Home improvements

Sam Wylie-Harris puts her head in the clouds, taking her cue from azure skies

Opening the doors to blue skies and sea views (if you’re lucky) moves us in many ways, and chances are it makes you want to smile and take it easy.

Calm and serene, blue is often cited as the world’s most popular colour.

And if you’re thinking of expanding your interiors to introduce a summer palette of blues, not only does it evoke positive feelings of serenity, you’ll also feel one step closer to the wild blue yonder.

1. Bone China Seahorse Dinner Plate, £24; Lobster Pasta Bowl, £24; Set of Four Reef Napkin Rings, £25 (other items from a selection), Cream Cornwall

Tablescaping for your catch of the day is a ‘shore’ thing with Cream Cornwall’s patterned chinaware. Choose from crustaceans and other sea creatures in a beautiful illustrative style, which can be paired with coral accessories for a taste of marine life.

2. Blue Whale Lampshade, from £65, Mountain & Molehill

Available as a lamp or ceiling pendant with a choice of a white or gold inner, this lampshade is a real find if you’re after something quirky and streamlined.

3. Breathable Linen Bread Bag Garden Design in Duck Egg Blue, £24, Helen Round

Linen bread bags are having a moment in the sun, and if you’re a newbie to the joy of storing your sourdough in a breathable bread bag, you’ll never look back.

4. Palma Blue Glass Decanter, £29.50, Oliver Bonas

Continuing the trend for palm prints and elegant decanters on home bars, this Palma blue vessel is tailor-made for all your drinking rituals, with just the right measure of wanderlust.

5. Moodyboard – Dusty Blue by Growme Melbourne, £149, Antipodream

Whether you want to tell a story with holiday snaps and mementoes, or style up your working-from-home space, this Moodyboard ticks all the right boxes, with its magnetic surface and clever built-in shelf for storage.

6. Tudor Blue Embroidered Velvet Cushion, £48 (Other Items From A Selection), French Bedroom Company

A look to steal, we love this vintage-style applique cushion, especially when fashioned against a shabby chic bench and distressed vase of dried flowers. Duck-egg blue lends itself handsomely to bleached and light woods – and has a knack for transforming anything you pull together.

7. Grandfather Olaf Figurine – Blue (sample clearance), £54, Mineheart

This owl head bust may have a slight manufacturing defect, but we think that’s part of his charm – after all, even a wise old owl has had a few scrapes along the way. Dressed in period costume and inspired by nature, Grandpa Olaf is a hoot.

8. Nidra Ink Border, £99 per roll; Turton Emulsion, £45 for 2.5L, Woodchip & Magnolia

Wallpaper is on a roll – but if you’re not ready to vacate an entire wall to a fashionable print, Woodchip & Magnolia’s new ‘mini mural’ could be the ideal option. Featuring a path through an idyllic blue forest, there’s a choice of three coordinating paint finishes.

9. Set of 8 Framed Art, £120, Next

With plenty of hanging possibilities, this set of prints in very attractive shades of blue flows beautifully together, and will transform a blank space into something serene and stimulating.

10. Lazy Linen in Cornflower Blue – Pair of Pillowcases, Double Duvet & Fitted Sheet, £265 for the bundle, Loaf

When the heat is on, carefree summer bedrooms are all about fresh, crumpled linen, wicker storage baskets, and a perfect pair of mules to slide into.

11. Fiddle Leaf Fig & Fractured Blue Pot, £34 (£29 Soho Home Members), Soho Home

A collaboration between Soho Home and Leaf Envy, this potted fiddle leaf fig plant loves ambient lighting (don’t we all), and its broad dark leaves will freshen up any space. The fractured denimblue pot is an added bonus.

12. Freya Bistro Set – Blue, £89, Dobbies Garden Centres (in store)

Pretty patio, teeny terrace or galley kitchen, this boutique bistro set is rightly reserved for two.