Trends from the Front Lines of Furniture Design

The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is an onyx-shaded stack of glass cubes that sits on the New York City’s Hudson River like a stack of Lego blocks. At night the glass glows as the skeleton of steel is backlit from the light inside. It’s contemporary yet timeless — a fitting home for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF).

From May 17 to 20 this year, 29,500 interior designers, architects, retailers, representatives, distributors, facility managers, developers, manufacturers, store designers, visual merchandisers and the general public will pilgrimage to the Javits Center’s doors for the annual meeting of the premier players in furniture design. It’s the 26th annual ICFF, and it’s the place to find, in the organizer’s terms, “what’s best and what’s next.” Here’s what we’re noticing this year.

Info: ICFF 2014 is open to the public on Tuesday, May 20; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; $60. Buy tickets

Natural Materials

Mariah Wren of Wren & Cooper is looking at blacks, dark browns and natural fibers that add contrast to muted interior colors. Her furniture uses the natural wonder of walnut to add that flash of color contrast.

Shown: Burnt Media Console, Wren & Cooper, $4,250


Further down the natural spectrum, Uhuru Designs looks for innovation in nature, like using the ancient practice of shou-sugi-ban to add texture and pay homage to what some say is one of the earliest methods of wood preservation. Organic materials are still the centerpiece, but they’re being imagined anew.

Shown: Hono Stool, Uhuru Designs





Edison Bulbs

Jackson Schwartz at Hennepin Made sees contemporary lighting moving toward “artisan manufacturing where small companies both design and produce their products,” he says. And nothing says artisan quite like an Edison.

The bulbs offer a soft, warm light and don’t slack on visual merit.

Shown: The Parallel Series, Hennepin Made, $350 to $530


Edison bulbs have been experiencing a resurgence in the past few years; while there are flexible new low-watt options for LEDs, the Edison is captivating for its charm. Luke Kelly of Luke Lamp attributes this to something he calls “aesthetic meat.”

He believes in fixtures having a presence, like his woven Edison bulbs, which have visual bulk. “Aesthetically,” Kelly says, “it’s pleasing to see something substantial.”

Shown: Hanging Lamp Chandelier, Luke Lamp, $118


Shown: Petra Counter-Sink, MTI Baths


Sinks

Good news comes from Alex Bursac at Duravit: “Understated sexy is back.” That means slim wall-hung countertops (like the one here) and minimal hardware on vanities and cabinets to create a spa-like feel at home.

The designers at MTI Baths took the sleek trend to heart, designing what they’re calling the counter-sink. It’s one slab of engineered solid stone, molded into a seamless countertop and sink. It’s not a vessel, semirecessed or undermount sink, but an integrated sink within the countertop, making understated cool manifest.

Shown: Countertop and sink by Duravit, to be released soon


Midcentury Modern Chairs

MCM is still viral in contemporary design, and seating options are not immune. Options like the Acapulco lounge chair are appearing in full bloom from the likes of Nododesigns, and designers like Fritz Hansen, who made their name with pressure-molded seating, are still around and contributing.

And then there’s steel. The metalworkers at Bend Goods, for example, are crafting powder-coated seating options to fit trending colors (mint and flamingo pink).

Shown: The Drop Chair, Fritz Hansen


Wool Blankets

Not that wool blankets can be a trend — those fibers spun their timelessness a long while back — but small-batch, hand-loomed fabrics have not lost any followers. Designers from Norway (Mandal Veveri, Roros Tweed) to New York (Alicia Adams Alpaca) are still creating inspired versions of the warm, breathable fabric.

Shown: The Lynild Blanket, Roros Tweed


LED Lamps

Koncept describes its Gravy light as “LED technology wrapped up in a warm wood finish.”


The world of LED lighting is only getting brighter. The low-voltage illumination allows for creative expression. Koncept sees a move toward the use of wood, “as LED’s relatively low heat allows creative use of wood and wood veneer,” says the company.

Luke Lamp’s Kelly sees LED’s future as focusing around The question, “How do you maintain handcrafted design while taking advantage of what LED has to offer?”

Work like Tom Dixon’s lamps (shown) or pieces from John Procario (next photo) and Stickbulb by RUX look to answer that question on the high end, but the world of handcrafted LED lamps is still an open market.

Shown: Beat Light, Tom Dixon


Shown: LED Light, John Procario


Freestanding Tubs

When Michael Kornowa started at MTI Baths a decade ago, the company manufactured three freestanding tubs. Now it offers more than 70. Any tub accoutrement you can dream of is possible (for instance, air bath and Bluetooth audio integration), and the freestanding tub is not just for luxury bathrooms.

Bursac of Duravit notes that “a small bathroom doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.” With an army of freestanding tubs available — like the compact Lydia shown here, which measures less than 3 by 5 feet — there are options for nearly every bath.

Shown: Lydia Tub 1, MTI Baths, $6,343


Wallpaper

This is not 1980s wallpaper. Boutique designers are creating inspired new patterns. Wallpaper designer Abigail Edwards relays that natural imagery is on the rise, “but in an edgy rather than traditional way,” she says. A recent bought of extreme weather inspired her latest hand-drawn design, full of flashes of metallic lightning.

Shown: Storm Clouds Wallpaper, Abigail Edwards, £75 (about $126) per roll, 10.05 meters (about 33 feet) by 52 centimeters (about 20 inches)


Avery Thatcher of Juju Papers works in bolder natural colors and shapes, saying of her dots, “They have an organic, rich and earthy — even masculine — character that is uncommon with dots.” The uncommon look works.

When it comes to contemporary wallpaper, it’s good to be different and stay agile. Deborah Bowness (next photo) says that “new production techniques allow trends to change from one week to the next.” She sees wallpaper as a responsive medium — which can apply to all contemporary furniture designs.

Shown: Sisters of the Sun, Juju Papers, $200 per roll, 15 feet by 27 inches


We know that’s not the end of the trends; please share your observations on contemporary furniture trends in the Comments below.

Shown: Utility Tiles Collection, Deborah Bowness, $150 per roll, 11 yards by 20.5 inches

What we noticed last time: 3-D Printing Takes Furnishings to New Heights at ICFF 2013

URL: Trends from the Front Lines of Furniture Design http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-23530.html