

Indoor-outdoor fabrics such as this one work beautifully in breakfast areas and dining rooms — they resist spilled food and sticky fingers. I could see this on bar stools or simple chairs in a kitchen with kelly-green cabinetry for a burst of preppy panache.