The Trend Curve's Steve Borsch called me today (I'm in Paris for Maison & Objet) and we had a brief five minute conversation about my trip thus far and tomorrow's move to Frankfurt for Christmas World. Take a listen... … [Read more...]
A New Look on the Window
January 26, 2009 By
I have thought for some time that you can’t beat the functionality of vertical blinds in many locations throughout the home. We use them over the sliding-glass door and bay windows in our casual dining area at home. But on balance, vertical blinds as a category are really in need of a fashion makeover. I saw one in Paris at the Maison & Objet trade fair that caught my eye in Hall 5C. Silent Gliss (www.silentgliss.fr) displayed … [Read more...]
Purple in Paris
January 23, 2009 By
I had wondered if the worldwide economic slowdown would impact newness at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France. After my first day at the show, I can say that I see no signs of foot-dragging on introductions. One of the big color stories here is Purple. This interest in regal, Red-cast Purples is not new, but has been building for a year. Now Purple is in the mainstream—and it looks great! Here is one of my favorite … [Read more...]
Shopping in Paris
January 22, 2009 By
I arrived in Paris this morning. After napping for a few hours, I made myself get out of bed and get going -- I need to get myself into this time zone as quickly as possible. So I set off on a low-stress mission to buy eyeliner for my friend Irene. She fell for a pencil made by Deborah and available at Galleries Lafayette the last time she came to Paris. It was my job to replenish her supply. This is not a top-tier brand, but it did have a … [Read more...]
Heimtextil Trend Report – Written and Soon to be Ready
January 21, 2009 By
It’s finished! Last night I passed off my trend report and selected images (over 150 of them) from the Heimtextil trade fair for layout. Heimtextil is the world’s largest event for home textiles, which took place last week in Frankfurt, Germany. It is the first of a series of European trade fairs I attend in rapid succession at the beginning of every year. Seeing so much, and in so many different categories of home décor (other fairs … [Read more...]
September Maison & Objet
September 9, 2008 By
The Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France was fabulous. After three days of trend-spotting for what’s coming in the near term and digging for what will follow further out, I have vowed to add another day to my schedule for the next show in January of 2009. There were notable color shifts and changes in texture. A shiny new fabric took center stage and embellishments evolved in amazing ways. I’ll write about all of it in a full … [Read more...]
Revealing Robots
December 31, 2007 By
There is something vaguely futuristic in the air. It is not necessarily in-your-face sleek, minimalist or avant-garde. In fact, it can almost sneak up on you because it is showing up in one item at a time, rather than in collections. This futuristic perspective is revealed in high-tech polyurethane fabrics with a sheen-quality that seems to give off a metallic glow (chair at right is from Century Furniture). It can also be confirmed in … [Read more...]
Home at Last!
September 11, 2007 By
No matter how much I love visiting the best cities of Europe, I am always glad to get back to home and family. I returned from the Maison & Objet trade fair yesterday, but thoughts of the fair are still swirling around in my mind. I am thinking about changes I saw in every color family, the new order of materials dominance, what made finishes look fresh and which motifs were cycling forward and falling back. There was so much going on … [Read more...]
Hall 7 at Maison & Objet
September 10, 2007 By
I began my last day at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris in Hall 7. This building hosts a segment called Outdoor_Indoor that I thought I would walk through quickly. I was wrong. I spent hours in this Hall, discussing new materials and discovering new functionality, meeting designers and uncovering new colors. Along the way I met Anon Pairot of Restogen. This young man only graduated from design school in 2002, but has been … [Read more...]
Dillon and Jada at Maison & Objet
September 9, 2007 By
Wendy Visser’s designs are a bit edgy, so I thought I would have remembered them—or at least the style—had I seen them before. But I hadn’t. This was Ms. Visser’s first time showing at the Maison & Objet trade fair. Her company is called Dillon and Jada, named after her two children who are five and four years old respectively. Visser has been in business for eight years, with products placed in upscale locations like … [Read more...]
