In general, blue is perceived as fresh and optimistic. It stands for freedom, lightness, vastness and also calmness and a cheerful mood. Blue is also perceived as cool and relaxing. Depending on the colour combination, this feeling is intensified or softened.
Interior design is currently rediscovering a classic and universally popular colour. And it goes like this: Our trend team navigates the world with an extremely sensitive radar. Nothing that is new, innovative or extraordinary escapes them. Currently, our interior designers have set their sights on: the colour blue. For centuries, this has been a particularly noble colour that was extremely expensive to produce.
After a phase of extremely restrained colour schemes – who doesn’t know those elegant room settings in grey, brown, beige and taupe – colour is now back on the menu.
Of course, the colour blue alone is not yet a revolution. It is demonstrably one of the most popular colours of all. Which is true and also not entirely true. There are endless shades of blue, and many of them can also be found in nature. There is no such thing as the one colour blue. Everybody pictures something different in their mind.
On the other hand, no other colour family has so many variations that are so popular. The Pantone colour guide, the standard reference for colours, has 180 shades of blue alone. You have blue like ink, the night, the sky, the sea, or an eye, navy blue, royal blue, cobalt blue, baby blue, azure blue, oxford blue, lapis lazuli, dove blue, indigo, plum blue and everything in between and beyond.
In art, Picasso’s Blue Phase, where he exclusively used the so-called Berlin Blue, comes to mind. Artist Yves Klein even developed his own blue, which he used for more than 200 works of art.
In general, there are four main areas of focus within the blue colour family. Pure blue is one of the primary colours. Blue, yellow and red form the basis for all tones of the colour spectrum.
If you mix blue with a little green, the result is a blue with a hint of yellow, which, depending on its intensity, can also appear greenish. It has a fresh and lemony effect.
Blue with a grey undertone has a subdued and restrained effect, conveying an urban, minimalist and calming effect in interior design.
If you add red undertones to blue, the colour springs to life. Such shades of blue then also blend harmoniously with other intense colours.
The good news: almost any colour can be combined with blue in a room. The reason for this: blue is perceived as a neutral colour. On the other hand, blue has enough character to develop an intriguing interaction with other colours.
Interior design is a reflection of personality and is designed to last. That is why it is important to give the colour concept a lot of thought and to match it to the design of your spaces. In a consultation with the inhabitants, the home INTERIOR designers find out what exactly suits them best.
Here is a small excerpt from the many possibilities. Of course, much more is conceivable. Precisely because blue goes well with virtually any colour.
Playful, cheerful, fresh and summery – the colour combination of blue with yellow give a room a lively mood.
Tip: Light blue and vanilla yellow look particularly light, night blue and golden yellow are very elegant.
Maritime, open and carefree, that is how rooms featuring these colours feel. Light materials go best with this scheme.
Tip: The cool, crisp feeling can be broken with warm wooden elements. This creates cosiness.
Two that like each other. Used on a large scale, they tend to come across as rather loud and eccentric.
Tip: Deliberate highlights, such as cushions, vases or candles in a warm mango or coral orange look less obtrusive, but still modern.
Almost our favourite. Wood tones are an important design element in many of our hotel projects. Wood colours, but also chocolate brown, nut brown, cappuccino or caramel look incredibly smart, contemporary and casual when combined with many shades of brown.
Tip: Home accessories in panna, white and gold complement the combination of blue and brown extremely well. The same applies to marble and the colour gold.
Two of nature’s main colours. They have a soothing effect on us, and create depth and relaxation. They demand little attention and leave room to breathe.
Tip: Home accessories and materials with a warm tactile quality and colour scheme are important as a complement in rooms that are decorated with the colours green and blue.
Yes, of course: We like to combine different shades of blue with different colour depths and frame the blue interplay with a neutral tone, such as silver, cloudy white, beige.
Tip: When combining different shades of blue, the undertones must match or be identical. Only then does the combination look harmonious.
What does Lea Fürhapter, the head of our Interior Design department for private living, like in particular?
Faux fur: A high pile faux fur in itself already plays with colour shadings. Depending on how the pile lies, the colour appears light, almost white or deep, dark and mysterious.
Tip: Extra-large blue faux fur blankets make beautiful bedspreads.
Velvet: Dark shades of blue look extremely classy and elegant in velvet. We like to use blue velvet or velour for sofas, chaise longues and armchairs. But a heavy curtain in blue velvet is also not out of the question.
Linen: Fresh, dry, light – there is always something summery about linen. This is why light blue tones are particularly suitable for this natural material, especially in combination with white or brown.
Wood: Not necessarily blue wood, but the combination of blue with wooden elements can give rooms an interesting flair. No wonder! The brown tone of different types of wood can add cosiness to any blue. And vice versa. Blue home accessories give the alpine interior style a fresh twist.
Metal: Metals such as copper or gold also lend themselves to an intriguing combination with blue. The glossy surface adds another aspect to the room. While blue with copper looks contemporary and modern, the combination of blue and gold is luxurious and cosy.
Images: home INTERIOR; Artem Malushenko,l Charlotte May, Max Vakhtbovych, Oyster Haus, Rachel Claire
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