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Friday 19 October 2012

London Design Festival 2012 trends: leather...



The trend for leather has been big news for a couple of seasons now but it feels like it's got plenty of mileage in it yet. Leather is natural and sustainable (debatably!), strong and tough but it's also imbued with a sense of luxury, so it's the perfect material for high-end designers to be wielding right now - just like marbleTan leather is still the main story (so much so that there's also a bit of a brogues-in-interiors trend happening too - perhaps the less said about that the better, I love a brogue but this runs too close to novelty for my liking!). There's also a paler, softer buff leather on the increase. These natural tones keep the material close to its original state and completely unfussy. Apart from some black and white, there's a total absence of coloured leather right now but I think perhaps things will go that way, merging leather with the brights trendLeather edged/hung wall mirrors are surprisingly numerous. One of the most exciting aspects of the leather trend is the boiled leather, or cuir bouilli, of Simon Hasan who I've mentioned before. I love this strong and dense material because it is natural and time-honoured but it's being used in a completely modern way.



















I'm hoping to add captions and links at some point but if your work is here and you'd like it captioned now, please email me at the address in the 'about me' section. 



Thursday 18 October 2012

London Design Festival 2012 trends: enclosed furniture…


It's a bit early to call this a trend but I thought I detected an increase in 'enclosed' furniture at LDF 2012. I saw a few designs that re-invented the wing-back form, as well as more overtly hooded pieces. This links to my previous post where feminine colours help us create softness, warmth and intimacy in our homes because we find them lacking in the wider world. Likewise here, designers are exploring our need to for a sense of sanctuary as we escape from our turbulent times into our favourite chair or the ultimate inner sanctum of the bed.









I'm hoping to add captions and links at some point but if your work is here and you'd like it captioned now, please email me at the address in the 'about me' section. 


Tuesday 16 October 2012

London Design Festival 2012 trends: The new feminine colour palette...

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of feminine colours that were on show at LDF 2012. I say 'feminine' because these are shades that are classically regarded as being female territory on the spectrum but, in this instance, it's as if they are being re-examined and tweaked to have a non-gender specific appeal. I think that they represent a desire to create in our homes the softness and intimacy that are so scarce in the outside world. Nude pink was a fairly significant trend and one that has been dipping in and out of the limelight (in both fashion and interiors) for the best part of a decade. And there seems to be a small but growing trend for an unusual palette of other feminine shades like purple, plum, mauve, shell pink, burnt orange and butter yellow. They're unusual because they are not what you would picture as classic orange, pink etc. They're more off-beat, subtle, in-between shades and so avoid looking saccharine-sweet or cloying. The unifying factor is that these are all warm tones, giving us comfort in deeply uncertain times


Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut

Picture copyright of Kate Jacobs / InteriorsNut