Bruce Springsteen’s childhood home uses a classic color pairing to uplift an understated facade – this ‘perfect marriage’ will never go out of style

A striking but subtle color duo brings brilliance to the home where the singer grew up in Freehold, New Jersey – experts say it’s a timeless choice

Bruce Springsteen
(Image credit: Cindy Ord via GettyImages)

Despite the odds, some color combinations can transcend fleeting trends and remain impressive throughout the decades. Baby blue and white is one such pairing.

An image of Bruce Springsteen’s childhood home highlights the enduring beauty of the duo as one of the best exterior paint colors.

The house where Springsteen grew up, located in Freehold, New Jersey, is unassuming. Like many houses across America, it has a swinging screen door, window air conditioning units, and a visible gutter on the side.

Despite these mundane details, the white front combined with blue shutters instills the home with an undeniable charm. It proves that you can’t go wrong when you decorate with blue and white.

bruce springsteen childhood home

(Image credit: James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images)

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What makes the pairing so striking on Springsteen’s former home? For one, it has been used to emphasize the most stylish details of the home. The painter chose to paint the floor of the porch, the shutters, and the area around the door in light blue. This makes them stand out as a stunning contrast to the rest of the more neutral home. It causes these aesthetic accents to appear all the more charming.

Furthermore, the choice of a light blue transcends fleeting exterior paint trends. Though a darker blue and white might feel slightly disorienting or trendy, the closeness of the soft blue makes it easier on the eyes. Even though it’s a bright color, this context causes it to read like a neutral. It’s the perfect complement to the surroundings.

Design experts agree that no matter the year, blue and white will always be a timeless color combination.

Carlin van Noppen, design expert at Fig Linens and Home, explains: ‘Throughout my 20 years in the design industry, I haven’t seen any combination more enduringly popular than blue and white. The blue is calming and interesting, without bringing in too much boldness. The white is relaxing and grounding, serving as the perfect neutral backdrop. It’s always a winner.’

To emulate Springsteen’s look, paint the base of your home in white, and decide what details you want to emphasize. Whether it’s shutters or the porch, focusing on the most striking elements will have the strongest impact.


Color combinations come and go, but blue and white will be forever. Just like Springsteen in the summertime.


Sophie Edwards
News Editor

Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.

In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.

Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.

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