Furniture markets, no matter where they are, are experiments in what the next fashion trends will be in the market place. Most vendors are trend followers, content to capitalize on the proven winners from prior market introductions–usually by the trend makers. They provide the products that someone else has typically shown to be marketable. These folks offer great products for our customers. So, we buy them.
What we look for are the trend makers. Those are the folks who put it all out there playing the well-honed hunches about where they think the market is heading. They certainly get it wrong some of the time but they are still the companies we like to follow. Because they help direct where design is going. And without them there is no forward movement in our field. Design does not have to be different to be good but it must be fresh and a new interpretation of those things with which we love to live.
We just returned from market. Following are some shots of room settings that are trend makers. You will see that none of these shots are particularly shocking but a reinterpretation of things we all love.
As homes become more completely “lived in” we are seeing multi-purposing of furnishings. This dining table does double duty as a desk/work space.
Transitional spaces were still very much the trend at market but we are starting to see the movement of some of the traditional touches coming back into homes. Note the very traditional crystal chandelier in this room.
A color that we saw multiple times that seems to be trending is saffron. It is a good accent with everything from emerald green to grays. I think it is something to watch for even if it is not something you want to live with–I am not sure I could.
There also seemed to be quite a bit of the pink to magenta tones at market this time. There was a lot of very pale pink all the way in saturation up to the deep magentas. We did not see much of the rust or orange side of the reds.
The blues and greens have become clearer in tone and deeper in intensity. The blues are more of a lapis lazuli blue while the greens seem to be more of a malachite shade. These colors do give a bold bump to a room’s decor.
— Another trend we noticed was the use of black and white. While this is an old standby, of course, we did see it being shown more than at recent markets. And it is always a good look when handled correctly.
What does all of this mean for your spaces? It does not mean change what you have . But if you are interested in redoing a space or just updating it may be useful information. We never try to design a space based on trends but we do try to be as aware of the way the market is trending. This allows us to help make your home feel current and up to date whether you are adding a piece of art or redoing your whole living space.
