The range of colours for the cool scheme extends beyond the simple blue plus white equation, since a greater range of colours and non colours can be employed, including black and white, and grey and cream, but blue still provides the broadest and most useful colour scope. Blues, blue greys, and whites are natural partners for creating a relaxed and hormonious living space.
This is because they help to promote a sense of calm and airiness, and provide the cool scheme with strong defenition and character. The success of the combination is obvious, having been favoured traditionally and internationally in various ways, from Scandinavian style to Chinese and European ceramics, all of which can be used as the inspiration for your scheme. The cool grey blue and white combinations continues to be associated with the Swedish style today and is an immensenly popular look.
The cool blues can be interpreted in various tones for different effects, grey blues look smart and sophisticated, aquamarine works well with purest white and silver hues, dark blues are best used in broken patterns to avoid looking heavy.
To successfully maintain the scheme it is always worth remembering that cool blues mix well with silver and off white. In the living room, however, coolest glacial blue could be partnered with stronger tones to prevent the look becoming rather cold and insipid. Alternatively, combine different shades of grey with lots of white. Avoid an over load of mixed pattern in the cool living room, as this will detract from the airy spaciousness of the theme.
However, where pattern is used, scrolling and trellis designs will keep the look light and clean, using for example a grey green background with a sharp, white applied pattern. Stripes always promote the illusion of extended space, particularly when used vertically and juxtapositioned with dark and light colours such as grey and silver or Chinese blue and porcelain white.
