color theory: robin’s egg blue

Though many trendy stylists will be embracing the new 2010 Pantene color–turquoise–Lauren and I are sticking to our guns and standing by our favorite blue-based hue: robin’s egg blue. This magical color has never let us down, whether in interior design, or in fashion. Robin’s egg blue was made popular as far back as 15 years ago, when Martha Stewart used the colors of the eggs hatched from her chicken coup in Westport, CT as the inspiration for her first paint collection. Her new paint collection, which just arrived at Home Depot stores nationwide, has several gorgeous renditions of this delightful hue. Hooray! We painted the foyer of our home a robin’s egg blue from Donald Kaufman’s paint collection (DK21). Below, a photo of of the hallway on a sunny day.


My little sister Betsy is moving with her family to a new home in a couple of weeks, and she’s looking to use robin’s egg blue somewhere important. We recommended that she grab several small samples (MSL new paint sells small samples, too), to paint small rectangular sample boards (found at the local paint store). Then, hold them up to the walls in the differing day and night light before she makes a decision. I’ll be there to help her out, and I can’t wait! Here are five great robin’s egg blue paints that are available right now, in case you, too, are feeling it.
1. Martha Stewart Living Enamelware at Home Depot, 2. Farrow & Ball Blue Ground 210: the most pungent bird’s egg blue ever. If you’re looking to make a hallway come alive with color, this is it, 3. Benjamin Moore Rhythm and Blues 758, looks like the summer sky at the end of a perfect beach day, 4. Glidden Robin’s Egg, 5. Glidden Clear Blue Sky, 6. Behr Blue Balloon (DC3A-702). Oh, and we just had to mention how very clever Martha Stewart Living Paint sample cards are. On each color sample card, you can fold the top to reveal a suggested ceiling color, and, on the bottom of the card, you can fold to view a suggested woodwork color. How helpful is that? Happy Spring!