January was the month of renewal in the interior design world.
January is the month of the big shows which draw designers from all corners to check out new products and ideas.
IDS is the big event in Toronto while Las Vegas hosts Surfaces flooring convention and a huge furniture show as well. It is the place for the design world to strut its stuff and to make us wait impatiently for new and exciting product to hit our markets.
To see the exciting products at a design show can be likened to seeing concept cars at a car show; once the prototype actually hits the open market it is a watered-down much safer and marketable version than what was originally presented.
It is exactly the same in fashion where we are blown away by runway shows only to find nothing close to resembling those creations in our local shops. Obviously marketability is the first issue but production and sustainability are other things to consider.
Fabrications, resources and manufacturing availability will sometimes take a product off of the market before it has even had a chance to prove its worth.
Production is playing it very safe right now – even though fuel costs are lower freight and transport fees are still being raised, especially from overseas importers.
Companies want to produce that which is sellable and not take too many risks in making ‘out there’ products which may only appeal to a small percentage of consumers.
Design is a fickle client and what seems fabulous today can be totally gauche tomorrow.
I just read an Internet article stating ‘Chevron and Herringbone were the most overused patterns of 2014 and you need to get them out of your home IMMEDIATELY!’
Really? This pattern is just picking up speed here and I really don’t think my clients who have put this pattern into their tile want to hear that it is already being shoved out the door.
It’s absolutely fine to watch the trends but keep in mind that what eventually arrives on our doorstep will be a different version.
To be completely honest, I’ve always been the ‘wait and see’ type of person and would rather let someone else test a product and see how it performs.
When we meet with reps who try to wow us with the latest carpet fibre or seemingly indestructible hardwood I always hang back for a bit before recommending it to clients just to see if it lives up to all the hype.
The fantastic news is that in a few months’ time we will have some lovely new products to ‘ooh and aah’ over and the new trends in colours will slip into drapery fabric which may give you an opportunity for a fabulous new paint colour!
Design is cyclical and one delicious trend will infl uence another which will cause an overall change in all elements of products for your home but be careful not to get too caught up in being current as currents tend to shift.
Buy what you love and have items in your home that are special and beautiful to you and you will always feel like you are in the center of current style.
Kim Meckler is an interior designer with Carpet Colour Centre in Red Deer.