Best Blues for Leading Architectural Styles of the Southwest: Spanish Style Homes

Spanish Style Home Blues

The West is filled with Spanish style homes, ranging from Spanish Colonial Missions and adobes to Spanish-Mediterranean and Spanish Revival architecture. These homes imbue strong ties to nature and Latin influences and key to color palettes are neutrals that play up the surrounding natural environments. As these homes are typically made of stucco with clay tiled roofs, along with wrought iron and charming colorful tile accents, this style has an effortless, casual Mediterranean foundation to create a range of beautiful color palettes.

Historic Spanish Blue Colors of the American West

Key blue tones that highlight Spanish style include desert sun washed blues and cobalt blues to brilliant turquoise water tones reminiscent of the Mediterranean and deeper, dark blues complementing the night skies of Spain. And in Spanish folklore, painting the front door blue (azul in Spanish) stops evil spirits from entering the home, so this is a key area to play up the use of blue in these color palettes. Here are key historic blue colors representing Spanish architecture of the American West.

Little Beaux Blue (DET549): This pale blue-green hue was discovered on the interior mural work of Mission San Miguel.

Summer Shade (DET561): A soft and airy whitened blue discovered on the interior mural work of Mission San Miguel.

Mission Bay Blue (DET563): A midtone, gray-blue discovered on the interior of Mission San Miguel.

San Miguel Blue (DET569): This wintry, storm-churning blue was discovered at Mission San Miguel.

Blue Color Palettes for Spanish Architecture

Here are six mood boards to inspire your next Spanish style exterior home color palette.

Brilliant Blues and Whites

The classic pair of white with brilliant blue is reminiscent of a dreamy classic home in the Mediterranean.

Earthen Warmth

Warm neutrals that blend into the environment provide a soothing and earthy quality to Spanish style homes. Adding a spot of blue creates balance and contrast.

Other clearer blue tones like Cornflower (DE5864), Blue Cue (DE5892), Sail Away (DE5836) and Himalayan Blue Poppy (DEFD54) create a crisp, clear spot of color against the warmth of tans, beiges and other warm neutrals.

Golden Delight

Golden yellows project the warmth of the sun, the arid desertscape and the beauty of coastal florals. Create a bit of sunshine cheers by pairing a brighter or darker blue to make the yellows pop.

Among many other brighter blues that pair ideally with golden yellows are Dover Straits (DE5866), Deep Sapphire (DEA137), Bodega Bay (DE5893) and Starstruck (DE5894).

Ochre Sunscape

Brick Red to ochre tones of burnt orange and sienna replicate the terracotta shown throughout Spanish style homes and are reminders of the setting sun over Mediterranean skies.

Soothing Coastal Resort

Feel like you’re being swept away by ocean breezes as softer blues and aqua tones bring a soothing, restorative touch to Spanish architecture.

Other cool, soothing blues that showcase the essence of the spa include Ice Fishing (DE5847), Polar Ice (DE5798), Harbor Afternoon (DE5882), Sidewalk Chalk (DE5791) and Dreamy Blue (DE5812).

Spirit of the Sea

Old-world charm inspires our next board as we look to the chic and glam style of Spanish architecture that beckons us to sail off for the summer aboard a yacht for a summer of fun.

The range of blues that complement Spanish style architecture is extensive. To learn more about the color blue and its influence, read on. And to see the range of blues trending, read more in-depth on our 2024 color + design trends report.