MANILA, Philippines?Summer brings us to the sea and offers a feast of iridescent blues for our eyes to feast on. It still amazes me at how colors of the sky change at dawn through midday and twilight, and create a spectrum of blues?from purplish to greenish?in the sky and in water. Like other colors, blue can be perceived in an indefinite number of hues and blends when tinted with its neighboring?or opposing?colors on the color wheel.

Color in design relies on precision to achieve a certain effect or intent. The word ?blue? emanates from the Middle English, bleu or blwe, an Old French term of Germanic origin. Strangely, the Ancient Greeks lacked a precise word for the color blue and their closest description was a term used for dark blue enamel, kyanos. Greek storyteller Homer called it ?wine dark,? as he referred to the color of the sea.

Hues of blue

In our perception of color, the darker and stronger blues that evoke strength and security have often been perceived upon as corporate colors and being masculine in character. Think navy and midnight blues.

On the other hand, the blues with tinges of greens and even violets are immediately associated with the colors of the sea and the sky. During these hot summer months, nothing is more refreshing than to see these shades of blue. Think Bora, Bohol, the Mediterranean waters and your very own backyard swimming pool.

The hues of blue vary as they are mixed with other cool tones on the color wheel. ?Cyan? refers to the range of colors in the blue/green part of the spectrum, also termed as ?aqua? or ?blue-green.? Turquoise and aquamarine are respectively a deeper tone and lighter shade that play on the hue of cyan. These are my favorite hues of blue as I find they are soft to the eyes.

?Cerulean? may be applied to a range of blues from deep blue, sky blue, a bright blue to a deep greenish blue color. ?Azure? too, refers to the blue of the sky on a clear day and reminds me of the deep blue of the Mediterranean waters. It is synonymous to the most basic hue of blue.

?Cornflower Blue,? a shade of azure, is a slightly washed shade of blue. ?Powder blue?, because the name reminded people of baby powder, refers to a very pale blue color. ?Periwinkle? is a desaturated or pastel shade of lavender blue, much like a pastel indigo, and to me, one of the freshest shades of blue.

A touch of cool

In interior design, pastel blues need not be limited to conservative, Mediterranean or country concepts. In contemporary schemes, very light periwinkles can immediately add a touch of cool to an all-white modern palette. The shade of blue that is almost white is the most refreshing of all blues and creates an icy feel to any space.

Toned-down shades of cyan work well with natural schemes and earthier palettes. Aquamarines combine well with shades of taupe, brown and khaki for a friendly, unusual, but very contemporary scheme. For an edgier look, splash on a strong royal, navy or electric blues on a palette of grays, gunmetals and black. Dark blues mixed with the icy blues create a cool combo and remind me of the shallow and deep waters of the sea.

This summer season, the emotional term ?feeling blue? does not apply. In contrast to its connotation of loneliness and unfriendliness, blue creates some very comforting palettes that during these times of soaring temperatures, keeps us feeling happily refreshed.

Bright blues combined with whites and earth tones create a young, vibrant and icy cool palette.