I sometimes think that blue is the perfect chameleon color. What I mean is, different uses of the color (including all shades of blue) can bring out nearly any design emotion, style, and vibe better than any other color I can think of. Is blue moody or cheerful? Subtle or bold? Classic or cutting-edge? Yes, yes, and yes. The color can be all of those things, which is amazing to me. Here are some inspiring spaces where blue, in its various glorious shades, is the star of the space:

Why settle on just one shade of blue when you can use them all? Capture every emotion by using blues from across the spectrum, like this antique grey-blue chair, aqua and cobalt glass bottles, and faded navy linen table runner. In an all-white space on a whitewashed table, this is a stunningly simple and utterly charming vignette. The result wouldn’t be the same with any other color, in my opinion. Just lovely.

Perhaps it’s not a shade of blue one would immediately think of when decorating, but this lovely seafoamy blue is dreamy and all things lovely. Embracing a fairly challenging architectural design in this bedroom, the pale blue painted panels make the space feel simultaneously cozy and airy. Of course, the overall vibe is certainly helped with that beautiful canopy bed dressed in all white linens. Overall, this blue hue is the perfect choice for this attic bedroom – you’d literally feel up in the clouds here.

You needn’t paint the walls and upholster everything in blue to reap the stylistic benefits of using the color. In fact, tastefully deliberate touches of blue, even in small doses, are sometimes the best option. Like in this space, where the homeowners obviously feel most comfortable with warm, neutral colors, a few pale blue items enliven the décor without contrasting significantly. Note how the drapes in the foreground match the upholstered benches, and just a few other items in similar shades are all the space needs to carry the color palette through. What a lovely breath of fresh air here.

Blue, minty blue, is a fabulous color for a powder room! It’s crisp, it’s vibrant, it’s fun. This wallpaper is perfection, subtly mirroring the shape of the pedestal sink. I love how the color is carried through the roman shades as well – it’s almost like you’re in a swimming pool or a bathtub, surrounded so completely in this fresh aqua shade. The pops of white throughout this tiny space lend airiness to and visually expand the space overall. I think I’d love to visit here.

Traditionally combined white, green, and navy is a striking combination…and, for me, the blue is what carries the palette home. In classic form, navy upholstered slipper chairs with contrast white piping bring depth to this airy space, and a shiny pitcher (porcelain? ceramic?) in a similar hue disperses the color around the room. I love the pattern of the two pillows here, bringing some fun into the space. And who wouldn’t love that birdcage wall hanging? It would be fantastic in any color scheme.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.