Cover Feature www.thedesignermagazine.com 27
TRENDWATCH
Spotted at the spring fairs:
• Asymmetric shapes for furniture • Intricate fabrics, eg heat-
and other objects; set pleats, and crinkles;
• Patterns with complicated • Top-end glamour: rich fabrics,
‘layered’ motifs; eg shot silks, cut chenilles;
• A contrasting ‘organic’ look • Crystal everywhere - even on a bath;
– rounded and fl owing; • Mixed metals: nickel, bronze,
• More sophisticated eco cred, eg pewter and more;
claims to ‘low embedded energy’; • More confi dent use of technology;
• A vogue for craft, sometimes, • Photo-realistic digital printing;
contrarily, copied by machine; • Laser cutting for lacy patterns;
• An eruption of pattern for • Rapid prototyping for
fabrics/wallpapers; sophisticated single items;
• Pattern also on sofas, lampshades • Deeper neutrals, with grey
and even cupboards; ousting cream;
• Folk motifs, cannibalised and • Berry shades of raspberry,
re-coloured; blackberry and plum;
• Heavy surface textures, eg • Accents of sun yellow, deep
routed out of resins; pink and charteuse.
Germany, Austria, the UK, and even the Far been promoting young British designers Above: Philippe Nigro’s
East. The range is wide, from the cleverest abroad, fostering the export sales that
Confl uences sofa
for Ligne Roset
of chic compact sofa beds, designed by a have so often kept emerging businesses
space-starved design duo in Vienna, to a afl oat.
chic folded-metal bar stool by a French new On a fi nal note, whilst cruising the
graduate. Roset has nurtured pieces from shows, I noticed how many products (even
VIA, France’s national agency of new design, on the mass market) are made from cast-offs
and also reintroduced models by veteran and throw-outs – a particular eco-obsession
design star Pierre Paulin, which have sold for many designers, it seems.
so well (particularly in London) that Roset It only works, of course, if the results are
commissioned a delightful new Paulin design beautiful, but happily in Paris they mainly
for this year. were – or amusing at any rate. Thus, we had
Amy Vinn Ligne Roset
Paulin is over 80, and another somewhat scatty clocks made from old ties
ameliavinstaka@hotmail.co.ukameliavinstaka@hotmail.co.uk www.ligne-roset.co.u.ligne-roset.co.ukk
octogenarian made a splash at Design Post and plates and amazing artefacts from rescued
British European Design Group Limahl Furniture
in Cologne – Brazilian Sergio Rodrigues needlepoint from simple cushions/cubes to
www.bedg.org www.limahlfurniture.com
whose chunky pieces in leather and full-blown antlered ‘deer heads’. designer
jacaranda wood now seem totally of our
Classicon Masif Designs
Sample more new trends yourself at London
time – though designed in the 60s. They
www.classicon.com www.masifdesigns.com
Design Week, from Sunday 15 March to
are being revived in Europe by Classicon
Friday 20 March inclusive, 10am to 6pm.
Designersblock Osborne & Little
and their website shows their Cologne
This is London’s great fabrics’ fest. Free
www.designersblock.org.uk www.osborneandlittle.com
installation, with more fascinating details
entry plus free bus shuttle from Sloane
on this colourful newly fashionable
Ercol Puff and Flock
Square station (assemble outside the Sloane
designer. By way of contrast, it was also
www.ercol.com www.puffandfl ock.com
Square Hotel).
great to see at both shows Britain’s young
Kartell Tea Un Kim
designers out in force, marshalled onto
Find 300 international brands, at 70
www.kartell.it www.greenteaun.com
group stands by the indefatigable Karin-
showrooms; The Design Centre, Chelsea
Beate Phillips. Since 1991, this remarkable
Harbour, Lots Road, London SW10
Kvadrat
– and extremely elegant – woman has,
(www.chelsea-harbour.co.uk). This website
www.kvadrat.dk
through her British European Design Group,
has links to all the showrooms.
Left: The Tetra Lamp by Majid Asif, who picked up the Young
Designer of the Year Award 2009 (Lighting) at Birmingham
Interiors
Right: Amy Vinn’s ‘It Takes Allsorts’ table and stools – clearly
inspired by the iconic sweets made by Bassett
spring fairs.indd 27 26/2/09 15:28:04
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