Lifestyle Trends For Autumn/Winter 2016/17

Trend forecasters are probably the oddest kind of persons. Not in a negative way, don't get me wrong. But who are these people who apparently know what is going to trend in like two years from now? I'll tell you - at least I know one person: Gudy Herder, my friend and fellow blogger at Eclectic Trends. She is a professional trend expert and works for the Global Color Research in London.

Two weeks ago I attended a trend seminar hosted by Gudy for 'Meet the Blogger'. Together with her we pushed the fast forward button and found ourselves in the autumn/winter 2016/17 season - yes, two years from now. Gudy presented four lifestyle trends that nourish themselves from creative vibes in arts, fashion, design. And today I want to share those lifestyle trends with you too. Let's roll!

Trend 01: WONDERLAND

'Wonderland' describes cold, rough nordic landscapes. It evokes escapism and the desire to discover the inaccessible, the undiscovered. It is etherial, sometimes intangible. It draws major inspiration from the nordic nature and brings the feeling of nature into our lives and homes. It is the desire to liberate ourselves from the conventions and limits, it refers to our inner urge to cut off the strings that make us function in our mundane life. Elusive, frosty colors define this trend - think of cold whites, icy blues, dark greens but also opposing lava reds and other volcanic hues, soft sunset colors. 

Trend 02: SCANNED

This trend reveals what lies beneath. It triggers our explorative nature to peek under the surface, to see what lies beneath and thus to better understand life. It is a sort of creative Darwinism, an urge to understand, observe and control. It focuses on transparency and X-ray looks, it integrates technology in the human body and life. Even though it has a technological dimension, it is still airy, delicate. It is the poetic dimension of technology if you want so. Color wise think of charcoal, transparent greys, mauve, dusky blues and pale pink.

Trend 03: COLLAGE

Who knew - in two years the 80s will be back, in full force! This trend refers to the so-called 'Memphis Design', an Italian design and architecture group from 1981. It is a non-conformist approach and leverages our creative drive. Vivid colors, geometric shapes, modular concepts - it is a sort of cut & past style with lots of optimism and dynamics. It is all about customization and a modular understanding of design. Think of painterly effects, brush strokes, black & white with blush and peach hues, light blues, greys. Playful is a keyword here!

Trend 04: COSMIC

This trend evokes distant feelings, it is a technological, mechanical concept, rooting in the 80s. Imagine exploding stars, northern lights and a robot feeling. It is acid, vivid, full of drama, it melts, floats, it shimmers, it's metallic, it's crystalline. Color wise think of acid greens, vibrant pinks and purples, midnight blues, turquoise and black. Also think of shimmering gold and silver effects. With this trend we are bound to set off and explore the universe!

After her presentation Gudy asked for feedback from the attending 25 lifestyle bloggers and the two favorite trend forecasts were 'Wonderland' and 'Scanned'. I think this was mostly because we can already see those in the creative world - their colors and landscape designs and X-ray looks are already being applied by forward thinking brands and most of it comes from Scandinavia. 

I would like to pick up Gudy's question and pass it on to you, my dear readers: Which trend is your favorite and which one do you think will be really big?

P.S. I am in Amsterdam until Sunday so I will see you back on Monday here on the blog. For an instant glimpse into what I am up to in Amsterdam (lots of design) follow me on Instagram @igorjosif

Photography by Igor Josifovic, collages by Gudy Herder

Tweet

Maison & Objet 2014 Interior Design Highlights

It's been a week now that I am back from the Maison & Objet design show in Paris. It was my third design trade show in a row this year and even though I visited it last year too (read all about it HERE), I was once again overwhelmed by the incredible size of the fair and the number of exhibitors. Truth be told, you'd need several days to grasp the full scope of the Maison & Objet show, I however tried to round up a few highlights in one single afternoon. Well, let's roll with some more interior design highlights, this time from the French capital Paris:

Subtle and Saturated Colours: One of the repeating observations during this year's design shows is that the colour palette has become more subtle, more saturated and calm - gone are the years of flashy neon hues and very bright hues. Full, velvety blues like indigo, lots of grey hues, soft and pale pinks, many neutrals and a repetitive pop of warm, saturated yellows - these colours seem to play a major role in 2014. I loved the use of colours at the stand of the Croatian furniture brand Prostoria but also the playful use of colours at the Design Letters stand or at the House Doctor stand.

Marble, Concrete, Leather, Copper, Brass, Wood: These materials have been playing a major role on many exhibitors' stands. The combination of various textures and nuances, warm and cold surfaces, creates a visual and haptic tension that will be definitely trending this year. The Scandinavian brands are leading this interior design trend - just have a look at the new collections of Menu, Normann Copenhagen, &Tradition and more. Wood furniture lovers should check out the British brand Case Furniture. 

Indoor Plants: A movement in interior design I am particularly fond of is the revival of green interiors through indoor plants. Many stands have used indoor plants and entire plant walls to accentuate their collections and visualize the idea of a stylish home in 2014. Some brands have even exhibited dedicated furniture pieces that embody the use of indoor plants such as the French brand Bellila. A real highlight for myself!

Individuality and Playfulness: Ok, this is no revelation or news for most of us - but many brands showcased their desire for more individuality and playfulness in interior design. Be creative, combine playfully and forget old, traditional rules - get on a trial-and-error sort of interior design adventure and recreate your space continuously for more happiness. I loved how fun this was shown by brands like Seletti, Room Copenhagen or 19 Greek Street with their new collection Re Imagined made of vintage and new reupholstered furniture.

Unpretentious Luxury: Brands like the French furniture maker Cinna or the stand of Tom Dixon who was awarded 'Designer of the Year of the Maison & Objet 2014' succeeded in interpreting luxury in a new and rather unpretentious way. Luxury in interior design was mostly conceived as overdone and really over-the-top with everything: materials, patterns, prices. But brands in the upper price scale seem to tone down on the visual aggressiveness and portray a rather calm, unpretentious way of highlighting premium quality. 

I hope you enjoyed this little interior design round-up from this year's Maison & Objet show in Paris. Later this week I will be off to the Furniture and Lighting Fair in Stockholm so there will be more interior design news on the blog soon. Stay tuned!

Happy week, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

Tweet