This years ICFF and Design Week did not disappoint. Here is a little recap of what my eyes noticed and found inspiration in.
Notable Trends:
-Neon – Most notably orange/red neon color – “Tangerine Tango”, pantone 17-1463. I saw this color, or at least a very similar color on everything. By far the most notable color of this year. It might be most noticeable because it happens to be a color that really pops through a room, window display, wallpaper ect.
-Yellow / Grey
-“workshop” showcasing – showcasing assembly, manufacturing process. Tom Dixon did this a couple years ago with onsite assembly of the “etch light”. I am going to say “workshop” instead of “pop-up factory” because it’s a better description to the perforamative experience which also gives you some insight on the manufacturing process.
- -Lindsey Adelman – onsite assembly of her beautiful lights
- -Bernhardt Design – “American Made Me” exhibit showcasing the Raleigh Denim workshop. Making the jeans onsite while using the layout tables designed by Bernhardt Design.
- -Fritz Hansen – “Minuscule” chair designed by Cecilie Manz. In Milan there was a man in a glass trailer demonstrating the construction of the hand-stitched upholstery integral to the design. Unfortunately they did not have the workshop set up at ICFF, I really wished they had but they did outline this in their catalog story.
- -Makers and Brothers – they had wood worker James Carroll hand carving traditional Irish three-legged stools onsite for purchase/display.
- -Hellman Chang – their booth had a wood working studio set up to showcase a piece being made from solid walnut.
-Shiny- lots of eloquent bling – in furniture and lighting
- -Brass / Copper plated pieces
- -Mirrors – antiqued patterns
- -Marble tops
Some examples:
- http://www.rollandhill.com/categories/All-Lights/
- http://www.eggcollective.com/
- http://www.lindseyadelman.com/
- http://www.becbrittain.com/
- http://www.bludot.com/2012_Blu_Dot_Modern_Furniture_Catalog_Pages29-30
-Over stuffed furniture – showcasing stitching and stuffing, almost exaggerated. Also highlighting the stitch seams with leather / color (see photos below)
-Stitched / woven – pieces showcasing stitching, woven construction. All really beautifully done. The stitching becomes the piece, part of the construction. (see photos below)
-Water color – “fuzzy, blurry” patterns – textiles, wall paper -saw this also in rug design as well with a more textural aspect to it
-Winged back chairs – new take on this idea of form combined with a sense of privacy (see photos below)
Smaller notable trends:
-Leaning (Lazy) furniture – I first noticed this about a year ago with the “Pivot Desk” by Shay Alkalay. This year I noticed a lot of lights leaning. In my mind I was laughing that they are lazy lights. (see photos below)
-Cork Lids – I won’t say this is taking over but I did notice a lot of cork lids or tops on vessels.
-Strapped down furniture – I am not sure if this was coincidental but caught my eye on several pieces.
-Turned legs – I like this trend, it makes me think of a peg leg or something “different” (see photos below)
Would love to hear thoughts from other people that were there. Also, I have a notebook with all notable catalogs as well if anyone wants to look through.
-Kari