Decorating
11 Ways With ‘Yves Klein Blue’
The post-war French artist, Yves Klein, was perhaps most famous for the creation of his own shade of blue. Try these ideas for using the hue
Mention the name Yves Klein to any interiors obsessive and their next word will almost certainly be “blue”. Klein’s work spanned many mediums – from painting and sculpture to film, architecture and even judo – but almost 200 of the influential Nice-born artist’s paintings have the same thing in common: they are monochromes showcasing his trademarked invention, International Klein Blue (IKB).
Close approximations of the artist’s self-made shade have since become an interiors classic. The colour, which Klein registered as a trademark colour in 1957, is “a distinctive ultramarine” that the artist considered to have “a quality close to pure space”, according to the exhibition notes for a new show celebrating Klein’s work, which opens today at Tate Liverpool. Be inspired by these schemes to add a splash of this art history to your own home.
Close approximations of the artist’s self-made shade have since become an interiors classic. The colour, which Klein registered as a trademark colour in 1957, is “a distinctive ultramarine” that the artist considered to have “a quality close to pure space”, according to the exhibition notes for a new show celebrating Klein’s work, which opens today at Tate Liverpool. Be inspired by these schemes to add a splash of this art history to your own home.
Look behind you
This oversized secondary headboard made from wood panelling is a good architectural feature for those who like to switch their décor around regularly. With just a bedding change and an afternoon’s painting, you could give your room an entirely new look.
But would you want to, when this Yves Klein-inspired backdrop works so beautifully? Bear in mind that, paired with bright white and stripes, it will feel more nautical than anything else. If that’s not your aim, take inspiration from this bedroom, which layers on florals, other hues of blue and a sprinkling of lemon yellow, with that focal point panel for a fresh yet unclichéd look.
This oversized secondary headboard made from wood panelling is a good architectural feature for those who like to switch their décor around regularly. With just a bedding change and an afternoon’s painting, you could give your room an entirely new look.
But would you want to, when this Yves Klein-inspired backdrop works so beautifully? Bear in mind that, paired with bright white and stripes, it will feel more nautical than anything else. If that’s not your aim, take inspiration from this bedroom, which layers on florals, other hues of blue and a sprinkling of lemon yellow, with that focal point panel for a fresh yet unclichéd look.
Be subtle
If anyone ever tells you blue has to be a cold colour, ignore them! In this case, just a flash of a rich, creamy Yves Klein-ish blue – in the kettle – is enough to warm up this utilitarian kitchen.
Note how beautifully this colour works with the rusty shades in those beakers.
If anyone ever tells you blue has to be a cold colour, ignore them! In this case, just a flash of a rich, creamy Yves Klein-ish blue – in the kettle – is enough to warm up this utilitarian kitchen.
Note how beautifully this colour works with the rusty shades in those beakers.
Fashion a feature wall
Painting just one wall in a statement colour is often enough of a dabble. An entire room in this version of the French artist’s favourite blue would make for a far bolder statement and could take a lot more work to become liveable. Instead, it stands out against a black and white backdrop, and is balanced with repetition in the coffee table and storage box.
Painting just one wall in a statement colour is often enough of a dabble. An entire room in this version of the French artist’s favourite blue would make for a far bolder statement and could take a lot more work to become liveable. Instead, it stands out against a black and white backdrop, and is balanced with repetition in the coffee table and storage box.
Show off your shelves
For even less commitment, consider colouring in the back wall of some shelving for just a hint of this hero hue, as seen in this stylish cloakroom.
Picking up the shade in patterned tiles that also have earthy colours in the mix prevents this space from looking cold. Unlike in the kitchen with the blue kettle, shown earlier, the risk of this space looking chilly accented with just blue is higher, since there’s little natural light and the walls and sanitaryware are bright, cool white.
For even less commitment, consider colouring in the back wall of some shelving for just a hint of this hero hue, as seen in this stylish cloakroom.
Picking up the shade in patterned tiles that also have earthy colours in the mix prevents this space from looking cold. Unlike in the kitchen with the blue kettle, shown earlier, the risk of this space looking chilly accented with just blue is higher, since there’s little natural light and the walls and sanitaryware are bright, cool white.
Layer it
Just as Yves Klein’s famous monochrome blue paintings took different forms and shapes, so can your use of his namesake colour.
Here, the purest approximation of IKB appears towards the bottom of those floaty, ombre curtains and in the patterned wallpaper. But the whole effect is intensified with repetition, as blankets, artworks, cushions and the pelmet provide hints of blue, too.
Picking just one colour as the overriding theme of your space is a bold move; if you’re keen but not totally confident, try it out in a cloakroom, or start even smaller by styling up a glass-fronted or open cupboard using almost exclusively blue.
Just as Yves Klein’s famous monochrome blue paintings took different forms and shapes, so can your use of his namesake colour.
Here, the purest approximation of IKB appears towards the bottom of those floaty, ombre curtains and in the patterned wallpaper. But the whole effect is intensified with repetition, as blankets, artworks, cushions and the pelmet provide hints of blue, too.
Picking just one colour as the overriding theme of your space is a bold move; if you’re keen but not totally confident, try it out in a cloakroom, or start even smaller by styling up a glass-fronted or open cupboard using almost exclusively blue.
Splash out
Blue kitchens are huge on Houzz right now, but even if you’ve already completed your cookspace, you can still get enough IKB-style blue in there to make its presence felt with this nice idea for a splashback.
You could seek out tiles if you’re in for the long-haul, or simply paint the area behind your cooker or, as here, sink, with a distinctly Yves Klein-esque block of bright blue. Be sure to use kitchen-suitable paint to ensure it’s wipeable and hard-wearing.
See more ideas for giving your kitchen an instant revamp
Blue kitchens are huge on Houzz right now, but even if you’ve already completed your cookspace, you can still get enough IKB-style blue in there to make its presence felt with this nice idea for a splashback.
You could seek out tiles if you’re in for the long-haul, or simply paint the area behind your cooker or, as here, sink, with a distinctly Yves Klein-esque block of bright blue. Be sure to use kitchen-suitable paint to ensure it’s wipeable and hard-wearing.
See more ideas for giving your kitchen an instant revamp
Highlight your cooker hood
Here’s another way to get a dash of that hue into your kitchen. The strong blue hood and range cooker are most definitely a commitment, though, so perhaps only consider the idea once you’ve experimented with painting a block of wall in the same colour to try it out first.
Alternatively, dabble with accessories dotted about the kitchen that show off the colour – tea towels, propped-up postcards, lampshades and the like.
Get more inspiration for on-trend blue kitchens
Here’s another way to get a dash of that hue into your kitchen. The strong blue hood and range cooker are most definitely a commitment, though, so perhaps only consider the idea once you’ve experimented with painting a block of wall in the same colour to try it out first.
Alternatively, dabble with accessories dotted about the kitchen that show off the colour – tea towels, propped-up postcards, lampshades and the like.
Get more inspiration for on-trend blue kitchens
Take it outside
This is a lovely idea for autumn and winter. You might not be spending as much time outside as you were a month or two ago but, assuming your garden is visible from inside your home, you’ll still be able to enjoy it.
Gardens can feel bleak as the weather cools down, and a burst of colour in the form of painted furniture or a lively looking shed can really help compensate for the absence of plentiful blooms. IKB, with its Mediterranean connotations, is a great colour from which to draw your inspiration. Without, say, the blazing Greek sunshine, white and blue could fall a little flat (but if you’ve tried it and disagree, share your photos in the Comments below!). Partnering this vibrant shade with an inky backdrop is a nice idea for our gloomier climes.
With the short days coming our way, if you shine some garden lighting on your newly painted pieces, all the better.
This is a lovely idea for autumn and winter. You might not be spending as much time outside as you were a month or two ago but, assuming your garden is visible from inside your home, you’ll still be able to enjoy it.
Gardens can feel bleak as the weather cools down, and a burst of colour in the form of painted furniture or a lively looking shed can really help compensate for the absence of plentiful blooms. IKB, with its Mediterranean connotations, is a great colour from which to draw your inspiration. Without, say, the blazing Greek sunshine, white and blue could fall a little flat (but if you’ve tried it and disagree, share your photos in the Comments below!). Partnering this vibrant shade with an inky backdrop is a nice idea for our gloomier climes.
With the short days coming our way, if you shine some garden lighting on your newly painted pieces, all the better.
Put it into a pattern
Adding a dense, solid blue is just one way of incorporating this colour into a room. This combination of dense, dark pattern – in the rug – and airy, geometric print – in the chair fabric – is another way to go.
Adding a dense, solid blue is just one way of incorporating this colour into a room. This combination of dense, dark pattern – in the rug – and airy, geometric print – in the chair fabric – is another way to go.
Pair with yellow
Yellow has already made an appearance in this story as a pleasing partner for this shade of blue. In this Moroccan-style exterior, you can really get the full effect.
This sunshine-meets-midsummer-sky combination would work beautifully in a small courtyard, bringing a bit of warmth to even the coldest of days.
Where – if anywhere – would you use this vibrant colour in your home? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
The Yves Klein exhibition opens at Tate Liverpool on 21 October 2016 and runs until 5 March 2017. Find out more at the Tate website.
Yellow has already made an appearance in this story as a pleasing partner for this shade of blue. In this Moroccan-style exterior, you can really get the full effect.
This sunshine-meets-midsummer-sky combination would work beautifully in a small courtyard, bringing a bit of warmth to even the coldest of days.
Where – if anywhere – would you use this vibrant colour in your home? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
The Yves Klein exhibition opens at Tate Liverpool on 21 October 2016 and runs until 5 March 2017. Find out more at the Tate website.
Yves Klein’s monochrome paintings make up a large proportion of his work. He started painting these unnamed pieces in 1947; they were officially identified, after Klein’s death in 1963, by numerical titles starting at IKB 1 and ascending to IKB 194.
As the description suggests, they were one-colour paintings, just like the colour block print on the wall in this elegant dining space. The IKB set includes many different textures and shapes, but this solid, saturated style is probably the most instantly recognisable and won’t fail to make a tonal – as well as cultural – impact on your chosen space for it.
Affordable prints of Klein’s works are widely available. Mix and match them with work by other significant artists, as seen here (including Matisse, also a fan of this kind of blue), or seek out a trio of different IKB prints and display them together.