Color, finish, fun are lead trends at contemporary furniture fair

NEW YORK — At the nation’s most influential expo for home decor, designers continued to push boundaries with innovative materials and 3-D technology, but the standout looks were more about color, luxurious finishes and, most important, a sense of fun.

“Right now, people are more tempted to take a risk and buy something that makes them happy,” said Medora Danz, a vice president with Blu Dot, one of the more than 500 exhibitors at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, held recently at Javits Center.

Designers and manufacturers premiered fur- niture, lighting and decorative accessories that will hit stores and websites during the next 12 months. Here are some of the biggest trends this year:

Fans of old LPs had much to love. The Open/Close LP cabinet was a standout at Wanted Design, a growing independent showcase staged a few blocks from the fair. Open/Close has four soft-closing drawers for albums, a center area for your newest or mostplayed vinyl, two shelves for components and a slide-out tabletop for iPads or other digital devices.

Copper: Copper finishes continued to be a trend, the return of some sheen and sparkle to the postrecession decorating landscape. Lighting designer Tom Dixon showed his Base Copper Lamp in table, floor and wall versions.

Color: The bright mood at the furniture fair took its most literal forms in color palettes. The felt Bespoke Acoustic wall coverings by Anne Kyyro Quinn not only absorb sound, but also arrest the eye.

Levity: Whimsical designs prevailed. Charming bedside tables and book holders by Thing Industries took the form of wall-mounted birdhouses.

LEDs: The march to energy-efficient lighting took more steps forward as designers found new ways of configuring tiny LEDs, including the Heracleum II, designed by Bertjan Pot for the Dutch group Moooi.