I though it’d be interesting to have a look back at my photos from Design Interiors 2013 to see what caught my eye back then, before I visit tomorrow for 2014’s furniture and interior design extravaganza. I visit several trade events each year to see how styles and trends evolve and develop, and to specify products for interior design contracts. So what was at Birmingham last year and has endured through to 2014?
- First up – all things BUTTONED, see above! You MUST have noticed this design trend, it’s been everywhere, starting off on reclaimed Chesterfield leather settees and progressing to chairs and sofas of all colours, styles and shapes. This trend will run and run, it’s classic but can be so easily given a twist using contemporary fabric or unusual buttoning detail. I’m expecting to see much more of it tomorrow for sure.
- TRAVEL was hot too, if you could pop it in the boot of a car, the interior design world deemed you could stand a lamp on it. I think Andrew Martin kick started this one with his travel wallpaper a few years ago, it was everywhere in 2013 but I feel it’s coming to the end of it’s run now. Do you?
- WARM METALLICS, golds and brass accents had started to make an appearance in 2011 and the cooler designers had incorporated them into product detailing by early 2013. It’ll be interesting to see whether this look is everywhere tomorrow as it’s been so heavily featured in design magazines over the last year.
- Intricately SCISSORED paper and LASER cut metals & timber are going from strength to strength as both fabulous hand craft skills and technology evolves – two opposite ends of the design world which give surprisingly similar visual results. I’d been to an amazing exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery at the end of 2012 called The First Cut, so this is by no means a new look, but definitely one which is developing year by year. Be interesting to see how it grows in 2014.
- This one I know you’ll have seen popping up all over the place in 2013 – reclaimed timber, slightly battered vintage boxes plus crates, crates & more crates! In a recession, people become much more resourceful and I’ve loved the innovations in interior design over the last few years using inexpensive materials like old doors, floorboards and OSB. This trend, again, I think is a grower as opposed to at the end of it’s lifespan.
The Moregeous camera will be snapping away in Birmingham tomorrow, I look forward to showing you what we spot for 2014! I’m thinking industrial will & metals will still be hot, pastels will be popular, and geometric, space age shapes & blocking will be back. Let’s see!
Leave a Reply