Colour trend Ocean Blue | Ocean colours take over contemporary design and interiors
Calm, tranquil, profound and with an otherworldly allure – when Classic Blue was named the Pantone Colour of the Year in 2020, it launched a wave that now, one year later, is filling Instagram feeds and interior magazines alike. One of 2021’s biggest colour trends: ocean blue! Across all cultures, blue is always the last colour to be named after red, yellow, ochre and green. This is due in part to how rarely it occurs in nature.
Take the Ancient Romans and Ancient Greeks for example, who – in lieu of a word for blue – spoke of the “wine-dark sea,” as shown in Homer’s Odyssey. The colour blue seems to have always embodied something surreal and intangible. In Christianity and Islam, it quickly established itself as the colour of heaven, god, and celestial mystique.
The colour blue holds a very special meaning for MEISSEN as well. As one of its first pigments ever developed, Meissen’s cobalt blue is one of the greatest achievements of the manufactory’s paint laboratory – a blue that brings out the gleaming white of porcelain while at the same time harmonising with it. This colour also marked the birth of a design tradition – Meissen’s blue painting technique –laying the foundation for iconic designs such as the “Onion Pattern” and, not least, the Crossed Swords, which adorn every piece of Meissen porcelain to this day as a marker of excellence.
“When we get overwhelmed by the stress of everyday life, the colour blue invites us to relax – to luxuriate in the tranquillity of the sea and the sky.”
After a year of travel restrictions and feelings of uncertainty, it’s no wonder that we are drawn to ocean blues like aquamarine and turquoise – colours that evoke images of relaxing swimming pools and beach holidays while also embodying a modern, Mediterranean look. Whether as bright highlights or soothing backgrounds, ocean blues offer the perfect colour palette for you to create a serene, relaxed interior for your home. When we get overwhelmed by the stress of everyday life, the colour blue invites us to relax and luxuriate in the tranquillity of the sea and the sky.
Many Meissen designs and techniques take advantage of this beguiling effect. The crystal glaze technique, which is one of the most difficult design methods, produces an aesthetic of imperfection, the appeal of which lies in its ability to reflect the light, its evocative nature, and its spectral depth. The “MEISSEN Blue Treasures” collection, which interprets a historic design on a contemporary dishware set, radiates a summery lightness and a longing for the ocean.
The sleek silhouettes of the “MEISSEN® Cosmopolitan” series are adorned with lively underwater motifs such as lobsters, seashells, fish and seahorses that hold a particular allure. The vivid hand-painted ocean motifs are captured using Meissen’s signature cobalt blue and a flurry of fluid, dynamic brushstrokes that emulate the flowing movement of water itself. Be inspired by the wide variety of designs and the soothing effect of Meissen’s blue patterns and bring peace and tranquillity into your home.