The Outdoor_Indoor show-within-a-show at Maison & Objet is all about the furniture, lighting, pots and dividers consumers use to create outdoor environments. This year, many assortments exuded a sense of maturity and you can read all about this event in Trend Album™ What’s In Outdoors for 2012™.
Forms were more practical and less experimental. Features expanded to meet the needs of consumers who are accustomed to the same comforts outdoors that they have within their homes. Textures added a layer of sophistication that made them stars of the show. This was apparent in weave construction, new variegated color combinations that conveyed a textural message and the replacement of metallic with emerging pearl.
Color was more focused. Subtle and high-contrast two-tone effects were part of the story. So was a greater following for Gray (still on-trend) and Brown (gaining, especially in light values as it challenges Gray). At the same time, lighter values had more emphasis and mid-tone Blues and Greens drifted into assortments to gently nudge them out of the neutral realm.
It is important to note that none of this seemed to be driven by risk aversion. Instead, it felt like a common-sense response to consumers who have remained interested in newness, yet have been more pragmatic about their purchases over the past two years.
The Trend Curve documented the best of those debut products in this all-new trend report called Trend Album™ What’s In Outdoors for 2012™. It includes bullet-point observations about the newest colors, forms, functions, materials and surface designs from this huge specialty show. Plus, it gives you more than 150 images so you can see the new colors, trends and styles right on your desktop, laptop or iPad.
Take a peek at some selected pages from this 88 page report and then go here to order: