Color Reference: Fine Blue

Blue is not as kind of a hue as people assume. On the spectrum, blue is visibly spread across violet and indigo, and so much of blue’s definition is attached to its later evolutions. True blue is effortlessly omniscient by its presence, and having the shortest wavelength of all primaries, there’s something to prove.

Fine Blue highlights the strength and delicacies hidden through general interpretations of true blue’s shades and tints. The high saturation demands attention, yet the hue itself represents tranquility, simplicity, and structure—the perfect recipe for focus. While Asian cultures widely represent this bold tint, there are inexhaustible uses for it in the home, for therapy, and daily life.

In the home, fine blue is more adaptable as an accent hue, but as the most popular hue (in the US), it commands favorable presence. The piercing saturation makes it perfect for a masculine kitchenware, or glass aesthetic. Due to its connection with organization, and business, it’s not as popular in home kitchens.

The bathroom suits fine blue best, in our opinion, because it simulates an oasis against water. It even widens smaller bathrooms to feel more tranquil than enclosed, and hugs larger bathrooms to feel more intimate than earnest. In concert with a shower, this hue effortlessly settles the mind, and paves the way for present thought.

In the bedroom, this hue transitions from a formal, base hue for complimentary purposes during the day, to a burst of energy at night. While this depends on the lighting in the room, this hue generally comes alive at night, and adds an element of mystery with dim lighting. Warm lighting will enhance the meditative qualities of the hue, as opposed to enhancing the high saturation with LED lighting.

Although it’s mostly associated with office design of the 20th century, fine blue still has nuanced use in today’s businesses. For instance, instead of the often countertop interpretation for fast food restaurants, this hue will compliment LED lighting well in a fast dining setting. Enhancing the high saturation (as mentioned above), will encourage calm amongst the assumable chaos. Also, using this hue for an accent wall in meditation and meeting rooms (in the corporate world) will inherently influence focus.

Corporate branding practically monopolized this hue and all of its siblings from Lowe’s to White Castle. The organizational characteristic pigeon holes the possibilities of fine blue, especially through its social connection to police forces. However, there are subtle ways to introduce this hue through your brands whether its through its meditative or strengthening qualities. Using fine blue in brands typically known for green branding illustrates a similar holistic narrative, but from an regulatory approach.

For any further questions/concerns about Fine Blue and how to manipulate it in your home/office/design, reach out to us for a consultation here.