the international authority on color and design trends in home furnishings
At least once each year I like to head to London to look at colors, shapes and themes showing up at retail. It helps me clear my head of all the ins and outs of The Trend Curve's daily business to focus entirely on the future of trend. I always return with new thoughts and ideas—not to mention a camera full of pictures. I suppose I could really go anywhere to do this, but London has always called to me. I love the pace, the options, the … [Read more...]
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...]
I had a marvelous long weekend in Laguna Beach, CA. My husband and I were there for the wedding of a dear friend, and we were able to visit with The Trend Curve's Editorial Correspondent, Mary Sausen, at the same time. Both Steve and I love walking by the ocean, (which we did on three days) but I adore walking into the little shops and galleries that are sprinkled along the streets almost as much. October is off-season, so the usual crowds … [Read more...]
The last time I was in Laguna Beach, I found a homey breakfast place called The Cottage. You can eat at one of their outside tables on the corner of Aster Street and North Coast Highway and know you are in California, but walk inside and the feeling is just like something you would find in northern Minnesota, with paneled walls and a cozy atmosphere. On my trip to California last weekend, I just had to got back to The Cottage. But I also had … [Read more...]
I arrived in London around noon today. I had only slept about 2 hours enroute, which is much more sleep than I usually can get on an international flight, so I felt like I had no excuse to stay in and sleep -- so I set out to look at retail in the couple of hours I had before stores and shops shut down (it is Sunday in London). I'm still not sure I registered everything I saw, but I took a few pictures to help my jet-lagged memory. When … [Read more...]
I can’t help but take notice of fun items, designs and concepts, even when I am focused on trend spotting color. Sprinkled among the great hues I saw this week in London were a few interesting pieces that tickled my fancy so much that I wanted to share them. Zara Home is attached to Zara's apparel stores in three London locations. At the King's Road shop packs of birthday candles for kids included the typical colored assortment that … [Read more...]
Our 12 year-old son Alex sent me a text message on my mobile phone today (I love that my phone works as well in London as it does at home!). He was desperate for me to buy a book for him written by one of his favorite authors, Anthony Horowitz. This book has been released in the UK, but not yet in the US, and is the third in a 5-part series that Alex has been waiting for since the day he finished the second book. Of course, I know that … [Read more...]
I could tell that London would be crowded well before I got here yesterday. The hotel room prices announced it clearly. They are sky-high this summer (I am actually staying in a new hotel this time that I would NOT recommend and will not stay in again—a choice driven by the high price of a room this July). The exchange rate, at just over 2/1, makes those rates even higher. It also pushes the cost of anything we Americans buy to a place … [Read more...]
We were driving home from our Thanksgiving visit on Friday (we stayed in our friend Mary's condo overlooking Lake Michigan) and stopped to buy a book for our 12-year-old son, Alex, at a Barnes & Noble store near Madison, WI. This kid reads all the time. And fast. He had already gone through the books he brought in the car on Wednesday afternoon—and the movies, too, which he watched on my laptop as we drove (passing and being passed by … [Read more...]
Lots of people were out shopping on Black Friday but I was not one of them. I have not gone out shopping on the day after Thanksgiving years. I know I could have gotten a great deal on a flat panel TV or an X-Box. I could have won a door prize or been handed a discount booklet filled with coupons for even bigger savings. But I chose to join the legion of other shoppers who opted to stay home and click from site to site. This Christmas … [Read more...]
