Raymond Waites
I am a true Raymond Waites fan. I think he is one of the most versatile designers in the home furnishings industry. With a talent for color and design that has been proven over time (I have followed his career for years), Raymond’s is one voice I always listen to.
Today I not only saw his upholstered and case pieces at LaneVenture, I also had a chance to look at decorative accessories he designed at Toyo Trading. That’s where I ran into Raymond himself. He, Toyo president Randy Nakayama and I spoke for a few minutes about the fresh colors Raymond debuted at the market and what’s looking right in the way of trend.
I was taken at once by Raymond’s palette and the pieces he chose for it. For example, Coral or Aqua patterns were contrasted against pure White or used as a solid-colored alligator texture (creating a reptile skin texture in a hard material like ceramic, porcelain or glass is on-trend). These saturated, contemporary hues made the traditional shapes they decorated look quite modern which was the intention.
This melding of modern and traditional, Waites says, is at the heart of the MonTra trend that is picking up speed in every category. If you didn’t know what MonTra was before, one look at these vases and covered boxes would fill in all the gaps.
Just behind these saturated hues sits a range of pale and complex colors that seem a logical next step after the many neutral shades that showed up all over at market.
New pieces in Coral and Aqua by Raymond Waites for Toyo Trading
I loved Raymond’s Yellow because it has just a hint of Green in it. Also in this collection: Water Blue, Citron Green and Peach. He told me that he used the same group of colors in a new collection of wall coverings has just debuted. I can’t wait to see them!
If you look at the top image in this post you will see Raymond Waites next to his new accessories for Toyo Trading. He is wearing a splash of Orange I thought was just perfect with his new palette. Don’t forget to look at the second picture, too. It shows the new pieces in Coral and Aqua more clearly, and also gives you a peek at the complex pastels that are almost hidden behind Raymond in the first picture.
If you are at market in High Point and want to see these colors in person (and you should!) just stop by the Toyo Trading showroom at IHFC in the Hamilton Wing, space 321. Subscribers to The Trend Curve™ will read much more trend information and forecasting from the market in the next issue. If you are not already a subscriber, you can visit www.trendcurve.com and click on the Trend Store link to subscribe, or just email Janice Carlson or phone toll free: 800.531.6614.