Trend Report from Kravet’s “inspired.talk”…

I was in the Kravet/ Lee Jofa Houston showrooms recently and the color scheme that was repeated in their vignettes caught my eye. The sofas were neutral in mostly linen tones with the accent colors used on the pillows, chairs and ottoman/bench coffee tables. The accent colors were in hues of blue/green and yellow/greens. Perhaps a subtle interpretation of the touted turquoise color for 2010. The shapes were a mix of contemporary with traditional, while the fabric patterns used were more modern, mostly due to scale.

But one vignette at the front of the Lee Jofa showroom particularly caught my attention. The dominate accent color was a magenta… almost mauve… but a fresher take on it. This was mixed with a subtle blue/green colored chevron pattern on the ottoman and additional accent pillows. The bold, large-scale pattern on the chairs injected the modern edge that it needed to keep it from looking dated.

After reading the trend summary by Kravet’s contributing Blogger JP on their blog at inspired.talk… I can certainly see what inspired their displays. The following is taken from JP’s February 4^th blog as a recap of the trends seen at the recent Maison & Objet in Paris…

Maison & Objet: Trend Report

Last week the industry’s top names flocked to Paris for Maison & Objet. Everyone else (like me) just obsessively checked the Twitter feed and lived vicariously through photos and status updates. I asked Kim Grimsley, design and marketing director from Circa 1801, what she thought about some of the trends coming out of the show, and she gave me some great notes. True to Parisian style, this show featured looks and trends that were classic and understated, modern and sophisticated. The biggest trends, she said, were grey as a foundation color and linen fabrics.

Grey

Grey was everywhere and in every single booth. This was the grounding color, with all other accents layering over it. It appeared warmer, almost taupe or brownish grey, more so than in years past.

Linen

This was the other top trend of the show, linen everywhere! There is definitely a shift happening toward soft, natural textures, including hand woven natural looks and linen on everything from tables to furniture to bedding.

Pink

All manner and style of pink was represented. Lavenders and muted pinks layered well with all of the grey. Hot pink and fuchsia played off of green-cast yellows and reds. Deep burgundies and blueish reds combined with greys and browns. However, the most interesting shade was a new mauve/ lavender. Kim predicts we will definitely see this color again and again, as it’s strong yet understated and a great complement to greys.

Natural Wood Finishes

Not one bit of stained mahogany or traditional wood finishes here! Kim spotted mostly raw and reclaimed natural wood finishes, bleached woods and painted wood case pieces. Even the painted wood pieces had a very grey appearance.

Metallics

This is a trend that has been gaining momentum for years, and is really making an impact on all different types on fabrics, especially skins and textures. Embossed velvets and leathers remained strongly represented.

Over-scaled Motifs

Traditional patterns like plaid appeared here in huge scale, making them more of a feature. Scale was less about size and more about impact, with bold patterns, florals and framed damasks. Kim said she is already seeing a trend toward drama through accessories, like pillows, and designers are achieving that through boldness of scale.

Stripes

Usually the most reserved and hardly a trend, this year stripes appeared in every scale and construction, with the most interesting being the funky and unbalanced patterns and monochromatic iterations.

Ethnic

This trend is still going strong with bold yet soft to the touch kilims, ikats and textures and stripes. Ethnic prints have been modernized and softened, and are being translated into multiple settings.

Transitional

In years past there was always strong representation from more traditional vendors. This was the first year where the transitional category really took over and began to encompass every niche of design. The renewed interest in art deco and art nouveau blended well with modern and transitional styles, and came across less strict and regimented as in years past.

http://kravet.typepad.com/inspiredtalk/

Based on this report, I don’t think it is too difficult to see the influence of the interest in Belgian design in the overall market… In reference to the Kravet vignettes, is certainly not a case of cut and paste... especially with the wood tones which are dark rather than the greyed woods, but does have many of the characteristics and could easily transition into a country style interior… very countrypolitan!