the international authority on color and design trends in home furnishings
The recent Global Pet Expo in Orlando once again proved that humans must be innovative to stay one step ahead of their pets. Here are The Trend Curve’s top dozen picks for most unique and useful pet products: Click thumbnails to see a larger version of the image... Puppy Bumpers®, from In The Company of Dogs, are lightweight, ultra-high pillows that fit around your dog’s neck as a low-tech safety device. These rings are a gift … [Read more...]
For the past several seasons, the words tiny and small have been the best options for describing designs and fabric. But introductions at the High Point furniture market indicated that this is all about to change. In a striking reversal, the newest size was large, bold and more motif-focused than pattern based. Moreover, all design categories seemed equally interested in exploring the potential of a countertrend in scale. Even though … [Read more...]
Those of us who track trends keep our eyes open to new colors, patterns and materials at trade shows. We also take notice of words that are repeated in our conversations there. When product concepts and words converge, the message is even more powerful. At the Gift Fair in New York, simplicity came through both design and strategy in a message that was loud and clear. On the product front, a two-color trend was afoot. It included everything … [Read more...]
At Maison & Objet in Paris this January, I saw a fabric collection that I loved at Andrew Martin. The look was tribal, yet also whimsical. Icons included naively formed animals, birds and people, abstracted geometrics and American and British flags. They coordinated with thin stripes in ticking personalities (also on-trend), animal skins and worn-look plains. Those fabrics were everywhere from the high end to medium-high price points this … [Read more...]
For more than 20 years, Coverings has been the predominant event for the ceramic tile and natural stone industry in the Western Hemisphere. Jennifer Pinto, Editorial Correspondent for The Trend Curve, was in Chicago for the 2009 event, and has written extensively about it for the June issue. She also contributed these observations for Connecting The Dots: Innovation had a starring role at Coverings 2009. Especially noteworthy was the … [Read more...]
Pearson did some amazing thing with neutrals at the High Point Furniture Market. That’s where I am today. I arrived about 3 in the afternoon and spent the next four hours visiting showrooms—including the 8th-floor Pearson location. By using metallic highlights, subtle contrast and chameleon personalities (The Trend Curve created a forecast of 20 Chameleon Neutrals that you can buy in the Trend Store), Jennifer McConnell, Pearson's … [Read more...]
It was only upon returning from giving seminars in Quebec City on Friday night that I finally realized that I must be over the jet lag I ended up with from the week before. I got it by going back and forth to Bangkok to give a lecture about U.S. color and design trends during the Big Design Week 2009 event. I was one of six speakers from around the globe who was hired to talk to Thai companies about color and design trends. The others … [Read more...]
Looking back on the High Point Furniture Market that I attended earlier this week, one of my favorite stops was at Baker. That’s because I met a charming man named Hutton Wilkinson who showed me a collection that I fell for at first sight. Wilkinson spent an important part of his career working for and collaborating with the late design icon Tony Duquette, culminating in a business partnership in 1994. That relationship included purchasing … [Read more...]
My second day in the High Point Furniture Market included a mixed schedule. It began with the Press Breakfast. The panel discussion was “The Rise of the Interior Designer.” This is a timely topic given the fact that interior designers are making their biggest impact every in home décor sales. I do believe that the potential for professional designers has never been better than it is today. I also saw companies from mid-tier to high end. … [Read more...]
If anyone was worried that the soft economy meant a full-stop mentality for the furniture market, they can put those thoughts to rest. There are as many new introductions here as there have even been, and maybe a few more. On my third day in the High Point Furniture Market I saw several that were noteworthy, but the one I want to tell you about came from Century. Century is one of my favorite stops every market. This company always has … [Read more...]
