HOME TRENDS 10

This month I visited two of the major home product trend shows: Heimtex in Frankfurt, an enormous show for the home and contract textile markets; and Maison et Objet in Paris, the massive, polymorphous show for emerging trends in everything germane to interior décor. Here are the big trends that caught my attention:

Re-use

(top) Float by Tweelink, chandelier made of fishing floats and fishing line (Heimtex); (bottom) K-Bench by Charles Kaisin for Vange, surprisingly comfortable, flexible seating made of polypropylene folders

Recycling, upcycling, reclamation, re-appropriation. Old treasures, used packaging, trash – whatever – find new expression in cheeky-chic objects for the home. Objects from other cultures, classes, and eras are re-arranged to suit new purposes. Waste nothing. But the theme is anything but fusty or cluttered. It's not a flea market. Instead, re-used objects are treated singularly, playfully; the new forms are pared down and spare. Colors are bold and discrete. And the riot of pattern and color is set against a refined, minimalist backdrop of pure white, pale grey, or buff.

Some sub-trends under Re-use:

Fallen Idols. A tongue-in-cheek theme of affectionate (versus angry) deconstruction. The idol is preserved for its formal beauty and history, but global perspective and humor have quelled its former power to repress individual expression. Examples: stylist Vincent Grégoire's bright graffiti splashed across “inviolable” white walls and moldings; spray painted Buddhas and porcelain (trend curation for Nelly Rodi, Maison et Objet); Acrila's minimalist acrylic chairs printed with the images of Louis XIVs and Chippendales; mounted hunters' trophies made of patchworked tapestry or plastic rubbish.

World bazaar. A trunk of random treasures from world travels spanning centuries: eclectic color and pattern combinations, odd marriages (vintage English sofa frame re-upholstered in patchworked Berber carpet fragments, or hand-plaited washi) reveal a profound mixing of different cultures for a re-visioned object or décor.

Knit and crochet

Knit and crochet

Knit and crochet

(top) "Crochet" chair by Kenneth Cobonpue; (bottom) Chunky knits by Lanerossi

This trend is so huge that it is perhaps close to peaking – or maybe not? Oversized, chunky knits and crochets -- whether in powdery neutrals or quirky jewel tones – are everywhere from bed throws, to upholstery, curtains, lampshades, and textile baskets, and even imitated in hard-form ceramics and furniture. See my blog from October '08 on this trend.

Some more biggies that fall under the umbrella of the knit trend:

Open weaves and Raschel knits are everywhere for windows, room dividers, and layering. The effect is of modernly “graphic” lace, or grillwork.

Basketry. Finely woven baskets made of unusual, re-used materials (waxed papers, rubber hoses, clay, cord, rags) as well as natural fibers (vegetable dyed grasses, palm leaves, branches) – colorfully patterned or austerely neutral.

(top) African basket by As'art; (bottom) Washi (Japanese paper) upholstery by Sandra Clodion

The handmade look

The handmade look

The handmade look

Handcraft and home-made eclecticism is an important trend that arches across and informs almost all of the trends. It takes specific expression in a few styles: Scandinavian weave and crochet patterns (resized and colored in hip combinations), traditional Japanese textile and paper techniques, and tribal African patterns.

Soft furniture

Soft furniture

(top) Sit on it by Zet; (bottom) slouching sofa by Ligne Roset

The "new" bean bag was huge at both shows, for indoor and outdoor. The best examples have crisp, tailored forms and softly touchable surfaces. Likewise, the theme is mirrored in hard-framed furniture with new, slouchy silhouettes. On the flipside of the soft furnishing theme were a couple of chic designs at Maison et Objet using fine chain metal for the seat of a “director's” chair, and a softly draped lamp shade – blurring the lines between hard and soft. Textile properties (drape, stretch, flexibility) are being used for structure and support, not just decoration or tactile comfort – an interior trend that mirrors the growing use of hi-tech fabrics in architectural applications. Soft furniture is also instep with the state of the economy – modest, casual, portable furnishings, which are yet comfortable/cosy and functional/modern.

Hi-relief

Hi-relief

Two hi-relief carpets by Gandia Blasco

Dramatic texture and distinct areas of high and low relief showed up across all categories, from upholstery to curtains to carpets. Hi-relief is inherent in the chunky knit and crochet trend too. At both shows, carpets have areas of high and low relief, as well as contrasting loop structures. Dye-cut felt and “dye cut look” area carpets and window shades were also big. See my October '08 blog for more on dye-cut shades. The newest looking embroideries use unusually thick, textural materials, to create even more relief. At Heimtex, I noticed another trend of quilting around printed motifs to accentuate the motif with hi and low relief.

Mostly matte

Mostly matte

Mostly matte

(top) Matte vases by Kose; (bottom) Dangling feather trim by Deltracon

Gone are the excess of bling, mirrors, and jewels from a few years ago. Instead, shine and sparkle come in small quantities, and the stamp of luxury or exquisiteness is communicated through hand-made character, originality, finishing, and small bits of natural luxury items – feathers, semi-precious stones, precious metal, or “fur” (be inspired by the real thing, but please make it fake!). See my November '08 blog on the natural luxury theme.

Dull brights predominate in color palettes from the vast world (see World Bazaar above), dulled by age and use, in eclectic combinations against a backdrop of spare white, cream, grey, beige. Bold stripes are still evident in quirky color combinations. For pottery, sculpture, and furniture, matte opaque, powdery surfaces look freshest – simultaneously pre-historic and post-modern.

Driftwood or rough-hewn wood were evident in dozens of designers' visions, offset by small accents of comfort or domestication, which took the form of a bit of shine (areas of smooth enamel), a little glitter (a bit of mirror or bijoux... defense from the evil eye?), or a nod to luxury (a sheep skin throw, a single exquisite feather).

At Heimtex, the theme was reflected in an interesting trend of refined bijoux: jewelry-styled designs were enlarged and used in spare, special positions for trim or curtain stays: white feathers and wooden beads for trim at Deltracon; an over-sized “horn” bun clip or buckle for a curtain stay at Rubans/Héroud.

Mystery for prints

Mystery for prints

Mystery for prints

In contrast to the homogeneity of over-sized, clean-edged, computer-generated prints (and weave jacquards) of the past 5-7 years, I see a trend towards mystery and “landscape”: foggy, painterly patterns with nuanced color and pattern transitions. And if I am wrong about this trend, at least you know where my interests lie.

CROCHET: HARD AND SOFT

Image © Jen Buley

Since moving to Sweden this summer, I've been looking at lots of vintage crochet and knit work. Every Swede, it would seem, has at least one female relative who was prolific at "virkning," or crochet. There was a strong tradition in Sweden of Do-It-Yourself long before the current DIY trend; it's reflected in family heirlooms -- and in the thrift shops -- as well as in Sweden's fashion and home design markets. Much of it is dowdy (I'm talking about doilies, after all), but some of the old designs I'm seeing are clean, complex, and fine.

Antique Swedish crochet. Image © Jen Buley

Spinning off some of the most beautiful examples, I am inspired now to apply crochet designs and looks to hard forms and non-textile products, as well as to revive a traditional, but now uncommon, Swedish application for crochet.

Based on what I saw at Première Vision in Paris last month, and on the street, crochet (a.k.a. guipure and macrame) is right on target for 2009-10. At PV, there was a strong trend for chunky or delicate crochet and lace paired with, and layered on, silky, satiny or reflective cloth -- a combination of “craftiness,” with sophistication and shine. This fashion trend comes home, so to speak, in a trend that I'm thinking of as, "Hard-Soft forms."

I am seeing a strong trend for using crochet patterns in hard-products. Like this small side table spotted in a Paris boutique last month:

Image © Jen Buley

Or, this "doily bowl" featured in an online DIY article -- made from antique doilies, molded and hardened with a polymer.


Bowl by designer Jane Schouten, image from Design*Sponge

One particular design product I'm inspired to do now is crocheted shades for modern glass and metal framed lamps. The "fishnet stocking" lamp, below, was spotted in a Paris boutique last month. I would like to see more decorative crochet patterns for this type of application.


Image © Jen Buley

I saw the lamps in the image below at an exhibit in Borås, Sweden. It's a cool concept, particularly with lighter, more open, crochet.



Textilmuseet, Image © Jen Buley

But the following image is more directional. This image -- from a women's fashion editorial in a Swedish magazine -- is a better illustration of where I would like to go with the crochet covers for lamps.

Insynsskydd is the Swedish word for a window treatment that covers the lower half of the window. Insynsskydd made of crochet work, stretched on fitted frames, were a traditional window treatment in Falun, in the region of Dalarna, Sweden, where many homes have low, street-level windows. The crochet work allows light to enter (important through winter's short days), while providing some privacy. I like the stretched and framed application of the traditional insynsskydd -- but I'm thinking about cleaner, more modern designs, as well as the logistics of manufacturing for standard window sizes.

Traditional Swedish insynsskydd. Image © Jen Buley

The insynsskydd product is common in Sweden today in modern materials like adhesive (plastic) designs for windows, and structured paper screens. The improvised insynsskydd in the picture below, suggest a nice direction with color and texture. I believe there would be a good market for these products -- in interesting designs, and higher-end materials -- for America's urban-residential settings.


Image © Jen Buley

A final note on color: I love the clean, minimalism of traditional cream and white crochet -- and that will always be beautiful -- but I think that incorporating focused color, and jewel tones, into crochet-look window treatments, tabletop, and bed products, is an interesting and timely design direction for this traditional look.