Trend Flash™ is an exclusive benefit reserved only for Members of The Trend Curve’s subscriber family. Elaine Markoutsas, Editorial Correspondent, has been in Milan attending Milan Design Week. Her trend observations about outdoor furnishings are below. Look for much more from Elaine in the next issue of The Trend Curve. Noteworthy outdoor-living trends in Milan:
COLOR
- Euro pastels, especially salmon and blue green were mellow emerging hues
- Blue maintained its popularity in shades from midnight and cobalt to aqua and turquoise
- Green looked lush in grassy and emerald shades, plus olive
- Red popped as an accent, like poppies in the garden
- Pink, especially hot, excited like a cascade of bougainvillea
- Orange remained tangy, often paired with brown-based cinnamon
- Neutrals never bored because of textures
MATERIALS
- For natural or synthetic materials, woven structures dominated upholstery
- Polypropylene gained traction as architectural and sculptural forms
- Outdoor leather gave kid-glove treatment to seating
- Teak intrigued when paired with metal, weaves, concrete, ceramic or solid surface
- White powder-coated aluminum was the go-to look for modern furniture frames
- Safe-ceramic accent tables with a raku-like appearance oozed artistry
- Warm metals like brass and copper sizzled with style
DETAILS
- Rivets made eye-catching decorations
- Live edges on tabletops brought indoor trends outside
- Textures like crackling added surface interest
- Fully upholstered pieces added to outdoor comfort
- Modularity provided new versatility to outside spaces