Photo shoot: 5 tones of blue
Teal, azure, navy, baby and bright. It's no secret that we love a blue interior...we’ve delved into our photo shoot archives to share some of our favourite blue hues with you.
Here at Tom Raffield we’re firm believers there’s a blue to suit any space. Frequenting many photo shoots over the years, blue backdrops have been both a versatile and effective tool in our lifestyle photography.
Here's a round up of our top five favourite shades...
Navy Blue
Statement, confident and bold.
For this photo shoot we chose Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue (above) as our colour of choice. Described as a ‘timeless, deep and dramatic blue’ the tone offers a celestial aesthetic and provides the perfect, contrasting backdrop for our steam bent, oak furniture pieces. The bold blue also looks great with pops of zingy, mustard yellow.
Top tip: If the idea of an entirely dark room seems a little daunting and you are worried about making your space feel enclosed or smaller, dip your toe into the dark with an accent/ feature wall to update interiors without overpowering the space.
Shop the look: (left image, from left) Upholstered Crib Bench in Yellow, Wheal Wall Light, (right image, from left) Harlyn Mirror, Taffrail.
Azure Blue
Clean cut, vivid, memorable.
Reminiscent of a primary blue this bright, deeply pigmented shade by Farrow and Ball added some drama to our annual photo shoot back in 2017.
A favourite of the Tom Raffield team, Drawing Room Blue reminds us of a bright summer sky and the clear Atlantic sea surrounding the Cornish coastline. This blue looks fantastic paired with our ash lighting and gives a real Scandinavian aesthetic.
Shop the look: Mooring Floor Light with Grey Flex and Arbor Armchair in Earth Silver.
"Blues are inherently associated with light and space".
- Little Green Paint Company.
Cool light blue
Soft, mellow, relaxing.
Strictly speaking, these blue-toned backdrops (above) were not selected by the Tom Raffield team for our Green Range photo shoot like the other blues’ in this blog. Fortunately, these beautifully soft shades were already in existence at Enys House, our photo shoot location, when we arrived. We don’t think we could have chosen airier, more suitable tones if we tried!
The left image has been colour matched to Lulworth Blue No. 89, a bright, fresh mid-blue with a delicate mood-boosting aesthetic. We’ve likened the right image to Parma Grey No. 27, a clean, light and crisp colour, reminiscent of a period drama film set.
Shop the look: (left image) Merryn Floor Standing Planter Short and (right image) Morvah Wall Hanging Planter.
Teal Blue
Evocative, modern, exciting.
We chose Vardo No.288 (above) for our recent Modum Lighting Range photo shoot due to it’s playful, statement aesthetic and dark, aquamarine hue.
"Vardo is so full of life and joy it seemed natural to name it after something renowned for its flamboyant colour. This bright colour works particularly well with reds or dark greys."
- Farrow and Ball.
Vardo’s recognisable medium blue-green colour contrasts wonderfully against lighter wood types such as ash and oak, but also packs a punch against darker tones such as walnut.
Shop the look: (left, from left) Urchin Table Light in Oak, May Coffee Table (right image, from left) Arame Pendant Light in Ash and Walnut.
Petrol Blue
Avant garde, classic, regal.
Described by Farrow and Ball as ‘an inky navy’ Stiffkey Blue – No.281 (above) is a rich silky hue sits somewhere between a traditional navy and a bright, punchy blue.
Decidedly outspoken and demanding of attention, this moody shade can read more grey, blue or even green depending on the light levels and the texture of the surface you are covering.
Shop the look: Crib Bench, Urchin Pendant Small in ash, oak and walnut.
Posted: 05.09.18
Updated: 16.04.21