House & Home was in London last month for the annual Decorex show of the best in fabrics, wallpapers , furniture and paints. Here’s our top five trends...
1. Folk:
Welcome back, ethnic chic. We fell in love with the work of Niki Jones and her Afghani, Indian and Kasmiri-inspired textiles and accessories, and Quirico’s han-loomed velvet Ikat fabrics.
2. Silk:
Nature’s finest fabric is everywhere again this season. Look out for gorgeous, drool-inducing handmade, silk-embroidered wall panels by Fromental, and the classic British appeal of Bennett’s Silks.
3. Florals:
Goodbye giant graphical blooms, hello feminine, vintage and botanically-accurate takes on nature.
We were spoiled this year by the offerings of Cabbage and Roses, the cottagey fabric and print makers, produce floral-based products with decidedly vintage, and of course, by Nina Campbell’s new Paradiso collection made for Osborne & Little.
4. Handmade:
Step forward, Tracy Kendall, and take a bow for some of the most unusual and creative walls we’ve seen in an age. Kendall won the Scarlet Opus Best On-Trend Product award at the show for her fascinating handmade wallpapers made using sequins, graphic images, jigsaw pieces, stitched handwriting and feathers, which make each roll either highly tactile, or amazing to look at.
5. Traditionalism:
2011 heralds a return to traditionalism – as opposed to minimalism - in technique as well as in looks. We checked out Ian Mankin’s fabrics, which are woven at his family’s traditional Lancashire cotton mill, and we hung out with Little Greene, the paints and wallpaper company on a mission to preserve and replicate 18th, 19th and 20th century examples, the originals of which were found in grand London houses by conservationists. It also prints its wares on an ancient wallpaper press to achieve the most authentic reproductions.
Tell us what you think:
Which of these five trends is you favourite - and why? Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know.
