Remember that design series on tv last year? I can’t even remember the name of it - maybe Homemade? Anyway, you might remember that the eventual winner, Jason Sullivan, used a dark navy blue shade from Wattyl quite a few times throughout the series. See the living room and bedroom above and below.
It seemed to me that this combination of dark navy blue and crisp white paired with different natural textures was a real winner.
I remember liking it a lot at the time and I have been thinking about navy blue walls again lately. Navy is such a classic colour, elegant yet enveloping, and has always been my go-to colour (thinking mainly clothing here I suppose) - though I’ve never painted my walls with it.
I love that it’s a masculine sort of colour, but look how beautiful it can be paired with delicate, feminine-patterned wallpaper with subtle hints of lilac (above).
I’ve posted this room before (above), the navy dining room where the white really pops in chairs and curtains, but it’s one of my favourites.
Now, here’s an idea that I’ve really been stewing over: a navy blue kitchen, with stainless steel, white and charcoal to add different textures and play against the blue. Sophisticated, no?
Of course, when thinking dark blue kitchens, Windsor Smith’s is the benchmark. Remember her floor of tiny white marble tiles and the dark blue shelving across the windows? This is my kitchen dream!
Lots of white to relieve the blue: check.
A true marriage of classics: navy blue and white calcutta marble look so beautiful together. Powder rooms are really a great place to be brave with pattern/brights/dark colour, and this is fabulously moody. Moody spaces are just what I feel like on freezing and rainy afternoons like this one!






A little book confusion..?
Decor Heaven
A gorgeous kitchen in the palest grey
Snippets from my week so far..
Unmatched greens
White
My work on HGTV.com
Faux Bamboo chairs for sale
My new foo
Lighten Up - Scandinavian Style
Decorating with black
Elegant neutral office
Another incredible designer's home
Friday teals
Saturday House of Inspiration - rustic villa
Some beautiful country homes
Itching for Furbish Studio
Rita Konig's New York apartment
Big admiration of Sharp style












Noma, I am trying to inspire and motivate (P) in his (slow moving) apartment search by showing him some of your posts on more masuculine style… so far he likey likey, but maybe you can post some more ideas that might be good? he found most appealing the navy rooms, stainless steel and dark wood, vintage style as well as modern features- you know he can paint so i am encouraging him to do some nice grey palette abstract paintings- if they turn out good i will see if he can do something for you as well. Also some way to display him guitars, amp, percussion etc as at the moment they just clutter up a corner. Most likely space will also be an issue. Any inspiring ideas??
xxx B
Hi Naomi, I love the contrast between the dark walls and the light lounge in the first two pics and adore the navy kitchen…it’s oh so chic…!
Claudia xo