WGSN presented four key conceptual trends as the guiding inspiration for home and gift retailing for the coming seasons at Spring Fair 2016.
These key concepts of Artisan, Remaster, Elemental and Offbeat “cover a lot of consumer ground” in an atmosphere that ranges from bold and loud right through to calm silence.
The Artisan theme, based on the designer-maker crafting movement and “cultural need for physical togetherness” is very strong for garden centres, with its deconstructed, rustic feel, distressed, unfinished florals, decoupage, artful patchwork and colour bleeding.
Blue is key – just witness the amount of blue and white porcelain to be seen now in tableware – and there’s a strong focus on eclectic upcycled materials including denim-look fabrics, basketry and other “artistic weaves.”
Creative Home decor solutions were presented by IXXI at Ambiente, with an extensive collection of unique wall art that ranged from Star Wars images to museum and gallery licensed images, above and right.
Strong colours are metallic blacks, rusted and oxidised hues, denim blue, khaki green and lumberjack red. This concept recalls the early industrial revolution brought up to date.
Wonderful designer What Katie Loves has a beautiful take on the resurgent trend for blue and white, Delft inspired porcelain. Seen here at Top Drawer Spring.
Remaster is a rich blend of cultural and historical influences that brings together the ancient and modern, Asian and African ceremonial and ritualistic motifs, with the dramatic chiaroscuro of Dutch and Flemish old masters.
Opulent multi-coloured candles from On Interiors, seen at Spring Fair, right.
This incredible stationery licensed from French fashion house Christian Lacroix by Libretto (left and below) hits the style spot in every way.
Think elaborate décor, silk ropes and braids, dark backgrounds with light contrasts, rich veneers, metallic details, high shine, luxe brushed brass, copper and rose gold, classic lace, Delft porcelain and glamorous gilding.
Beautiful, baroque, damask and arabesque details shine through in this multi-cultural theme, where “colours and motifs from many cultures blend together.”
Images Dorieni hit the cultural high notes at Ambiente with these pretty and functional, multi-coloured symbolic and manadala-shaped rubber coasters.
Coppery and rose gold metallics were extremely prevalent across kitchen and dining products at all the spring trade shows, also coming through into gift and home accents.
The Elemental trend takes inspiration from wintery skies and silent contemplation, with desaturated tones, frosted materials, cloudy softness and a poetic blend of masculine and feminine influences.
Elemental “caters to the inner space” and hones in on the dryness of frost, iridescence and calcification. Off white is an important colour, along with copper, aqua, tinted lilac and bramble green, which is also key for the fourth trend, Offbeat.
Offbeat emphasises the importance of play and escapism with bold, clashing colours, bright geometric compositions, busy patterns and a sense of theatre. This theme incorporates “fantastic botanicals” that look fabulous in garden centre displays with a “winter hothouse” feel.
This fun trend also takes in “dark surrealism, kalaedoscopic colour, strong contrast, crazy graphics and is a bit David Lynch!” Exciting colours include acid yellow and a mysterious green-gold in playful, mismatched designs.”
Much in evidence at trade shows were ever more exotic takes on the terrarium, ranging from crazy dolls and botanical sculptures to candles and cacti under glass.
Designer Michaela McMillan took the terrarium concept to another level at Top Drawer.
Also much in evidence were delicate Morrocan and Turkish-style lighting covers, candle holders and shades in the metallic tones that dominated in home and gift everywhere this season.
Dutch home interiors brand Zenza, pictured right and second from the top got it just right at Ambiente – it’s all in the ambience and this company has that in spades.
