b'The soothing Calm, relaxing, refreshing, coolingas the colour of the sky and sea, blue stands for peaceshades of blue are and tranquility. Blue also stands for loyalty and traditionits one of the most popular coloursrenowned for their for uniforms and a personnel professional might advise you to wear it for job interviews because of its association with trustworthiness.relaxing properties.Aside from its ingrained association with male gender in Western societies, blue (not red) traditionally stands for love, which is why a bride carries or wears something blue.As a water colour, blue is often associated with hygiene and is a favourite packaging colour for cleansers and personal hygiene products. Did you know people are more productive in blue rooms, and that blue is an appetite suppressant? Because it doesnt occur naturally in food, we have a primitive response that blue food is poisonous. So use it in the home office but not the dining room unless youre on a diet.Blue is known as a cool colour, and in decorating its tranquil nature has made it popular for bedrooms. It has an unfair reputation as being cold and depressing. Certainly, if you choose a grey-based or icy blue for a south-facing room, it might not make you feel cheerful. But with todays paint technology and colour subtlety, blue can easily become a warm turquoise or a deep and reassuring navy. It can have the richness of cobalt and lapis tones, or the sophistication of teals and dusky slate shades. Any colour, of course, changes depending on its environment and what you place it next to. Put pale blue next to white and it will become classically Cape Cod, refreshing and beachy. Put navy with gold and it becomes regal. Turquoise with yellow, its fun and funky.So take some inspiration from these pages, and go blue. ReseneMaestroReseneZompLeftBackground: Resene Maestro. White chair, $799, Zebra cushion, $219, Indian book, $229, and Root stool, $129, from Republic Home. Droplet lamp from May Time Marketing. Pearl shell box, $27.50, and resin Kudu horn, $210, from Corso de Fiore. Table, optical glasses and brass vase, stylists own.RightResene testpots, clockwise from top: Resene Wavelength, Resene Zomp, Resene Comfort Zone, Resene Maestro, Resene Quarter Tasman.Above rightBackground: Resene Zomp. Marcia Scott stool, $379, Sweet Pea owl, small $75, and Little Scruff, Pluto Blue, $36, from Eon Design. Wood & Scherer cushion $98, Wood & Scherer Birdsong trolley, $179, and pink letter A, $79, from Madder & Rouge. Alimrose Design giraffe, $24.95, from Abigails. Beba Bean My First Patents shoes, $52.50, from Verde.See overleaf for stockist details. 1\x18'