DesignEx 2011 - the trends...

There were two outstanding trends this year seen in both product and stand design, here's a quick summary of what I saw...

Colour, colour and just a bit more colour...

Bright pops of colour ruled the show floor. Used with slick gloss surfaces in black or white or against the contrast of raw finishes such as paper and wood, colour was definitely there to emphasis the playfulness of design elements. Dominating was pink from bubblegum to magenta and yellow from citrine right through to orange. Its great to see the availability of more colour within product ranges allowing us to be more adventurous through colour.

[image top - clockwise from top left - Cotswold, Artia, The Essential Detail, Tork, About Space, Artia, & Yellow Diva]

Raw, industrial,  plywood & paper...

Plywood is the new black - its one of those everyday materials that has been embraced by designers for its gorgeous natural appearance and its Eco-friendly features - plus its super versatile. Paper too - no longer just for folds and pleats to create pretty installations [although that works too!] there's cardboard  flat pack furniture that actually lasts so it doesn't have to be temporary.So much of this raw look is juxtaposed with luxury styling or product as was the case with the Format stand.

[image above - clockwise from top left - DIA/Colourways, About Space, Architecture Media, Yellow Diva, Lump, Yellow Diva & Format]

That's all from me on DesignEx for this year, now I'm looking forward to Decoration + Design in July...

DesignEx 2011 - the treasures...

[Urggh I must apologise for the delay on this one - Blogger & Blogo issues, and it's still not appearing the way I would like - such a time waster! Anyhow...]

Here's part 2 of the DesignEx 2011 review - highlighting some products I thought were i spy worthy...

[image top via ecoconstructionuk]

I loved the Plumen globe - it was featured on the Tork stand [unfortunately for Tork I was only interested in the light but I did think they had a pretty punchy stand!] with the phasing out of incandescent lighting it's so great to see design take the initiative to further develop simple products like the light bulb into something more.

These energy saving bulbs are so great naked but also look great peeking out from pendants and desk lights. I actually thought the globes were all a bit different but its just that they look completely different from all angles so on mass they work fantastically. I haven't been able to find them in Australia but they are available pre-order at Plumen for $29.95 US.

I seem to be drawn to this look at the moment - the wire or ribbed look - and this little bio-ethanol freestanding fire won me over. The EcoSmart ventless fireplaces are such a flexible idea, you can even convert an existing fireplace with an EcoSmart grate or firebox insert.

On the Ambius stand there was the fabulous Zoie planter- designed by Helen Kontouris - which is fully recyclable and comes in a gorgeous range of colours. I got a very retro vibe from this one. I also loved the Zoie illuminated planter that doubled as a light - this is due for release in a couple of weeks so check in with Ambius for further info on it. There was also Stax [I didn't get a good pic of Stax but I thought it looked fantastic] - stacking wall planters - great for gardens or indoors with limited space.

These Screenwood linear timber panels can be used for ceiling, facade and wall, they look great and being pre-made makes them super easy to specify. I love them as a ceiling feature.

Who's sick of the same old bathroom sinks? Ive been looking lately and they really are all pretty much the same. The Hatria range on show was just that little bit different - the curves were in all the right places. Hatria is a available from E & S trading.

Later this week let's look at the trends aspect a bit. In the meantime - which product stood out for you?

DesignEx 2011 - trends and treasures - part 1...

Yes, I know - you've been waiting for it - well its always better late then never [and I'm so thankful for that saying as it too often applies to me...] the DesignEx 2011 review.

I had warned that I didn't think DX this year was overly spectacular but I think the snippets I have to share are worth the wait, lets see what you think...

[above: the amazing paper installation in the ceiling of the DIA/Colourways stand which won best stand award for thier category]

This year there were some small stands that caught my eye with their creative displays or quirky goods. About Space [above] - a small lighting and furniture store in Fitzroy Victoria - had a compact stand that was chock full of great lighting pieces. Right on trend were the industrial pendants with luxurious metallic interiors, the angular web like lines of the Lineare range and the Muuto inspired Cluster with their exposed bulbs and coloured cords.

And how perfectly packaged was the Yellow Diva stand - compact but making a statement through their furniture pieces against a backdrop resembling the inside of large crate or perhaps an area under construction. Simple vignettes were created to draw your eye to their feature pieces.

Format Furniture featured the eclectic Maison Martin Margiela Collection (a collection of objects and familiar furniture forms reinterpreted and united with white linen covers) keeping the stand fairly austere and letting the quirky furniture elements do the talking. I really liked the way they displayed the pendant lights - a good solution for something that can be difficult to effectively display on mass.

I love a stand where the product does all the work - I think that's the case with the Ambius display. I loved the bulbous shape of the planters that also acted as a soft glow light - how fantastic for your outdoor entertaining area. The Ambius stand had such a fresh look with great product display and bright popping colours.

A lot of the large stands were very corporate looking and not particularly creative or inspiring. I think they really let their products down in that way, I know from experience that some serious money is spent on these events and it's wasted when you don't inspire or captivate the people attending the show - designers love to be wowed. Even Laminex [above] was a little uninspiring - a stand I usually look forward to seeing at DesignEx, they seemed to opt for a very conservative approach this time around, I'm sure they had their reasons for doing so but I was disspointed.

One large stand that I thought was done well was Ilve - they created the drama needed to get the attention of the exhibition visitors. I loved the high gloss finish of the black against the magenta lighting and the follow through of the theme. Although the graffiti aspect is nothing new I still love that look [you can see it if you look closely at the splashback].

Part 2 coming up - with trends and some products I loved...

Happy Easter

[Image above via Down To The Woods - I love their stuff - super retro cute!!]

Yes - DesignEx is still on its way to you but with the current projects I have on and Easter holidays you'll have to wait a little bit longer...

So enjoy your Easter break, no matter what you decide to get up to! We're relaxing at home this year, Im reading some great design books [more on those later] and doing some baking - what about you?

A taste of DesignEx

DesignEx is over for another year and it was interesting. Different in a lot of ways from previous years and some would say not as good due to the exhibitor mix [some industries were barely represented such as soft floor coverings - not great for the carpet industry seeing there was so much in the way of hard flooring] but I still came away with some inspiration and a few good things to send your way over the next week or so. Stay tuned for more on stand design, some cool new products [or at least new to me!] and other interesting finds!

[above - the DIA & Colourways stand - winner of one of the best stand awards]

Formosa is beautiful in any language...

I first saw a Formosa fabric on the dining chairs at Reissued - the lovely redbacked wren & wattle design - and I needed to know more about this fabric and its story.

Formosa, meaning beautiful in latin, creates handprinted textiles of Australian nature in a way that makes them covetable to any discerning fabric lover. The designs are delicate and intricate yet modern and contemporary - just the right amount of pretty.

Jennifer Berney is something to admire, her goal when creating Formosa was to draw attention to Australia's lesser known natives through her gorgeous illustrations, inspiring us to plant native flora to attract the lovely native birds. She also aimed to run a sustainable business being socially & environmentally responsible, in part by using water-based inks and organic cotton/hemp fabric.

It seems Formosa are on hiatus as Jennifer Berney relocates to Asia on a new adventure but I cant wait to see what she does next.

[all images via Formosa]

OK so you think all I do is read online mags...

Well, thats so not true! OK sometimes it does take a big chunk out of my day, maybe out of my week - like over the last week when I was reviewing them to give you guys our fav's and now yet another charming online publication has been launched - so I have to review that one don't I? - it's only fair!

Fresh in the inbox this morning was the news- Trad Home has launched! Trad Home is a collaboration of Lonny and American print publication Traditional Home with an aim to show that traditionalism still has relevance in today's world -and I think it's the perfect time for such a statement. Not only is traditionalism alive and well but we have seen it have a new lease of life with so many designers re-embracing traditional construction, manufacturing and decorating methods in the development of new designs, a 'back to the roots of their crafts' type trend. And the eclectic mix of styles that makes up todays modern interior celebrates traditional in many ways. So it was with anticipation that I clicked the pages of Trad Home to see if they had managed to capture this movement.

The first thing I am loving is the video - Jonathan Adler vs. Charlotte Moss - one of the reasons I LOVE online mags - you cant do this in print! The video captures the personality of the two designers as they playfully but simply explain their take on traditional design and how they incorporate it in their own individual style .

There is a fab feature on the Louis XVI chair - I think this chair is one of the most classic dining or side chair that works in almost any space so I loved the modern makeover given by the 6 designers to this much loved icon.

But of course the highlights of the magazine are the homes in the feature - 20 new traditionals. Beautiful, diverse, quirky and luxurious - each one embracing traditional in the designers own style and all of them something to admire and be inspired by.

OK - I think Ill get back to work now and look forward to the next moment I get to keep delving into this new beauty that is Trad Home...

Tell me - do you love it?...