The world of Villeroy & Boch encapsulated in a sphere – Designer Heike Puderbach talks about the Paradiso anniversary collection

Design a collection for Villeroy & Boch’s 275th anniversary: this was the task set for designer Heike Puderbach. The result is a collection consisting of three elements: La Boule Paradiso and the Birthday Cake Paradiso, both developed by the designer, along with five anniversary cups featuring popular decors from the company’s long history to complete the collection.

The challenge: to develop a decor bringing together all the elements that have shaped Villeroy & Boch’s identity since its creation. And reflecting popular trends while setting its own distinctive style.

The realisation: the retro look is a key trend and copperplate looks are in vogue, in particular in the world of fashion. Inspired by the many copperplate decors throughout Villeroy & Boch’s history, the designer began to search through the archives. Paradiso, a decor from the 1960s and the company’s last copperplate pattern, captured the imagination of Heike Puderbach, who has been working as a designer at Villeroy & Boch since 2018. “Because the fauna and flora in this pattern coordinate perfectly and it is so typical of Villeroy & Boch,” she explains with a smile.

And themes from the world of nature, in particular flowers and blossoms, have been decorating the company’s porcelain for over 250 years. Villeroy & Boch’s first decor was a little blue blossoming sprig that still decorates the products of the company’s oldest and most successful collection, Old Luxembourg. Other popular patterns featuring flora and fauna followed in the course of the company’s long history, including the legendary Wildrose, the charming scattered decor of Petite Fleur as well as Mariefleur, inspired by the garden of Claude Monet in Giverny.

La Boule Paradiso

Designing a modern interpretation of the Paradiso decor and adapting it to the individual components of La Boule were the first tasks ahead after selection of the theme. Because there was no question as to whether there should be an anniversary edition of La Boule. This piece represents a perfect fusion of design and functionality, and with the new version designed by Helen von Boch in the 1970s, it is an intrinsic part of Villeroy & Boch’s identity like almost no other product. It consists of two bowls, two shallow plates and two flat plates with one serving dish in the middle.

“I chose blue for the entire surface of the lower bowl. This provides a strong foundation for the decor and it is solid – just like Villeroy & Boch has been throughout its 275 years of existence and still is today,” explains Puderbach. The decor evolves above. The next plate up features the lightness of the Paradiso pattern, with floral tendrils and blossoms. “As a contrast to the classic blue on white and the playful feel of the decor, I added vibrant orange lines on the next plate. These represent the company’s dependability and directness, and the common thread that permeates Villeroy & Boch’s history through to the present day while continuously being reinvented.”

The shallow plate and bowl in the top part of La Boule are also decorated with the Paradiso pattern. Between are wavy blue lines, called “seigaiha” in Japanese. What do they mean? “For me, they represent life,” explains Puderbach. “These lines symbolise the ups and downs of life. And a company such as Villeroy & Boch, that has existed for 275 years, has always experienced ups and downs – these are part of life.” The upper bowl reveals a magnificent finishing touch in the form of the bird from the Paradiso decor. “I view the whole thing as a world – the world of Villeroy & Boch encapsulated in a sphere – the anniversary La Boule,” concludes the designer with pride.

Birthday Cake Paradiso

The same decor features on the Birthday Cake Paradiso. For Heike Puderbach, a birthday cake was the strongest image for an anniversary. This inspired her to design a porcelain birthday cake – her first project encompassing both the decor and shape of the porcelain. The Birthday Cake Paradiso follows the same pattern as La Boule Paradiso and its shape is based on a similar principle. Like La Boule, it is also a stackable tableware set. The base is a plate, followed by a bowl, cup and a little candleholder to form the shape of a cake.

“I wanted to develop objects that conveyed a sense of joy. They are simply beautiful pieces that make you feel you want to live with them. And if you choose to, you can use them, but of course you don’t have to. As a tableware set, a candleholder or simply as a design object,” says Heike Puderbach.

Five cups, featuring the Paradiso decor and four with themes inspired by flora and fauna – Old Luxembourg, Mariefleur, Petite Fleur and Avarua – in the shape of a heart complete the anniversary collection and are ideal as little mementoes or special gifts.

Photos for download: https://cs.villeroy-boch.com/o...

Video: