Blue painting by room: the gift guide for a successful housewarming party
7 min read · by Walensky
You already have the bottle of champagne under your arm. What remains is the question that has been bugging you for three days: what to give friends who have just moved in and who, for now, only have white walls and boxes still taped shut? A blue painting often seems an obvious choice, but you still need to know which one, and above all for which room.
Blue has the rare quality of passing through trends without ever really going out of style. But a deep midnight blue in a tiny bedroom, or a timid pastel blue above a velvet sofa, and the gift falls flat. The shade matters as much as the colour itself.
- Midnight blue and petrol blue suit the living room, in a large format, for an immediate effect.
- Powdery or sky blue soothes the bedroom and supports sleep.
- Turquoise blue and graphic compositions energise the entrance and office without weighing down the space.
Why blue remains the safest gift colour for a housewarming
Blue is the favourite colour of a large majority of Europeans, and this is no accident of colour psychology: it evokes calm, depth and confidence. Unlike red or yellow, it never shouts, even in a large format on a freshly painted white wall.
It is also a shade that goes with almost every style already in place: a light Scandinavian parquet floor, an ecru linen sofa, a walnut bookcase. Giving a blue painting means betting on a colour that clashes with nothing, even if you have never set foot in the new apartment.
Our guide to the abstract landscape painting as a housewarming gift idea sets out the general principles of this type of gift. Here we go further: we choose the blue according to the precise room where it will end up hanging.
Choosing your blue painting according to the room to decorate
A blue painting does not play the same role in a living room as in a bedroom. The room dictates the intensity of the colour, the format, and even the subject of the work.
Living room: deep blue and imposing formats
The living room is the room of representation, where guests are received. A midnight or petrol blue works beautifully there, especially above a sofa or a low sideboard. The usual proportion rule holds that a painting should occupy 60 to 75% of the width of the piece of furniture it hangs above: a 200 cm sofa calls for an L (120x70 cm) or XL (140x80 cm) format, no smaller.
For a couple who love abstract art, an energetic composition such as the Bright Artistic Big Bang Painting brings a contemporary touch without being garish, thanks to its blend of blue and orange.
Bedroom: soft blue and a zen atmosphere
In a bedroom, the aim is not to impress but to soothe. Pale, powdery blues, almost white in places, encourage a meditative atmosphere conducive to sleep. This is where the zen painting takes on its full meaning, with contemplative subjects rather than nervous shapes.
A successful housewarming gift is a colour that fades into the background in favour of the atmosphere it creates.
Avoid electric or highly saturated blues in a bedroom: they stimulate rather than soothe, the opposite of the effect sought in this room.
Entrance and office: dynamic and graphic blue
The entrance is crossed in a few seconds, the office is glanced at between tasks: these two rooms better support a more vivid blue, turquoise or combined with purple, with graphic shapes that catch the eye without demanding prolonged contemplation. A geometric or cosmic composition naturally finds its place there.
Which blue painting style for which personality
Knowing the room is good. Knowing the person who will live in it is better. Combining the two avoids the gift that ends up in a cupboard.
- The Scandinavian minimalist : they prefer clean lines and soft colours, close to Scandinavian style. A white, serene blue, without frills, will always suit them.
- The spiritual or meditator : Buddha, zen symbols, meditative atmosphere. Blue becomes almost a pretext for contemplation.
- The abstract art fan : they love shapes that move, compositions that do not tell a single story. Geometric or cosmic harmonies in blue and purple speak to them directly.
- The cosmic dreamer : galaxies, nebulae, stars. A deep blue that gives the impression of looking out through a window onto the universe.
For lovers of a nocturnal atmosphere, a detour to the collection of black paintings can also harmoniously complement a midnight blue palette, for those seeking a more marked contrast.
Our selection of blue paintings by atmosphere
For the spiritual or meditative profile, the Buddha Painting Inner Reflections plays on minimalist shades of blue and white, ideal for a bedroom or a reading corner.
For a living room that needs a cosmic breath of air, the Digitised Astral Field Painting mixes blue and purple in a mystical and futuristic atmosphere, perfect in a large format above a sofa.
If the person is looking for a heavenly, meditative atmosphere rather than an energetic one, the Calm Turquoise Painting - Zen Edition remains a safe bet, with its soothing Buddha in turquoise and red.
— Also to discover
How to present and give this gift without getting it wrong
Giving a painting without knowing the exact size of the wall remains the main risk of this type of gift. The simplest safeguard: discreetly ask for a photo of the wall in question, or offer a gift card accompanied by a note indicating the suggested location.
The shop's formats range from L (120x70 cm) to 4XL (240x140 cm), with a made-to-measure option from 80x46 cm to 280x160 cm for landscape formats, and square versions from 100x100 cm to 190x190 cm depending on the works. Enough to suit a studio as well as a loft, provided you check the available space before placing your order.
For couples settled into an apartment that still lacks personality, the collection of paintings for apartments brings together formats designed for more modest spaces.
In the same spirit
Golden Ballet Painting - Abstract Dancer Edition
From €273.90
Discover this painting →Frequently asked questions
Which blue to choose for a living room and which for a bedroom?
In the living room, favour a midnight or petrol blue, more assertive, in an L or XL format. In the bedroom, opt for a powdery or sky blue, softer, which favours rest rather than visual assertion.
Does a blue painting suit all decorating styles?
Almost always, yes, provided you adjust the shade: a cool, graphic blue goes with an industrial style, a soft, textured blue with a Scandinavian style, a deep, contemplative blue with more spiritual interiors.
What size of painting to give without knowing the apartment's walls?
The L format (120x70 cm or 100x100 cm depending on the models) remains the most versatile choice: present enough to mark a wall, modest enough never to seem out of proportion in a small living room or a standard bedroom.
Is blue a neutral or risky colour as a decorative gift?
It is probably the least risky colour in the decorative palette. It goes with wood, white, black and earthy tones, which makes it an almost sure bet for a housewarming gift.
Our selection for a successful housewarming gift
A blue painting, well chosen for the room where it will live, often becomes the first truly warm memory of an apartment still under renovation and in boxes. The hosts will remember it long after they have forgotten who gave them the houseplant or the cheese set. To find the piece that exactly matches their new home, the collection of blue paintings for apartments remains the safest starting point.
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