Iittala introduced a whimsical pattern with folk art overtones
It is absolutely ridiculous to love entire categories of product, but I do anyway. I love upholstered chairs and portable lamps. I am attracted to anything made of glass and well designed, I have a real thing for vases and I adore tabletop products. The latter affection is why I always look forward to my first day at Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany. I spend that entire day looking at dinnerware, drinkware, serveware, a bit of flatware and accessories for the table.
Today was my tabletop day. I didn’t have to go too far into Hall 10 before I fell head over heels for a number of patterns. Iittala introduced a whimsical pattern with folk art overtones, featuring trees and creatures like owls and foxes done with lots of pattern in each motif.
I don’t typically find myself drawn to this sort of style, but there was something about the fantasy conveyed in the images, not to mention the trend-forward Navy ground, that made this collection one I would buy.
Rosenthal Home Design sixties-inspired take on mini-scaled flowers came in layered Blues
Rosenthal Home Design went after young adults but they got me, too. Their sixties-inspired take on mini-scaled flowers came in layered Blues, one of three color stories they featured in their stand (the others were Green and Plum, both quite tasty). Some of the fun aspects of this line came from mix-and-match combinations that were at work even when they went unseen—like under your coffee cup so the coordinating pattern was revealed only when the cup was lifted up.
By the way, Rosenthal was not the only company to employ tiny flowers this time. I had already put mini-prints on the watch list, and now I’m glad I did.
Porcel’s mini hounds tooth check in Black and White
Just when you start to think that Black and White patterns are over (or should be), something new comes along that makes you like it again. Porcel’s mini hounds tooth check in Black and White had that effect on me. They also offered this pattern in Red and White, but Black/White duos had it all over Red/White as far as I’m concerned.
These are three of my favorites for today, but this is nowhere near a complete listing of the great designs and colors introduced at the Ambiente fair. And it won’t be. It is well after 11pm, and I still have press kits to sort through and images to download before I go to sleep. I am going to stop writing now so I can rest up for another day of trend-spotting tomorrow.