trendey

I have one more post on my mind in this colour spree. And this one will lead us back to some serious trend talk. Have you noticed the emerge of black furniture recently? These are lovely news from IKEA and Graham & Green.

Black conveys elegance and sophistication. It denotes strength and authority and it’s also a colour associated with death and mystery… Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, and contrasts very well with bright colours. As a background it gives a sharpness and clarity that is hard to beat. As a wall paint though, it is seldom used at home. Or hasn’t been yet really – just wait to see what this autumn has to say about it. There are numerous shades of black, whereof the softer toned ones, like dark charcoal grey, and black velvet and suede are particularily interesting.

What colours suit black? I guess there are as many opinions on that matter as there are personal styles. No rules. Personally I am very fond of the combination soft black-grey, powder-rose and crystal/glass. And a touch of gold or copper. I’d put some sharpening black items, like the sofa above, into this scheme to enhance the soft luxurios athmosphere.

| living etc |

The trend theme of the AW 2010 Formex Fair and Exhibition is now realeased: it’s HAPPY!  Next professional meeting for nordic design will take place August 12-15, 2010.  It will be gathered around “togetherness”;  to bake together, make things together, cook, go out, work, relax and share our experiences via facebook, blog and tweets – conversation and interaction between people is what makes life worth living. The theme encourage us to come up with new traditions, give friends and family unexpected compliments and lower our guards. To feel the optimism in the changing times and have an elegant glass of bubbly on Tuesday and a slow-cooked meal on Thursday. Sounds jolly fun to me!

As for home decor trends the upcoming season, trend theme states:

Simple furnishings, no showing off. Go with what you like in a delightfully personal, slightly crazy mix. Get rid of any burdens. We furnish our homes to match our way of life; loves, impulse purchases, faithful companions and old memories combined with brand new and home-made items. Country accessories mix with urban influences. Handicrafts and a studio feel are still super-current. For colours, look for 1950s pastels and bolder colours. Delicate patterns, checks, stripes and flowers, with shades of grey as a base.

Formex, by virtue of its size and impact, usually have a nose for trends. To not say, set trends. I am *happy* with the direction mapped out in the autumn theme. It’s a spin on what is trendy right now, adding an extra scoop of freedom, friendliness and optimism.

These photos above were taken almost exactly a year ago, in Northern Sweden. (Nowadays, living in Stockholm, most photos depict streets and buildings). EARLY SPRING. Counterparted below with room inspiration [from house to home]

Today, the Danish super-brand DAY (Day Birger et Mikkelsen) released press photos of their Spring 2010 home collection. The early photos look very promising! It feels healthy, fresh and natural: evocative of the sea and beaches, nature, forest…

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It’s a bit of the metallic trend going on, but it’s also the clever fact that if you keep the floor subdued and neutral, furniture and other decor can sparkle. I’ve never seen a grey carpet being disturbing, quite the opposite: it gives a cozy and snug feeling and adds warmth to the floor. And it works well with almost any style. There are some really nice grey rugs on the market right now:

The warming manga rug series in wool I wrote about earlier (example top left on pic above) and the new Björk (‘Birch tree’) rug from Swedish Lena Bergström for Design House Stockholm (top right pics) are both cozy and desirable. In a sofa arrangement, I fancy round rugs. This 2 m dark grey-almost black one, silk shaggy, (bottom left) comes from TheHome. The company Pappelina is well known for their plastic rugs; bottom right is a metallic grey Svea.

To round off: some grey rug-inspiration in different interior styles.

|photos: HouseToHome|