Where do interior designers go to find the newest trends in home design on an international or domestic level?
Design trends are funny things, inspiration comes from everywhere. Interior designers learn about design trends through trade shows like NeoCon and KBIS, as well as looking through magazines and reading trade articles. If you want to learn about trends coming to the U.S. ahead of time, you can look for international magazines at specialty news stands or magazine shops. If you are looking for a certain kind of cultural trend, say Parisan or Indian, this is the best option. Fortunately for everyone, the internet now makes everything accessible, so the trends you see are sure to come to the U.S. soon. As far as color trends, fashion and art are major influencers, for more on this topic please click this link: Color trends for 2008.
Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
I recently had the chance to interview Dana Galler, owner of two Chicago furniture stores including Design Studio Furniture. I am always curious about popular trends and shopping patterns since furniture trends can change so rapidly. Dana was able to provide her insight into the Chicago market.
What colors are most popular in furniture? Any surprise colors?
All earth tones and organic colors are still very strong trends for us with our clients, and we consider all shades of grays to be the "next wave". Orange and robins egg blue as accents are the big "surprise" colors, usually reserved for occasional pieces, accessories, and wall colors
Are there specific products that customers with lofts or small apartments are finding particularly appealing and functional in small places?
Dining tables that fold out and double in size for entertaining; very contemporary styled sleeper sofas that do not look like "traditional sofas" and are much more comfortable then traditional 'sleepers"; anything with storage that is clean lined, modular and available in a variety of different woods and finishes. All of these are perfectly stylish, spacial solutions for urban cond-loft dwellers.
Continue reading "Interview: Trends at Chicago Furniture Stores" »
Our designer on staff, J. Chandelle, is looking to help provide interior design guidance for one of our readers here at Furniture Fashion. If you have a question about decorating or even redesigning a particular room in your home, let us know about it. We want to start with your question, and then offer guidance about the possibilities of the room - a "before an after" approach. In particular, we are looking for a digital image of the room along with your question. Be sure and keep the digital image at low resolution so that it will make it through our email server. Send to: redesign@furniturestoreblog.com
One of the largest requests a designer gets is to help with color coordination and creating a color palate. Interior design professionals keep up to date with the latest trends, and know which of last season's trends will be out of style, as well as which ones will endure.
These trends are prepared by what we call color forecasters. Some of the best sources you can use for color trends are paint companies, they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to watch, research, and follow upcoming color trends. They go to great lengths to keep industry professionals up to date on the new trends because it can be a lucrative partnership. They provide the latest color trend information, and designers introduce the new colors and trends to our clients, normally resulting in a sale for the paint company.
We pull colors from our surroundings and environment, which is always changing, as does our taste and curiosity about the world we live in. So it is quite natural that our feelings toward colors would change annually. Color forecasters look to many influences to determine the years hot and cool colors, but here are this years contributors:
1. Cultural awareness- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Egypt
2. Technology- Hybrid Colors
3. Nature- Bright Rainforest hues and contrasting colors
4. Travel- Coastal Living
5. Pop Culture- Think Pink
6. Fashion- Nautical Movement, Rich Earth
7. Demographics- Being aware of who you are appealing to
8. Environment- Environmental concerns and Green Design (does not refer to the color green itself)
Continue reading "Color Trends for 2008, Part I" »
Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
If one were to ask consumers what interior design was, there would be many varied answers. If you ask an interior designer, it's an art.
Fashion follows art, and interior design typically follows fashion. Like both fashion and art, interior design has style, form, texture, color, pattern, lines, and mass. Designers use light, materials, proportions, scale, emphasis, and balance to shape spaces that are beautiful, as well as functional.
Many clients are unsure of where, or how to start their new design project, and don't know what to do to get started. One of the best ways to get an idea of what you want is to buy home design magazines. Lots of them. Cut out pictures of things you like. These things could be products, color schemes, or even the overall feel of a room shown. By doing this alone you have helped to narrow down your style. There are four main design styles: traditional, contemporary, transitional, and eclectic. Within these four there are many more terms that can further break down your style, but it is best to start with the basics.
Continue reading "What is Interior Design?" »
Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
