(Courtesy of Decorating Den)

Is blue your favorite color? If so, you are not alone.

Blue has been the best selling color in interior design for more than three decades.

Shades of blue are a natural choice for coastal  decorating schemes. They reflect the nearby water and endless sky– and they make an ideal backdrop for the serene lifestyle that comes with living in a cottage–or decorating as if you do.

While other colors go in and out of fashion like ebb and flow of the tide beautiful blues are simply timeless. Here’s a guide for using them in every room.

In The Kitchen

For a calmer kitchen there’s no better choice than decorating with blue. Feel tense about cooking for a crowd? Let a blue print wallpaper adjust your attitude.

(Courtesy of Horchow)

Wish you were washing dishes in an English country manor? Try painting the walls simple Wedgwood blue. Use blue toile toiles de Jouy wallpaper featuring pastoral scenes to tie together a kitchen and breakfast nook. For a nautical theme use all-American red, white and blue together.

For a quick fix, cover your table and windows with coordinated blue fabrics. Display cobalt blue bottles on a window ledge or top your cabinets with blue and white swirled graniteware. Look for Delft canister or spice sets or start collecting hand painted ceramics. Pottery imported from Portugal, Italy and Mexico often has blue as the dominant color.

Blue Plate Special

No room is more suited to a display of blue and white china, than a dining room. Whether it’s a collection of ginger jars on top of a hutch or plates hung on the wall, a combination of antique and thrift store finds spells cottage charm.

(Photo by Dan Mayers)

Unlike Flow Blue or Staffordshire reproductions, budget blue willow actually looks like the real thing. Large pieces, such as platters can be exhibited on a wall or sideboard. Cobalt blue glassware adds sparkling color to a simple white kitchen. And hand painted porcelain dishes with blue motifs or backgrounds from Portugal, Italy, France or Mexico look divine in glass-front wall cabinets or open shelving.

Blue Heaven

The family room or living room is a wonderful place to show off your preference for blue. Treat one wall as a focal point or paint the ceiling in a a soft cloud-like shade.

For a casual beach cottage ambiance your top choices are classic pale denim slipcovers or ticking upholstery fabrics. For a slightly more formal décor team up wallpaper and fabrics, such as hydrangea prints, traditional stripes or blue brocades, to add subtle or flamboyant flair.

Splash-o- Blue

Baths and blues are perfect partners. Dive in with a one day makeover using new towels and a coastal shower curtain or renovate with terrific blue tiles.

(Photo by Dan Mayers)

Look for glass tiles from Italy, delftware from Holland, and blue majolica tiles from around the Mediterranean. Mosaics in watery shades are ideal for mid-wall borders.

On a tight budget? Consider a stenciled border or press-on decals. The latter are easy and quick to apply and can change a boring bath into a splashy spa in a jiffy.

Blue Ribbon Bedrooms

From delicate periwinkle to calming cloud, choosing soothing shades of blue for the bedrooms in your home helps you or your house guests to relax.

(Courtesy of Maine Cottage)

A quick pick me up  can be as easy as changing the sheets or tossing on a new comforter. Or redecorate with an eye toward the future by buying a fabulous painted bed.

Experiment with a mix and match assortment of accent pillows in light, medium and dark shades for fabulous effects.

BLUE NOTES

Try these cottage style colors and transform your home.

Aquamarine: To create serene spaces stick to medium and light shades of this greenish blue. Pale aqua tints are ideal for baths.

Azure: The color of a clear sky, this serene blue is ideal for bedroom or sitting area. It looks marvelous with soft yellow or cream.

(Courtesy of Pittsburgh Paints)

China Blue: Inspired by the dusky blue that appears on antique Staffordshire china, this classic color works well as the background for displays of English antique platters and plates. Blue and white dishes really stand out against walls painted china blue.

Cobalt: A small dose of this high impact blue can spark up a white room. Pair dark cobalt glasses with a collection of blue and white china for dining drama.

(Courtesy of Wallies)

Cornflower: A staple of Mediterranean cottages, this bright clear blue is often associated with French fabrics from Provence and pottery from the Tuscany region of Italy. Let cornflower brings the warmth of a country garden to your kitchen.

(photo by Dan Mayers)

Delft: Popularized by the Dutch, this purplish blue was originally created as a ceramic glaze. Look for hand painted tiles to use as a surround for your living room fireplace or as a back splash in the kitchen or bath.

Denim :  Rooms decorated with denim feel as comfy as a pair of well worn jeans. In addition to upholstery weight twill fabric, you can cover the walls with denim wallpaper or one of Ralph Lauren’s suede-like denim paints.

French Blue: A purplish blue that is at home in cottages of any nationality, this sweet color appears on many soleido fabrics and Provencal pottery.

(Courtesy of Jaima Brown)

Navy:  One of the darkest blues, this color can imparts a casual nautical feel when paired with crisp white.

(Photo by Dan Mayers)

Robin’s Egg: This is a springy, green-blue full of life and energy. Paint doors, window casings and wood trim in this comforting shade and watch boring white walls come to life.

(Courtesy of Bella Notte)

Turquoise:  A mainstay of tropical decors, this green hued blue can be mellowed with pale aqua and sea foam green. It’s an excellent choice for the bath, bedroom or porch.

Wedgwood: Named after Britain’s most famous pottery, this clear shade is best paired with a creamy white or buttery yellow. A classic that’s comforting in traditional settings, this color works well in any room.

Imagine a cross between the set of Giget Goes Hawaiian and the most fabulous Malibu beach house that ever existed and you’ll come pretty close to a vision of Haven, the now closed Hamptons’  beach boutique.

Located at the easternmost tip of Long Island, Haven was a destination for those who love retro key lime table lamps, dressers painted in a rainbow of island pastels, hand painted beach signs and modern coastal classics, such as Dash and Albert’s stripey rugs and pillows.

Owner Kathi Cogen stocked an alluring mix of vintage and new in shades of faded whites and Caribbean colors. “If it doesn’t excite me, I’m not going to have it in my shop,” said Kathi.

And it was hard not to be thrilled about her gorgeous recycled glass candleholders, bamboo salad servers and other stylishly cozy goods.

Kathi had a great eye for one-of-a-kind boatwood frames and shell creations, as well as irresistible flip flops. At Haven, you could decorate more than your cottage… you could ornament yourself with handmade beach glass jewelry or your favorite pup with sassy collars and coats.

Since not everyone was lucky enough to live a shell toss away from Kathi’s eclectic emporium,  you could also shop online. Unfortunately, in 2010, a fire claimed the clapboard cottage that was home to Haven.

Photo courtesy of Jaima Brown

Cottage Colors

Let nature be your guide to a palette of sandy neutrals, laid-back blues, refreshing citrus infusions or Caribbean hues.

Not sure what colors would work well together? Borrow a color scheme from a flea market find, such as pottery, a travel poster for a luxury liner or sun-bleached canvas deck chair. A wallpaper book that features coastal themed patterns is another great place to look for inspiration.

For a simple yet no-fail palette choose your favorite color, then add white (see photo left). A bright white will create a crisp fresh look. A creamy ivory will produce a  retro time-worn effect.

If you’re looking for a decorating scheme that can be changed — with the season or your mood — consider mainly solid fabrics. This way, adding or subtracting a few patterned accents will completely change the decor.

A solid sofa can go from family-friendly to romantic in a flash. Simply swap a trio of tropical print barkcloth pillows for one long beaded silk bolster when it’s time to dim the lights and pour the wine.

Photo by Dan Mayers.

Waterside Patterns

One of the easiest ways to decorate with textiles is to choose one fabric print –or perky cabana stripe –that you can’t live without and use it on one large feature in a room – on a sofa, the windows or the bed, for example.

Next, choose at least one pattern that pairs well with your main print.

The patterns need not match but they do need an obvious excuse for keeping company, such as a color  or motif in common.

Unless the motifs on your main pattern are extremely large, use your focal point fabric on a few small accents around the room or in an adjacent one to reinforce its importance.

Keep in mind that not all of your prints must come from a fabric shop. You can find wonderful designs in the aisle of a large antiques mall or secondhand emporium. Vintage tablecloths, bedspreads and aprons and hankies can be re-purposed.

If the motif is too large, use a solid fabric in the motif’s most prominent color for detailing such as piping or borders.

(photo by Dan Mayers)

Upholstery and Slipcovers

Duck, twill or muslin make a casual, put-your-feet up statement, while washable linens lend an informal elegance to a room.

White or natural denim slipcovers are more than mere cover-ups; they communicate your philosophy on life!

While some folks swear that white furnishings are practical for large families and pets, if you are the type who frets over every smudge, prints, stripes or checks really are a better choice. Can’t resist summer whites? Using flimsy white cover ups during the hottest months of the year is a good compromise.

Photo courtesy of Thibaut

Window Treatments

Open the windows. Let the curtains blow in the wind. Or better yet leave the windows bare and top them off with a barely-there valance. Hang linen tea towels or pretty napkins as a summery valance.

When shading from the sun or privacy is an issue, gauze panels, airy lace,  or other lightweight fabrics are excellent choices. They not only feel cool, they blow appealingly in the breeze.

Mosquito netting and tulle can be draped or twined around a rustic wood pole, boat oar or piece of driftwood.

Plantation shutters paired with sheers –or hidden shades –add Caribbean flair to any space.

Photo by Dan Mayers

Cozy Cushions

Sometimes the smallest details are the most important. Pillows, for example, add instant personality. Look for interesting examples crafted from remnants of bedspread, rugs or tapestries.

To select the perfect pillow for each place, you’ll need to find a balance  of texture (rough or smooth)  and finish (matte or shiny).

Chenille cushions add softness and feel nostalgic. Toss one on a wicker porch chair or pile a group of these sentimental favorites  on a bed.

Newly-made chenille cushions are usually stitched from old bedspreads, but some are reproductions of 40s and 50s florals.

Brushed fabrics, such as flannel,  also impart coziness.

Photo by Dan Mayers

Rougher textures, as a rule, feel more casual than smoother ones. They also look right at home on wicker, rattan and teak seating pieces.

Barkcloth (a cotton fabric with a pebbly surface ) is a classic choice for porch pillows.  Iconic Hawaiian barkcloth patterns include lush florals and over-sized foliage in slightly muted South Pacific hues.

Loosely woven burlap and crocheted straw cushions have grasshut chic. Look for ones embellished with tiny shells, mother of pearl buttons or coconut fiber tassles.

If a ship shape atmosphere is more what you have in mind, set a course for cushions covered in nautical signaling flags or old sailcloth.

Striped ticking in red and cream or blue and white will also do the trick.

Photo courtesy of Dreamsacks

Bedding

No matter what color palette you choose, it’s easy to go ‘green’.

Look for bed sheets, blankets and duvet covers made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and silk or non-chemically treated fabrics.

All are unbelievably soft and many are wrinkle free, too.

These natural choices are good for your health and good for the environment.

Besides, somewhere in the back of her mind, Donna always wanted a place the couple’s two sons and four grandchildren could gather for summer fun and family vacations.

“The original one-story cottage had to be expanded to meet our needs, however,” says Donna.

Architect Deborah Reinholz, created a new two-story floor plan that added a great room, a foyer and powder room on the first floor, and three bedrooms and two baths upstairs.

She also helped Donna and Mike redesign the kitchen and build a deck and patio around the pool.

Once the construction dust settled, Donna decorated with her favorite motifs.

“Monkeys, palm trees and lots of natural rattan say tropical to me,” she says. “I was trying to capture my personal vision of paradise here in Dewey Beach.”

Photos by Dan Mayers.

**Please note that the homes shown in Home Tours are bonus features, and are not repeated in Waterside Cottages.**

What makes this destination even more special are The Villas At Bluefields Bay. Designed and owned by Washington DC architect Deborah Moncure and her husband Braxton, the property consists of five waterfront houses.

Each is available to rent by the week and comes with a personal chef, attentive yet unobtrusive staff, an open bar and amenities you probably never even imagined.

Each villa has its own stretch of beach, a private pool and a seaside patio.

The “treehouse” is actually a spacious beach pavillion perched high above the bay. Shared by all of the villas, it’s the perfect  place for practicing the art of doing nothing or for hosting a private party.

Located just down the road from the other four houses, the cottage called “San Michele” comes with its own private mini-island reached by a narrow causeway. The view of the bay from the point is beyond compare.

And, if bird calls don’t provide enough music for your ears, feel free to return home to listen to your favorite CDs or iPod on your cottage’s hidden sound system. Forgot to bring your personal music collection? You’ll find numerous discs of reggae hits, classical standards and jazz classics on a bookshelf.

The villas are furnished with exquisite antiques and Jamaican-crafted reproductions, such as canopied four poster beds and carved armoires. Some of the nature-inspired art works are  by local artists; others hail from Bali, where they were commissioned specially for the villas’ living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways.

Although each villa differs in style and number of guests it can accommodate, most boast private patios, outdoor showers and intimate nooks for hiding away from the world.

The bookshelves, lined with eclectic books and family knickknacks, make you feel as if you are staying with friends… friends who know how to live well.

Staff pay attention to the smallest detail, from the morning custom of drawing the net curtains on the carved mahogany canopy beds to the evening ritual of closing the louvers on the windows.

Unlike a stay at an ordinary hotel–where you might feel the urge to wander off the property–there’s no real reason to leave Bluefields.

You’ll find kayaks, floats, snorkeling gear, even sun tan lotion is provided for your use. Packing for a stay at Bluefields is easy–just bring is your swimsuit! If you do bring more, when you depart all items will all be freshly laundered! It’s a thoughtful touch that makes arriving home much easier.

Instead of going out to dine, the local cuisine comes to you. Your accommodating chef will prepare scrumptious island specialties, such as stuffed local lobster, jerk chicken and grilled fish. Special requests are welcome!

What could be more romantic than watching the waves lapping at the shore while you dawdle over breakfast or gazing at a sunset  while sipping a frothy pina colada served with  smoked marlin on toast, callaloo tarts, or curried ackee appetizers?

While some guests never leave the property, the staff are happy to suggest a variety of activities to suit your interests and to drive you to them.

Nature lovers can explore Y.S. Falls (Jamaica’s highest waterfall) or Roaring River caves, go horseback riding at Paradise Plantation (along sand, shore and wooded trails) or take a pontoon boat along the Black River to spy on crocodiles, herons, and egrets.

And, if you have the urge to catch your own dinner, a morning fishing expedition can be arranged.

You can also explore a working coffee, rum or sugar plantation or follow the trail of legendary pirates. The notorious adventurer Henry Morgan used Bluefields Bay as one of his hideaways. After one stay at The Villas, you’ll want to make this low-key Caribbean resort your personal haven, too.

To Learn More: Visit www.bluefieldsvillas.com. Ready to go? Jet Blue is now flying non-stop from NYC to Montego Bay. But even better, try Air Jamaica and you’ll feel as if you arrived already as soon as you board.

Photos by Dan Mayers.

Photo by Barbara Jacksier

Like many other metal kiddy products from the 40s and 50s, sand toys were frequently lithographed with pictures of Mickey Mouse and other Walt Disney characters or themes borrowed from children’s stories or poems. Today, these nostalgic  gems are priced in the $25 to $100 range with rare examples and those in mint condition selling for even more.

Photo by Dan Mayers

The 1960s marked the end of an era, when tin sand pails were replaced with plastic ones that didn’t rust or have sharp edges.

Photo by Barbara Jacksier

As summer approaches, every toy store, supermarket and drugstore will line there shelves with colorful sand toys. Stock up on your favorites and create a colorful display for under $20.

Whether you gather your shells on the beach or purchase them in a craft store, it’s wise to shake out loose sand and rinse them in a solution of water and bleach before using for craft purposes.

Materials:
Several dozen cleaned oyster shells
Hot glue gun
Tea light candle

How To:
Centerpiece is worked from top down. Holding five shells with interior surface upwards, arrange shells into a cup, making sure a tea light will fit inside. Glue in place.

Turn cup upside down and arrange a second layer of shells so that new shells show between original shells (see photo).

Arrange a third layer of shells so that new shells show between shells of previous layer.

Fourth and fifth layers: Place shells directly on over previous layer.

Sixth layer: Arrange shells so that they show between shells of previous layer.

Seventh layer: Place shells so that new shells show between ones on previous layer.

Eighth and ninth layers: Shells go directly on top of previous layer.

Add shells as “feet”, if necessary, so centerpiece lays flat on table surface.

Photo by Dan Mayers.

Photo by Barbara Jacksier

There’s no better way to personalize your home than with this bright red curbside creature. To order one of designer Susan Harrison’s lobster mailboxes, visit www.mailboxesandstuff.com

Photo by Dan Mayers

Materials:

*Framed mirror (or wooden frame sized to fit a piece of mirrored glass)

*Clear drying white glue or silicone adhesive

*Small flat paint brush

*Sea glass in assorted sizes and colors

How To:

Working in a 3- 4-inch area, squeeze glue onto frame. Use brush to spread glue evenly, then press pieces of sea glass into place. Use your fingers or a tweezers to push pieces of glass close together. Let dry. Place additional small pieces of glass to fill in empty spots, if necessary.