Holland America\u2019s signature Pinnacle Grill, Design by Tihany Design<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat colors are trending in cruise ship design?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Lately, color is leaning more toward neutrals. In the early days, cruise ships were compared to casinos. The colors were loud and stimulating. Today’s ships have shifted the color palette to lean more sophisticated, especially in staterooms. They want fewer loud color combinations and, instead, more neutrals with tasteful color accents. For those accents, one can never go wrong with a variety of blues for ships. “Citrine colors also, I see more green on the ships where previously there was a stigma to \u2018sea sick\u2019 green, and jewel tones also pair well with neutrals.” As far as color tonality, they’re a bit more tertiary than primary, more greyed out and less electric. As we emerge from the pandemic, people want a feeling of health and wellness. Toned-down colors and ones that feel light and bright all feel more soothing than dark, heavy tones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similar to hotels, cruise ships are getting more integrated with technology. Tap a bracelet on your wrist and someone brings you a drink. Bright colors are often associated with tech, so My uses soft, subdued colors to create a more relaxing environment in areas such as the staterooms, and uses bolder colors in public areas depending on the venue. \u201cFor example, we designed a rock room that is primarily black, and grey with accents of red. There\u2019s a time and a place to go neutral, and a time and place to go dramatic. It really depends on the feeling you want to evoke in the space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Designing for ships has a huge logistical challenge. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n Ships are floating cities moving around the world. It’s not like a hotel, where trucks can roll up and work on a building with standard dimensions. All the materials needed for a renovation need to get on and off the ship, and there are limited ways to do that. For example, furniture needs to be custom designed to fit within the vessel’s dimensions or be assembled in staterooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ships dry dock on average every two to five years, and that’s when major renovations happen. Everything must be ready to go the minute the ship is ready. But no ship is dry docking alone. A shipyard can have multiple ships being renovated at the same time. All materials and labor need to be coordinated precisely to avoid expensive delays. This is why cruise ships rarely work with a vendor with no marine experience. There just isn’t any room for error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, sustainability is beyond a trend.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n There has been a lot of focus on sustainability in all aspects of interior design. For My Nguyen, sustainability is more than a trend. It’s a driving force behind her design and material sourcing. It also informs who she works with. Finding partners with the same sustainability values as she and her clients have is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cruise ship design is an industry that’s not for everyone. “It’s hospitality on steroids,” My jokes. Yet, if a designer is a good fit for the industry, it can lead to a long and exciting career, creating spaces for travelers to enjoy and ultimately be part of special memories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks so much to My Nguyen for talking with Design Pool!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Step aboard a cruise ship and you’re stepping aboard a floating city. Like any city, these cities need to function independently at a high level and look good while doing it. We recently sat down with interior designer My Nguyen, who specializes in designing for cruise ships, to learn what it’s like and what trends […]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1653,1656],"tags":[10],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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