the international authority on color and design trends in home furnishings
A company called Loveramics that I visited at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany was well worth the stop. A collection of pieces designed by Simon Stevens, called Er-Go!, came in a series of three great-looking Greens. This trio of Greens, used together, brought home dual messages. First, it reinforced the idea that after some time out of the spotlight, Greens are on the move once again. Second, it confirmed that the use of … [Read more...]
I don't really remember when I became aware of the housewares company Joseph Joseph, but from that moment on I was a fan. I love this company's sense of style and color, and I love the clever functionality they incorporate into every product. At the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France Joseph Joseph has a stand in Hall 3. A few new items shown there confirm that this company is nowhere near maxing out their product development … [Read more...]
One of my favorite pieces at the Maison & Objet trade fair earlier this month was the Bloom Lounge Chair, designed by Kenneth Corbonpue. This chair is made of soft microfiber stitched over a resin top. It sits on a steel base. The cover is sculpted by hundreds of fine running stitches that radiate from the center of the seat, creating a subtle, textural feel and mimicking the organic appearance of a blossom. In fact, it's easy to see … [Read more...]
VG Newtrend is always one of my favorite stops at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Vincenzo Antonuccio, the company’s art director and the genius behind both the product development and the visual display for VG’s stand in Hall 5A. He took a few minutes to tell me about the concept behind the new collection. Since this was the first time VG has shown only designs created by … [Read more...]
I learned years ago that some of the most creative textile products at Maison & Objet came from Taj, Wood & Scherer. Today, I planned my visit to this company for the end of the day, intentionally keeping the best for last. I walked into the stand in Hall 6, Row A late this afternoon to find Managing Director Roger Wood even more cheerful than usual. That’s because Taj, Wood & Scherer is celebrating its 10th anniversary. … [Read more...]
I cannot remember the last time I spent Labor Day weekend at home. The Maison & Objet trade fair seems to fall on this weekend year after year. So while my husband is enjoying perfect weather and taking our college-age daughter to buy a bicycle (to get around the U of MN campus this fall), I'm in the hotel lobby posting on Twitter, blogging, working with images (I took hundreds of them today) and wishing my feet didn't hurt so … [Read more...]
My top pick from day 2 of the Maison & Objet fair in Paris today was Casador, a 17 year-old company that makes fabulous decorative accessories. I was more than tired when I walked past their Hall 1 stand this afternoon, but when I saw what was inside I just had to stop. Rope icons like leaves and medallions on a felt rug combined for a look I have not seen before. That’s what got my attention in the first place. Then I noticed a … [Read more...]
Some companies came to the fall version of Maision & Objet in Paris without any new products. What a bad idea! People who had innovative and different things to show had lots of buzz in their stands. A typical refrain from companies who did not invest in innovation this time was that they are now able to ship everything they showed at the January event. This is somehow meant to make everyone overlook the fact of no new product. How … [Read more...]
There are a few companies I always try to see when I am at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. One of them is Cosmique Global. This New Delhi-based textiles company does trend like few others. That’s because they not only know which looks are best for their categories of toss pillows and throws, but they also know how to make each trend their own. Case in point: plaids. These patterns are incoming on the bell curve for trend, … [Read more...]
At the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany last week, I noticed an emerging color and could not stop thinking about it. Now back home, I am reviewing my slides from the Christmas World show (also in Frankfurt, just a bit earlier in the year) and noticed that I made notes about the same color at that show, too. It's a Brown with so much Red in it that I called in Red Fox in my notes. This color is going on the watch list. Below is a … [Read more...]
