Blue is a popular wall color choice for many reasons. It can create a calm, peaceful atmosphere and bring a sense of tranquility to a room. However, sometimes blue walls can feel a bit too bold and intense. If your blue walls are feeling a little too vibrant, there are a few easy ways to tone them down and make them feel more subdued.
Why Tone Down Blue Walls?
Here are some common reasons you may want to tone down brightly colored blue walls:
– The blue is too vibrant and feels overwhelming in the space. Toning it down can help it feel more relaxing.
– The blue makes the room feel cold. Toning it down can warm up the space.
– You want to update the look but don’t want to completely repaint. Toning down the walls adds variety without a full re-paint.
– The blue doesn’t match your decor anymore. Toning it down helps it work better with your current style.
– You’re preparing the home to sell. Toned-down colors have more mass appeal to buyers.
Soften the Blue with White
One of the easiest ways to tone down a vibrant blue wall is by adding white to the color. You can do this a couple different ways:
– Repaint the walls with a blue/white mix. Start with 75% blue paint and 25% white paint, adjust the ratio as needed. The more white you add, the softer the blue becomes.
– Use a paintbrush to directly add white paint over the existing blue walls. Focus on softening strong focal points like around windows or over particularly vibrant patches.
– Add white design elements like wainscoting, trim, or painted patterns over the blue. The crisp white helps balance out the vibrancy of the blue.
Warm It Up With an Undertone
If the blue walls are feeling a bit too cold, adding a warm undertone can help tone them down. Some options:
– Repaint using a blue with warm undertones like yellow or red. Benjamin Moore’s Dewberry or Hale Navy are good warm blue options.
– Use glaze tinted with burnt umber or raw sienna. Brush it over walls to add cozy warmth.
– Add warm wooden accents like shelving, trim, furniture or decor pieces. The wood tones counteract the cool blue.
– Use warm lighting with bulbs around 2700-3000K. The warmer light helps offset the cool blue tones.
Dampen the Intensity
There are also some simple tricks to dampen the intensity of vibrant blue walls:
– Diffuse the light in the room with light curtains or lampshades. This softens intense hues.
– Hang art or decor pieces in similar tones. Repeating blues reduces vibrancy.
– Add matte or eggshell finish paint over existing glossy walls. The flatter finish absorbs more light.
– Use dimmers on overhead lighting and avoid harsh bulbs. Soft lighting diminishes intensity.
– Layer rugs and textiles to absorb sound. This helps diminish echo and noise which enhances vibrancy.
Create Contrast
Adding contrasting colors helps tone down the dominance of a bold blue wall:
– Use creams, warm grays and tans on trims, ceilings and furniture. The neutrals balance the blue.
– Add wood accents and greenery for organic contrast.
– Use patterns with contrasting colors for interest without going all-blue.
– Add rich complementary colors like orange, terra-cotta and yellow in your decor.
– Use multiple colored walls for a more dynamic look. Paint an accent wall a different hue.
Open Up the Space
Making a room feel more open and airy can help minimize the intensity of bold walls:
– Remove clutter to open up floor space.
– Use reflective surfaces like mirrors or metallics to enlarge the room.
– Strategically place lighter-colored furniture and decor items against the walls.
– Maximize natural light with sheer window treatments.
– Paint the ceiling a lighter color to lift it visually. An airy blue or soft white works well.
– Extend the blue onto adjoining walls for a more enveloping look.
Relocate Intense Accent Areas
Sometimes vibrant blue only feels overpowering in certain spots in a room. Try relocating intense accent areas:
– Paint behind shelves/media centers a more neutral hue.
– Add a muted wallpaper or art print behind beds or seating areas.
– Install a textural 3D feature wall away from seating areas and doorways.
– Frame windows and doors with white or neutral trim. Softens focal points.
– Move artwork or decor creating vibrant accents to less dominant walls.
Add Textures
Incorporating tactile textures can help tone down walls:
| Texture | How It Tones Down Walls |
|---|---|
| Wood | Adds natural warmth that offsets cool tones. |
| Stone | Grounds the space with heaviness to balance airy blues. |
| Fabric | Softens hard surfaces and absorbs excess color vibrancy . |
| Faux finishes | Minimizes flatness and introduces dimension to divert focus. |
| Wallpaper | Patterns and textures break up bold blocks of color. |
Use textured items like wooden shelves, stone backsplashes, area rugs, curtain panels, wallpaper and textured paint techniques.
Recolor Intense Furniture
Furniture upholstered or painted in the same vibrant blue can feel overwhelming. Tone it down by:
– Reupholstering in a muted tone like a blue-gray or neutral fabric.
– Coordinating pillows in contrasting hues.
– Using slipcovers in natural linen or cotton textures.
– Painting wooden pieces in warmer wood stains.
Updating just a couple key furniture pieces can help balance out the blue without a major overhaul. Focus on anchoring pieces like sofas or beds.
Update With Strategic New Decor
Freshening up the decor is an easy way to give vibrant walls a new softened look:
– Soften shiny surfaces with natural elements like rattan, seagrass, wood.
– Replace cool-toned accessories with warmer metals, leather, wood pieces.
– Use patterned rugs, pillows and prints in warm palettes like terra-cotta or yellow.
– Add cozy textured blankets and linens in creamy ivory and tan.
– Swap out cool-toned art for warmer neutral photography and paintings.
– Display greenery and flowers in warm hues like magenta and vermillion.
A few key home decor updates can shift the whole ambience without repainting. Focus on adjusting brightly colored or highly reflective furnishings and art first.
Change the Lighting
Adjusting the lighting in a space with bold blue walls is an impactful way to quickly tone it down.
– Use lower wattage, warmer toned light bulbs around 2500-2700K.
– Swap out cool LED or fluorescent overhead lights for lamp lighting.
– Add layers like string lights, sconces and table lamps.
– Install dimmers to lower light levels.
– Use lamp shades and natural fabric draping to diffuse lighting.
Softer, more layered lighting minimizes the amplifying effect intense overhead lighting can have on blue walls.
Summary
Toning down too-vibrant blue walls is very doable without needing a full repaint. By using strategies like adding warm undertones, infusing contrasting textures, updating home decor elements and adjusting the lighting, you can give bright blue walls a more subdued, welcoming look. With some simple tweaks, you can rein in bold blues and enjoy your blue walls in a whole new way.
Conclusion
Vibrant blue walls can feel overwhelming but there are many creative, affordable ways to tone down their intensity. Everything from adding warm paint undertones, to installing new lighting fixtures, to repositioning furniture can help make bold blues feel more subdued. With a thoughtful, multi-faceted approach focused on lighting, textures, colors and decor, you can easily soften up intense blue walls to create a more livable, peaceful space. Toning down blue walls opens up fresher possibilities without needing to start from scratch with a whole new paint job.