It’s April 15. Happy tax day. I say happy only as a salutation, and not at all because I am happy about taxes this year. The tax code never ceases to amaze or baffle me. I am only glad that our CPA, a wonderful man named Chris Schadow, has been our accountant long enough to know both the finances of Marketing Directions, Inc. (publishers of The Trend Curve™) and those of my husband, Steve and I. He makes things as easy to understand as they can get.
That leaves my mind free while here at the Furniture Market to contemplate décor trends both large and small.
1. This is such a silly thing but it fits right in with a trend focused on how devoted people are to their pets. I can’t help but notice how many dogs are showing up. I first noticed this when I walked through the Barbara Barry line at Henredon. Her prints of poodle silhouettes made perfect art for a decidedly feminine room. At Pennsylvania House, dogs came in a print fabric side chair and on toss pillows that accented a sofa covered in a wool-like plaid. FPE’s framed art by designer Mario Buatta featured a clothed dog in portrait style called Postman Dog. There were other dogs, too, confirming that our penchant for pets is not subsiding. No surprise here.
2. “I am over chenilles completely.” So says Dennis Anderson, color and fabric consultant to Milling Road, sister company to Baker Furniture and part of the Kohler group. His floor confirmed it with only one true chenille fabric that, as he pointed out, had the appearance of an antique velvet. Other showrooms reinforced the same message: it is no longer about one fabric type, but about creating a mix of types and textures.
3. Could there be any more hounds tooth checks? Even with all the competition, Textillery Weavers’ all-over mini check throws stood out as being among the best.
4. It feels like every woman here is wearing a tweed jacket. Some upholstery is, too, and these are mostly accent pieces like accent chairs. One of my favorites is on the floor at Century Furniture. This tweed uses a thick and thin approach with a fatter yarn that forms a raised grid within the tweed. Great look, great colors.
5. Campaign style, which has been on the back burner since the mid-1980’s, is reappearing. Bernhardt’s collection, which mixes campaign style with West Indies and Edwardian details, was designed John Black, a man I think of as one of the best furniture designers in the business. Stanley’s Barbados group is also worth a close look. Last night, Nicholas Brawer, author and curator, gave an amusing talk about the origins and evolution of campaign furniture. His remarks afterward were witty and interesting, and I was glad I had a chance to speak with him.
6. Coral is the prop of the moment. It has shown up in virtually every high end showroom in White, Coral, glass, Black, anything.