Turquoise Dreams and Beachy Things

I fell quite unexpectedly in love with turquoise one August day on the pristine white sands of a gorgeous Samoan lagoon. I was lounging in the enervating, sultry heat, watching my grandchildren gambol in the surf, when the shifting hues of the turquoise waters caught — and held — my attention. I was entranced by the pastel water that washed onto the sand, then graduated to deeper shades farther from the shore, culminating in the rich blue-greens of the waves crashing against the reef.

We can channel that beach vacation year-round by pulling our color scheme from the sun-drenched beach, the blue sky studded with creamy clouds and the vibrant turquoise sea.


Isn’t that beachy palette skillfully interpreted in this living room? (The turquoise wall paint is Cloud Burst by Sherwin-Williams.)


Or in this living room, with its slightly deeper hues that make me want to snuggle up with a book by James Michener?





Whether we limit our expression of turquoise to the front door …

… or splash it all over our interior walls (this is Benjamin Moore’s Galapagos Turquoise) …


… no color better captures the feeling of the South Pacific than turquoise, in all its shifting and magical shades.


If you want to start by figuratively sticking your toe in the water, consider a showstopping turquoise chandelier, like the bottle one shown here. As you do that, notice how subtly wonderful the olive-colored walls are as a backdrop.


Or paint an old chest in a distressed shade of our color, and maybe add an accent pillow or two. Do you feel how turquoise brings both repose and energy to this room? It’s rather like the ocean that way, which is so often both soothing and energizing.


There is something about turquoise that inspires a sea theme, like with the stunning coral pillow here. The designer of this room remarks how the rich dark turquoise shade on the wall brings such a vivacious vibe, while serving as a backdrop for a wide selection of colors, prints and styles.


Here turquoise’s watery attitude is given oomph by a large black clamshell. Where turquoise lives, a beach theme often — but not necessarily — follows.


Turquoise’s versatility would surprise no one who has ever snorkeled a coral reef in the South Pacific. Almost every color in the rainbow is present in the fish and flora of the reef.


For me this vignette channels the colors and hues of the reef.


Which is why orange and turquoise go so well together. The hot color of coral is mitigated by the cooling color of turquoise. This guest bedroom is a beautiful example.


Red and turquoise (again, think of the colors of the coral reef and the sea) are just as great a combination. The abundant use of white gives just the right amount of relief here.


Look how well the red and turquoise theme translates outdoors!


Pair bold turquoise with white for an haute contemporary look, as in this hallway …





… or the crisp living room above, where Surf Blue from Benjamin Moore accents the walls.

Mix turquoise with rust for a Mexican ambience, as at left …


… or pair turquoise wing chairs with lots of white for a modern cottage feel.


Bright turquoise paint in a kitchen guarantees that winter blues will be banished. Mixing it with yellow and white increases the warm, sunny feel.

See more of this cottage


Or give it massive punch by adding graphic black and white, as with this striped rug.


Consider using a bluer, paler turquoise on all your walls. It will make a colorful backdrop for black and white. And doesn’t it look great with that hot pink, too?


Whether it’s in a stunning Samoan lagoon or on a cozy Vermont back porch, like the one seen here, turquoise is a color that evokes cooling breezes and has an energizing presence. A splash here or a swath there can add just the vibrant touch you’ve been looking for.

More: The Unexpected Color That Goes With Everything

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