The colour BLUE

Hello to everyone from this weeks Hooked on Fridays! Thanks to Julia at Hooked on Houses for hosting.

Well, with all of the lovely weather (not) we've been having in Eastern Ontario, it was very easy to come up with the title of this post. With day after cool, rainy day, I have to say I have been "feeling blue", however that's not the BLUE I wanted to blog about. Let's try and lift our spirits with some talk and pics about the colour BLUE.

When I was a little girl, BLUE was my favourite colour. I wanted blue paint, BLUE wallpaper, BLUE decor, BLUE clothing (TG for BLUE jeans), shoes, jewellery, books... Every questionnaire that asked (and as a teenager, admit it, you did every one you could get your hands on) I filled in that asked my favourite colour - BLUE! We even had a dog named BLUE - who I still miss 34 years later!

You name it, it had to be BLUE - well OK not BLUE hair - back in the day we didn't have the means or the tolerance that we do today. Unlike my youngest daughter, who at the age of 15, decided that her hair should be neon pink. Figuring that heck, it's only hair and will grow back, I headed out to the local drugstore with her and picked up the bleach and Manic Panic and for one summer she sported a shockingly pink head of hair. But, I digress - back to BLUE.

From my studies, the colour BLUE, a primary colour on the Colour Wheel, is associated with the following emotions and physiological reactions – tranquility, calmness, faith, loyalty (true BLUE) among others. When used in advertising, BLUE is often used to promote cleanliness, travel (sea and sky colour) and precision. Gender wise, apart from the old adage pink for girls and BLUE for boys, BLUE is hiighly accepted by males, with dark BLUE symbolizing the corporate world and associated with strength and stability.

BLUE should be avoided in relation to food, as studies prove is is known to suppress the appetite. Now, I would like to interject here, that regardless of this last fact, I still plan to paint my dining room BLUE!

In languages, the word BLUE is derived from the Old French “bleu” from Germanic origin “blao” meaning shining. Although in the English language the term “BLUE” can mean feelings of sadness, in German it means drunk which equates back to an ancient use of urine, which the body produces copious amounts of, in dying cloth BLUE (ewwww!).

Of course, with my study of design and decor, I have grown to appreciate other colours and incorporate them into my homes - greens and yellows, mauves and pinks, garden and earth tones - but deep down inside I still have a hankering for BLUE. When I chose the colour for this blog - it wasn't a conscious decision - I naturally gravitated to the BLUEs.

So in honour of BLUE – let’s explore a bit – I hope you enjoy some of my favourites...

First and foremost – the sky…

I couldn’t resist the pic with the sailboat!

Followed closely by the sea …

One day I WILL go here….

the “BLUE City” – Jodhpur, India

Here’s a combination of my favourite colour and my favourite flower (which symbolizes devotion):

And in rooms…

On furniture …

And on our tables (even though we shouldn’t :) )

Photo credits:

1 – Steve Pinkers photos of Cape Cod - http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/cape_cod/pages/blue%20sky%20sailboat.htm; 2 – unknown; 3 – Fira, Santorini - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/santorini-workshop-2009/; 4 – Jodhpur India - http://www.virtourist.com/asia/india/jodhpur/index.html; 5 – Hydrangea - http://www.brides.com/planning/flowers/flowerfinder/detail/176228/; 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 ,19– www.HouseBeautiful.com; 14 – Kohler Canada -http://www.ca.kohler.com/ideas/showcase/showcase.jsp?section=3&nsection=3&nsubsection=1&subsection=1&aid=1824; 15 – Kohler Canada - http://www.ca.kohler.com/ideas/showcase/showcase.jsp?section=3&nsection=3&nsubsection=2&subsection=2&aid=716&style=Contemporary; 20, 21 – Cobalt Dinnerware & Glassware – www.pier1.com; 22 – Denby Imperial Blue - http://www.denby.co.uk/Imperial-Blue/Covered-Vegetable-Dish/invt/001010102;