- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on April 21, 2010
Let me take you on a journey back in time for a moment…
The early 20th Century was a period in history when people experienced economic depression, hardship and war, eventually followed by a post-war spirit of frivolity and an eagerness to challenge convention. Comparisons to our recent global economic crisis, war, slow economic recovery and eagerness for Change can easily be made. Therefore we are predicting that, throughout 2011, a design influence which relates to the 1910-1920s era will have a striking presence in Interiors (as well as both Men’s & Women’s wear) resulting in a mixed upbeat mood of sophistication.
A significant piece of this trend's jigsaw to consider and be inspired by is the hugely influential dance company Ballet Russe (1909-1929). Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe caused a worldwide sensation during their tours, reinvigorating the art of performance dance, altering the course of musical history and establishing artistic links between creative arts disciplines. Whilst the Ballet Russe were training and performing in Paris the contemporary fine artists of the day, such as Picasso, Matisse, Miró and designers such as Chanel, Poiret and Bakst Lev (whose 1911 costume design is pictured above with the kind permission of the Russian Paintings Gallery in Samara City, Russia) contributed their creative skills via set designs, costumes and posters, effectively introducing Modernism to the masses. The avant-garde Modernism, Orientalism, Neo-Classicism and Neo-Romantic influences that originally inspired the dance company can also be identified in this new interior trend.
Fast forward to 2011…
This trend has a vibrant spirit and carefree attitude that is mixed with a laidback mood of dark 1920s dens and the sophistication and elegant glamour of the New York hotels and Parisian salons of the day. The presence of gold and copper tones mean that Baroque and Rococo styling is never far from our minds but the predominant design style is Art Deco which continues to surprisingly have a very modern look with its bold abstract geometric designs, curvaceous sweeping lines of furniture shapes, playfully stylised patterns, representations of exotic women and challenging mixes of traditional and (then) modern materials. Don’t forget about the huge influence of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 which had a big impact on Western design...and is set to do the same again.
The vibrancy of spirit and glamorous mood is echoed in the trend’s color palette which includes flame-like oranges through to red and russets and deep wine shades that merge into dark purple tones. There is a very theatrical mood, bold and striking. There is a sense of passion and daring, of being unrestrained. The darker colors are not overpowering or gloomy...they are sumptuous! Plays of scale are present with exaggerated, oversized pattern motif. High shine lacquered surface finishes are favoured, smart lustrous velvet pile carpets and black or über-dark woods. Inlaid metallic embellishments feature along with brushed metallics and foil flashes. Oriental brocades and intricate paisley jacquards make good starting points as do mosaics, deco florals and bold scrolls.
Read our blog: www.trendsblog.co.uk
Visit our website: www.scarletopus.com
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- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on March 25, 2010
Grey has a terrible reputation for being dull and boring. It is associated with cloudy days and a drained appearance. But Grey has another side to its character that is revealed when it is teamed with other colours:
• Alongside black, purples and metallics it is dramatic and luxurious:
• Used in combination with bright or soft pastels it appears cheerful and feminine:
• With Aerosol Brights it has a funky, retro appearance:
• With this year’s hot colours (Turquoise & Indigo) it has vibrant optimism:
In fact, Grey is the chameleon of the colour world because of its ability to soak up and reflect the colours it is surrounded by. There is a Grey that will work well in relationship with other colours for every décor scheme imaginable. A huge range of warm, cold, muted and crisp Greys can be achieved and they encompass much more than simply the shades between Black and White (Achromatic Greys). By adding a small tint of colour to the mix, the creation of Chromatic Greys results in lilac greys, blue greys, green greys and on and on.
This ability to compliment any other colour is the main reason why Greys have been important throughout design history and recently Grey has been embraced by the world of Fashion once again and moving forward its place in interior product designer’s collections is guaranteed. Forward-thinking Home products manufacturers are already experimenting with the many shades of Grey in order to bring exciting new home products to market. Wallcovering and upholstery companies are discovering that as a ‘new neutral’, Grey can be used in the same way as creams, white and beiges to provide a quiet base colour for a room that will help to create a balanced scheme. Grey is timeless and sophisticated.
The true potential of Grey is yet to be fully realised in interior design.
Now is the time to get to grips with Grey and explore its true potential!
- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on February 25, 2010
When I tell people that I’m a Trend Forecaster they often nod knowingly and then ask me where I get my ideas from, which tells me their nod was actually not very ‘knowing’ after all. This is why when I am asked to present a seminar of future design trends, I always take time at the start to explain how I do what I do. By lifting the veil of mystery that surrounds the forecasting industry, I aim to provide seminar audiences with an in-depth understanding and appreciation that it is a logical process. In my experience, this then allows people to take-in the information in a more accepting way and to apply the information with complete confidence.
When I presented my 90 minute seminar at SURFACES earlier this month, I used the first half of the session to explain exactly what Trend Forecasting is, how it works, and why it works. For those of you who were not able to attend the seminar, I would like to share with you in this posting the process we use at Scarlet Opus to predict design trends.
Trend Forecasting is a powerful tool that provides a reliable view of future design trends and allows you to lead with confidence knowing your creative decisions are informed decisions.
There are some common misconceptions about how Trend Forecasters actually forecast design trends for the Interiors market. Allow me to dispel a couple of myths right now; I don’t have a crystal ball! Neither do I wait to see what appears on the catwalks of European fashion houses and simply translate the major themes into Interiors themes. Trend Forecasting is actually much more scientific in its methodology than most people imagine. It is a discipline that involves skills from the worlds of both Design and Social Science.
Basically, we follow a five stage process of research gathering, analysis and translation that results in groupings of information that share common factors and these groupings form the foundation of a season’s trend forecast.
To get to this point, we must first review our last season’s forecast. This is because, in the Interiors sector, trends tend to evolve gradually over time, connecting one season to the next. Because of this, all trends can be tracked over time and this ‘reviewing stage’ gives us our starting point for the new season’s forecast.
Next, we research future events planned to take place over the next 2-3 years. This is the bit that causes people to mention crystal balls but it is really simply a matter of intense, thorough research from reliable sources. It is possible to get access to a huge amount of information regarding all sorts of major future events that are scheduled to take place and it’s also partly about asking the right person the right questions. We research sectors including Environment issues, Politics, Science & Technology, Sport, TV & Film, Architectural Projects, Transport, Major World Events & Anniversaries and global Gallery & Museum Exhibitions. Issues and events planned to take place around the world such as these have an affect on the mood in society, our changing values, priorities and finally they have an eventual influence on the products and styles people will want to have in their homes and expect from hotels and retail environments in the future. These global events and issues may also inspire influential and niche designers whose work will in turn influence other designers, creating further desire and driving demand. All of this information builds up like layers of cake enabling us to forecast what will be to peoples taste at a specific point in the future.
Into the mix, we add information on major current issues that we judge will affect either the season we are trying to forecast or potentially the season following that. We also assess whether the news event will reinforce a current trend or could cause a current trend to change direction.
Then, we add in anything significant and influential that has occurred that we could not have foreseen e.g. an environmental disaster – again assessing if the unexpected event could reinforce or change current trends.
Finally, we analyse all of this information to identify common themes and these groupings form the foundation of our trends. Then we can begin the creative process of translating this information into a forecast of the future Wants, Needs and Desires of consumers and produce a design forecast that identifies the interior schemes, products, colors, patterns, shapes and materials that will match and satisfy consumers future desires.
My job continues to fascinate me and I am privileged that our forecasts help to inform and inspire the creative work of Interior Designs and Product Designers, Manufacturers and Retailers around the world.
If you have any questions or comments regarding how design trends are forecast, please share them here.
www.scarletopus.com
www.trendsblog.co.uk
- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on January 28, 2010
Of Mans first disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With the loss of Eden
--Milton
Within Milton’s epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ there are warnings of the effects of excessive living, the importance of moderation and the essentiality of a careful balance between nature and man based on respect. It is a particularly topical piece as it charts the consequences of choices that lead to the destruction of the Garden of Eden.
Now, having plundered the earth's resources for generations, we have arrived at an ecological crossroads. The future direction that we choose to take is a decision that must be made by every individual, every business and every nation. It is an issue that affects everyone and therefore has the potential to unite all people, as it concerns the whole of mankind in ways and to an extent that no issue has previously.
The ‘Green’ bandwagon has been a favourite marketing vehicle for many manufacturers and retailers of interior products during the economic downturn – keen to be seen to be Green! But many consumers are now questioning the genuineness of products and companies' green credentials and it is therefore crucial to prove authenticity and communicate this effectively if your business depends on such claims.
However we cannot simply replace Conspicuous Consumption with Conscientious Consumption. It’s not that straight forward.
Products must deliver much more in order to appeal on all levels to an increasingly informed public whose spending has become much, much more selective. Therefore products must be designed with the heart as much as the head, by designers and manufacturers who genuinely bow to ethical and environmental concerns, not just commercial concerns and who endeavor to create and sell products that are:
• Thoughtfully designed
• Well made
• Need-focused
• Pleasure bringing
• Ethically sourced
• Made from sustainable materials
• An improvement on products that already exist
Underground Tapestry Rug by Angela Adams
From a design perspective, there is an increasing desire for the colour green - the literal expression of consumers’ concerns and interest in environmental issues. This is a trend concerned with a joyful appreciation of the inherent beauty of nature and its essentiality in our lives. It comes at a time when urban planners and architects are making great leaps forward in bringing more greenery into cities and creating urban sustainability, effectively creating our own manmade Gardens of Eden to revive and improve our relationship with nature, combining rural elements in urban settings.
(Incidentally this is the focus of the 2010 World Fair in Shanghai which runs from May to October: ‘Better City, Better Life’. You can visit the official show website and see the amazing national pavilion designs by clicking this link: http://en.expo2010.cn/
The Great Outdoors is brought Indoors and references to nature via pattern, colour, form and materials continues to be important throughout 2010 & 2011. Working the land in our own small ways and living in harmony with nature are key aspirational characteristics of the season and these issues are also informing the work of designers.
Forest Floor Rug by Angela Adams
Angela Adams is an example of a designer inspired by the drama of natural landscapes. Adams’ creative process is concerned with the appreciation and accentuation of the intricate beauty of naturally occurring patterns - and the results are stunning. ‘The Birds and the Bees’ collection is a tribute to Mother Nature. The rugs are the product of her passion for organic form and her interest in representing nature’s treasures via textile techniques. The ‘Forest Floor’ rug is a multifaceted landscape of rich colour, mossy textures and varying dimension that creates a wonderfully expressive statement piece. Similarly the ‘Underground Tapestry’ rug explores the pockets of pattern and texture beneath the Forest Floor created by crystal formations, interweaving roots and movements of water.
www.angelaadams.com
This trend is also beautifully encapsulated by the creative work of Emma Gardner Design whose fine contemporary interior products include a range of expertly hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs.
ChineseRiver rug in Undersea colorway by Emma Gardner Design
Emma Gardner - Chief Designer & Principal - understands perfectly the visual rhythms that can be achieved in flooring and the effective use of a green-based color palette. Emma explains:
“There is something about these colour combinations that I think human beings basically respond to very emotionally.
The Chinese River design was the result of several inspiration influences; I had been considering stylised flowing river patterns, paper cut out motifs and butterflies…all familiar in Chinese designs. When I developed the Undersea colorway I was taken with the techniques of creating watercolor effects by use of close tonal colors and I used a very emotive blue/green colour combination.”
http://www.emmagardnerdesign.com/
The concept of bringing the outside inside is not new but as consumer interest in ‘Forest and Field’ inspired interior trends continues, it is important to find authentic and intriguing ways to introduce Nature into interior environments. Angela Adams’ and Emma Gardner’s work should inspire us all to be original and bold in our design statements and to trust that end consumers will embrace these statement products.
Please leave a comment to let me know how you are addressing Green issues from both an ethical and aesthetic stance!
To see Angela Adams’ wonderful product range visit: www.angelaadams.com
You can see more of Emma Gardner’s award winning rug designs by visiting: www.emmagardnerdesign.com
For more information on our company & services visit: www.scarletopus.com
To read our trend blog visit: www.trendsblog.co.uk
- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on December 29, 2009
In 2010 a new phase begins that is driven by consumer’s new expectations, demands and discerning taste. It will be a year dominated by consumer’s determination to have greater control in all areas of their lives. The challenge within business shifts from focussing on your competitors activities, to being concerned about the activities and strategies of your end consumers. By taking charge of change a more confident consumer mood emerges that is fuelled by a desire for freedom of expression and a desire for something different. The mood is more upbeat and daring and this is reflected in braver decorating choices.
The economic uncertainty of recent years has created an atmosphere of mistrust and a nervous consumer attitude. Now trust must be re-established by opening our businesses up to scrutiny and judgment i.e. making them transparent.
Suit the action to the word, the word to the action
William Shakespeare
The consumer ‘purchase decision making process’ is increasingly sophisticated, multilayered and discerning. They are willing to take the time to research product details, they rate, critique, question and compare.
Consumer Interaction is set to evolve a stage further as they seek to interact with and influence the activities of designers, manufacturers and retailers of the products they purchase – essentially helping to define and develop product ranges, marketing and brand identities. Eventually this spirit of co-creation could transform the traditional relationship between consumers and manufacturers/retailers leading to a business model based on co-operative partnerships.
2010 is the perfect time to embrace your end consumers and allow them to become valued Product Developers, Designers and Marketing Guru’s within your organisation. Now is the time to consider reaching out to consumers and asking for their opinions…their expert advice…and in return freely offering your expert advice.
A great example of putting this into action is the ‘Fun On The Floor’ campaign in the UK, which has brought together a group of carpet manufacturers and retailers to promote carpeting, provide expert advice and encourage consumer participation. Fun On The Floor has a dedicated panel of interiors, style and carpet experts (of which I am the Color & Trend expert) on-hand to provide advice and share knowledge in order to help consumers make the right choice. Consumers from anywhere in the world can ask questions via the official website: www.funonthefloor.com and their query is answered free of charge, whether it is a question relating to quality, color, interior design, craft or cost. The panel (which also includes Carpet Expert - Steve Elliott, Craft & Style Expert - Danielle Proud and Interior Design Expert - Andrea Maflin) all feel this type of dialogue with end consumers builds trust in a meaningful way and helps to reassure and inspire!
Any level of involvement in your business’ decision making or product design makes consumers feel more in control and this influences who they choose to make their purchases from and what they choose to purchase. This empowerment contributes towards and reflects an increased yearning in consumers for control and an increased sense of community embedded in all of their daily interactions.
With control and choice back in the hands of consumers there is a sense of greater freedom of expression in 2010. In terms of design and color trends it makes sense to offer products, design and marketing that projects stability and encourages an optimistic approach that will help to push forward.
There is a bracing feeling of being on the brink of positive change. It is a time for individual choice, pushing boundaries, turning away from globalisation and homogenisation and of consumers making their own decisions instead of being dictate to by the media. A relaxed attitue prevails, no longer limited by others expectations or the need to conform. The winds of change bring optimism and the dissatisfaction of the past is washed away as consumers embrace simplicity. We move forward into the future with calm determination:
• Restraint is replaced by discernment.
• Excess is replaced by discretion.
• The need for the familiar is replaced by a need for the unusual.
• The need for reassurance is replaced by a need for greater fulfilment.
All images courtesy of www.funonthefloor.com
http://www.scarletopus.com/