SIX CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE DESIGN TRENDS
Outer-space-inspired carpets. Larger-than-life lamps. Abstract-patterned urinals. The 28th-annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair has them all, with themes like geometrics, gemstones and global influences taking centre stage at the trend-setting event. Kicking off in New York City on Saturday, the four-day fair is bringing together more than 33,000 interior designers, architects, retailers and other members of the global design community, making it the top North American showcase for trends in the architecture and interior-design world, including these six trends anyone can incorporate into their own home decor. By Lauren Pelley
GEOMETRICS
Three-dimensional elements and geometric designs are all over this year’s design fair. Los Angeles-based Bend Goods, for instance, is showcasing the Betty stacking chair, a colourful piece made from powder-coated steel, featuring bold geometric shapes in vibrant wire. “This piece is a bohemian stacking chair for every occasion that doesn’t sacrifice style (or) space,” says Kevin O’Keefe, the show’s director.
Get the look
Make a statement with a two-piece brass-plated polygon pedestal table set, $649 at CB2.
ABSTRACTS
Plenty of designers are using technological advances to create bright colours or abstract patterns, based on the natural world. Scottish interior-surface pattern designer Dana Finnigan produces patterns with a more “masculine” feel, including those used in this urinal concept (yes, you read that right.) “Instead of producing pattern design in the traditional way, (Finnigan) has decided to think about textile design in new, interesting and adventurous ways, creating a product range utilizing her skill in digital print,” says O’Keefe.
Get the look
Snag an abstract Gluckstein Home Slate Bleeker Rug, which incorporates eye-catching watercolour effects and pops of colour, $999 at Hudson’s Bay.
GLOBAL INFLUENCES
Celtic artwork and Morrocan detailing are among the inspirations for pieces this year, while New Zealand industrial designer Lucy Tupu’s new Flax furniture line puts a 1970s, old-Hollywood spin on the techniques of her Samoan heritage. The collection is a “contemporary take on traditional weaving techniques,” says O’Keefe.
Get the look
Go truly global by picking up a colourful raffia hope basket, handcrafted in Uganda, $30 at Ten Thousand Villages.
GEMSTONES
Piggybacking on the geometric trend are gemlike designs, such as these striking lights with diamond-inspired bone-china shades from the British family business Original BTC. The company’s Hatton light collection is named, fittingly, after the diamond polishing street in London. “When switched off, the lights have an angular sculptural beauty and, when switched on, they provide warm, ambient lighting with dramatic lines and shadows,” says O’Keefe.
Get the look
For a low-cost option that won’t require swapping your current lights, try gem-shaped lanterns from West Elm, starting at $60.
OUTER SPACE
Design has gone to infinity and beyond at this year’s fair, with outer space taking centre stage. The Space-Crafted photorealistic carpet collection from Germany-based Jan Kath, for one, is based on dazzling celestial images captured by the Hubble Telescope. O’Keefe says the collection is inspired by the unique night sky in Nepal, “far away from the light pollution of our civilization.”
Get the look
A carpet is a big commitment, but you can get your galaxy fix with a framed archival print of a Hubble Telescope photograph of the Orion Nebula, $33 on Etsy.
REIMAGINED DESIGNS
“Within the first few months of the year, a strong need to reminisce has taken hold and become a key trend,” says O’Keefe. For instance, Anglepoise, maker of iconic 1930s desk lights, has launched gigantic versions scaled to the size of popular Roald Dahl character, the BFG — or Big Friendly Giant — just in time for the author’s centennial year.
Get the look
Charming and iconic 1960s-style rotary phones revamped with a push-button design are available for $89.50 at indigo.ca.