Checking back on the year past, I found that the most read post during 2011 is Different Shades of Blue. It’s a post from ’09, all about the colour blue. It’s obvious that blue (with its 74 post tagged) has been a pretty stabile theme here since Trendey first went online in 2009. So how about 2012′s blue?

Trend reports say it’s time for blues with underwater depth. Bright midnighty blue. Like inky night skies. In general, International colour trends 2012 by Akzo Nobel says this year’s colours are full-bodied with lots of charachter and meaning, but also tender hushed pastels, chic neutrals and edgy brights. The industrial style is still vivid.

The 2012 blue is particularly well paired with industrial yellow.

Just like the Swedish flag! Hurray to us ;) It’s a great colour combo and I’m actually planning on doing something exciting – though small-scale – with F&B’s Drawing Room Blue and the interesting yellow Babouche. I might paint some frames or other stuff for the bedroom wall. And maybe, just maybe (if work load allows) the light airy blue in my home office/our guest room will go midnighty blue. Stay tuned for the results.

| click pics for source |

Happy January!

It’s the last trembling hours of 2011 and time to look back and summarize. And mostly though: focus of the future! During the year, I’ve done a few trend summaries, here’s one from early 2011, and one from summer of 2011. Although Trendey hasn’t dedicated it too much space, the Megatrend of the Year 2011 has undoubtely been Industrial style. And a bit less mainstream, but still strong: dark painted walls. The Colour of the Year 2011 is – lonely at the top! – blues. Greenish blues, turquoiseish, greyish, cobolt blue…(And as a side note when it comes to colours: carrot-orange). And the overall way of decorating: MIX, MIX, MIX!

Picture via Heart Home Magazine, which I hereby appoint Online Interior Design Magazine of the Year. Launched in September 2011, this British quarterly publication is far better than many of the traditional glossy magazines. [Here's a pic from issue #1] The Interior Design Book of the Year is not Decorate imho, it’s Nomad. A Global Approach To Interior Style by Sibella Court. I both hope for and anticipate more globetrotter style in 2012. The Interior design feature of the Year 2011 is – again, a clear choice -  Frame Groupings. Photos, paitings and pictures has been grouped in various inspiring ways. Often gallery style and more and more assymetric as the year has passed. Speaking of art, in 2011 we’ve also seen small but exciting trend coming up we named arty farty…

| pic via vogue living |

Colourful and artistic! The Decor Item of the Year 2011 has to be the antlers. Mostly seen in Scandinavian styles but found everywhere and anywhere. My guess is we’ll see a wider range of animal heads in 2012 [like this cool thing!] The trendiest kitchen style this year has been a Country + Industrial mix [like 'industrial with warmth' or 'country sleek'] And in my opinion, the Overdose of the Year has cernainly been Public Toilet Tiles! I’m both hoping and guessing for more variations when it comes to tiles in 2012. Which leads to the Room of this Year: Bathrooms! Finally bathrooms are allowed to be a room too! We once and for all leave the sanitized and utilitarian bathroom ideal behind in 2011…

| love this pic, also via heart home magazine issue 2 |

The New White this year is beige. Less sharp and cold than whites and the perfect backdrop for colourfulness – not least the globetrotter vibe. The interior design clichees of the Year 2011 reads undecorate and personal style: great ideas, diffucult concepts. Undoubtedly part of the future! R.I.P. prepackaged styles and do’s & don’ts… Other things I loved in 2011 and wish to see more of, is the lovely drinks trolley, the creative odd chair mixes and the very useful chalkboard paint (just look at this gorgeous example at Sf Girl by Bay, and this at decor8). Actually, I so want more of the contemporary countryish style too.

Quite a few things have been said about the 2012 trends. Ideas have been spoken that the next few years will bring a strong urban farming & 70s theme. For spring consistent reports say soiled pastels, greys & beiges, and an overall movement towards more cozy homes; homely and comforting with textiles, rugs and personal decor. IKEA displayed quite a few gorgeous rugs in the 2012 catalogue, and I don’t think the kilims have reached their peak yet. And hey, not to forget the exciting return of the house plants. Cosy ECLECTIC is my decor theme of 2012 :)

A fresh new home decor year is upon us and Trendey wishes you a year filled with happiness, luck & love. Thank you masses for visiting & chatting with us this year!

| homey & eclectic, via heart home magazine issue 2 |

| as featured on sf girl by bay – beautifulness |

| somehow, after all the odd chair mixin’ - including my own [hard-to-archieve] collection of fiberglass Eames -  I seem to appreciate homogeneous sets again too -  handsomeness – via marieclairemaison

| smashing! 60′s retro -  from a source unknown/forgotten |

By Trendey-favourite, master of dark interiors Abigail Ahern, via The Selby.

Such an easy way to add interest to a kitchen: a dark painted wall, a painting and a distressed chair.

Blonde wood goes so well with blues.

last 2 pics via living etc magazine, latest issue

This weekend has held the Autumn 2011 Formex Fair. As always with these fairs – and maybe with this one in particular – there is much ado about nothing. Of what makes this event, fresh ideas & insights, trends and innovations are extremely small parts. Actually, you almost only find it in the marketing material! This of course is beneath contempt, since Formex could be The Place for inspiration, clearly ahead, like a fortune-teller-market. Instead, the exhibition is mainly blah when it comes to fresh new thoughts. Luckily enough though, we stayed for a lecture by Lotta Ahlvar, the CEO of Swedish Fashion Council. This very inspiring talk outlined some upcoming trends. Again it was confirmed that the Swedish white minimalist era is over. It belongs to the 00s. The successor can not be understood and defined already, of course, but Ahlvar spoke of somethng like “down-toned and cozy” as the present new concept. An anti-trend of course, after all the whiteness in this country. With the 70′s as style reference, nature as the source and the farmer as guru, a bit of style- and view-shifting is afoot.

Lotta Ahlvar highlighted a clearly growing trend in Sweden – the urban farmer. Or at least, the urban cultivator. The city is transforming into Farmville. Think potato plantations in the window and warp chickens on the balcony (and maybe a dairy cow in the garden?) Long passed are those multi-equipped fancy kitchens people never cooked in, just showed off the occasional sourdough. Now it’s time to plant some uniquely rare beans. In a cozy and 70s nostalgia environment. Crafts belong to the new (new-old) movement too and wool was noted as a trending material; knit, crocheted or tangled. Recycled. And wood! Lots of wood. Even more of the Swedish pinnstolar and Windsors (especially appropriate as one of our main resources and exports is wood). Moving on to the trend colours,  the charts for 2012-2013 contained lovely reds and 70s yellows together with gold and copper (i.a., this is only one / my selection). I really believe in Brandy orange + brass. There was also charcoal and clay. Now this was some of the trend news, let’s await a greater impact! I personally am convinced Lotta Ahlvar is right on track in her trend spotting (and n.b. I’ve fueled some of the content; all excesses are on me, not the lecturer). If not already, in due course (the style-anxious) Swedes will take the new trend line very seriously. Furthermore, this path is a natural consequence of our eco-thinking, conscientious waste sorting & recycling and not least given the ongoing trendification of the countryside.

As mentioned above, the innovativeness and trend sensibility demonstrated in the Ahlvar speech (and in the written Formex material) was not very much reflected in the Formex fair’s main content: the exhibiton. Some nice things were spotted – pictured above, though seen before -  but the overall impression was just as shabby chic as 2005. Loads of factory-worn or whitewashed signs with positive messages and other “newly-made antiques”. Not one single eye-opener, which leads me to conclude that the Swedish (mainstream) market for interior design products is pretty dull. Do It better Yourself – my next mission is to find/invent and share some DIY-ideas.

And speaking of, I like the DIY fair Hem & Villa and the Home fair way better. This year [Oct 13-16] it’s themed – tadá! – Close To Nature. Trend report follows.

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Dearest readers. I hope you enjoyed Henen’s House Tour! Judging from your response through comments & emails it was a real treat. Thanks Henen! And she’s got many more rooms in her house, so there’s more where that came from! Also, although I only got three rooms and a kitchen, I’ve done some new things recently (e.g. re-styled a drawer and re-arranged a wall) that I will share with you all soon.

Autumn season is ready to bloom and it’s an exciting time ahead now. This coming weekend, the largest meeting point for nordic interior design – the Formex fair – will take place and Trendey is invited to cover it. (As said before, this season’s trend theme is Cozy Minimalism – i.e. a contradiction in terms)) I don’t know about you, but I am really ready for some new influences now: Interior scenes not seen a thousand times already. These two pics, from September issues of Marie Claire Maison (first pic), and Style at home (2nd pic) do thrill me a bit.

A nicely decorated kitchen! I do love the ethnic vibe and the use of different tones of green and pistachio. A slight touch of industrial and the oddish objects on the selves complete the style. As an update, I just found this kitchen below and felt an urgent need to add it here (it’s Isabelle’s at Dos Family, click in for more detailed views).

I love the mood and it has also that new vibe. The tiles are gorgeous and the decor so exciting.
Below, black walls with frame groupings taken a step further as the collection of artwork is very expressive and, let say: well-travelled. I hope to see more of these interesting and dynamic globetrotterish/ethnic styles in the months to come. And I long for more folklore!

Discuss!