COLOR OF THE MONTH | The joy of Baby Blue

Discover the latest interior color trends 2020 on italianbark: be inspired today by baby blue interiors and design

Blue is one of the most universally favoured colours… it is nature’s colour for water and sky. Pop the word ‘baby’ in front of the colour and you have a specific shade of… yep, you guessed it, ‘baby blue’– a pale tint of azure, one of the pastel colours.

Most blues convey a sense of trust, loyalty, cleanliness and understanding.

However, blue has more complex meanings than any other colour and each shade can have a different meaning. Shades of blue can be described as light or dark, or interestingly in China referred to as shallow or deep.

Dark blue stands for authority, bright blue dependability and strength, while light blue is the colour most linked to creativity. Baby blue can differ in tone from light ‘Beau blue,’ to richer ‘baby blue eyes’ and deeper tone of Pantone’s ‘Little boy blue’- described beautifully ‘as a soft, clean blue reminiscent of a light touch and a clear day.’

That is suggestive of a ‘breeziness that feels like spring as the colour is observed, absorbing into the imagination.’

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Something more about Baby Blue

In Western culture, the colour baby blue is often “stereotypically” associated with “baby boys” and baby pink for “baby girls.” Prior to pastel baby clothes (which were introduced in the mid- 19th century and not initially gender-specific), all children had worn white.

However, it was not long before “the generally accepted rule pink for the boys and blue for the girls” was born. At the time, pink was “considered” a more ‘decided’ and ‘stronger’ colour, ‘more suitable for a boy.’ Whilst blue is ‘more delicate, dainty and prettier for a girl.’ This is until the 1940s, when manufacturers settled on the opposite – pink for girls and blue for boys.

As a result, Baby Boomers were raised wearing these two colours. The colours seemingly faded out before making a return in the mid-‘80s -with the development of prenatal testing. For the first time, parents could find out the gender of their unborn baby. This meant that a nursery could be decorated in the “appropriate” colour, stereotypically baby blue for boys and baby pink for girls.

Or in my case -born in the mid-80s- my parents wanted my gender to be a surprise, so opted to paint my first bedroom a “considered” gender neutral shade of pastel lemon.

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|| Baby Blue was one of the top colour trends from Milan Design Week 2018, featured on IB first trendbook N/T

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Baby Blue in interiors and design

Maybe it comes as no surprise that baby blue is close in shade to sky blue– the most calming shade of blue, it can be delightfully uplifting, invigorating and aid relaxation.

Baby blue and powder blue has an even softer and gentler energy than sky blue. This is why it’s considered a great choice for bedrooms and nurseries, ‘as it’s a colour very conducive to rest and getting a good night’s sleep.’

Used alone the colour baby blue can appear light and breezy like a breath of fresh air, for variation differ the tones or use a rich blue to add contrast.

If you want a clean and crisp look, then simply pair with white.

Baby blue belongs to the pastels– a pale family of colours, usually described as “soothing”, “soft” or “near neutral.” The colour would therefore sit comfortably alongside other pastels such as pink, mauve etc.

However you don’t have to just stick to a pastel palette, you can opt for brighter colours, earthier tones or go richer like this baby blue and burgundy pairing!