Trends Milan: Candy anyone?

More on Milan! Colours that looked like they belonged in a candy store were right at home this year. Brights took on a more sweet appearance ranging from pink and mauve to yellow and orange.

Image above Casamania

Quinze & Milan Make your own furniture stand - promoting their custom production for architects & designers.

Karim Rashid - no surprise in his use of bold colour, I think he may have a bit of a weakness for gorgeous pink shades

Khodi Feiz for Offect - more teeth aching sweetness

Peter Marigold

Punkalive Avanto Storage units - Love the use of the pale timber with these colours. Punkalive is a brand to watch especially as they are producing quality sustainable products.

Michael Kruijne for Zuiver. I think I had better leave it there and come back to more trends from Milan later. I really want to get my post on DesignEx published - a design trade show that was in Melbourne Last week - I have some great best of show shots for you. Coming soon...[All images via designws]

Trends Milan: Soft Texture

Trends at Milan Furniture Fair and Milan Design Week span many industries from homewares & living to industrial design & contract. I think that's why many are drawn to Milan to gather inspiration and why the show has grown to be a design mecca for more than just furniture junkies.

Soft texture is another trend that spans the genres - upholstery that resembles soft flowing silks, a loose snuggly doona or material [be it fabric or even paper] that is quilted, pleated or ruched to create volume or texture.
[p.s Doona is an Aussie term for Duvet]

[Image above Chris Kabel for Droog]

Molo Urchin lighting range, constructed with craft paper or waterproof tyvek. [Image via inhabitat]

Lazy Bastard chair by Bertjan Pot for Montis - a chair filled with polystyrene balls like a bean bag, with a quilted texture to the upholstery.

Soft wood by Front for Moroso - yes it's actually upholstery. Moroso featured the moment collection - each piece utilises photographic images to create the illusion of texture and movement.

Drape, Front for Moroso

Paper Cloud, Tokujin Yoshi for Moroso
[All images unless otherwise stated via designws]

Milan Furniture Fair : Emerging Trends

Byblos Casa, Atelier Mendini - image via designws

Sadly I was not at Milan last week viewing the amazing collections on display to inspire design lovers such as myself -but I have been scouring the net and the usual sources to see what is emerging. Some new trends are evident and some trends are simply reconfirming what I had already documented in my 2009 trend report. I thought I would share a few inspirations with you...

I have split this into a few posts here is the first -

Complex Simplicity :

Raw timber, muted colour & shades of white, unexpected natural materials, a return to traditional methods or materials for modern objects...

Moooi

New french brand Moustache (launched at Milan) with the instant table & instant seat chauffeuse by Matali Crasset

Artek, Shigeru Ban

Droog Studio, Studio Makkink & Bey

Established & Sons

Sebastian Wrong for E&S

Maarten Baas for E&S

Floris Schoonderbeek

Arik Levy for Swarovski Crystal Palace

Piet Hein Eek | Eek & Ruijgrok BV - Home

Richard Lampert, Marco Deesi - a mid century form often accompanies the simplicity trend

Thomas Eyck, the flax project

There were plenty more examples of this trend (I think its one of the strongest at the moment) but you get the picture!
[all images above via designws]

Fab new online mag: Parasol

I came cross Parasol during my usual diversion from what I should have been doing (I can't recall what that was so it couldn't have been that important). Its worth checking out. I love the way it is put together and the articles are really inspiring. Not only featuring amazing artists from varying disciplines, Parasol even provides some DIY projects - one of which I plan to do (will post so you can see how it goes!). Editor Yasmine Surovec does a gorgeous job of putting the mag together and you can really tell she is passionate abut what she does. I still love a printed mag but Parasol is a stand out online publication - and its free! Have a look and download it today - don't forget to post a comment and let me know what you think...
Stay tuned for the next post - Milan Furniture Fair emerging trends...

[images via Parasolmag]

Vogue Living Art direction is gorgeous...

I have finally had a moment to open Vogue Living and it is simply gorgeous - I thought that Vogue's last update to its type & overall aesthetics was divine but I am simply in love with the Art Deco influenced styling that has resulted from the combination of guest editor and art director - Catherine Martin and Silvana Azzi Heras. A brilliant team - this issue inspires with content and aesthetics. OK - enough about Vogue Living, just had to report back on how beautiful it was. Go and check it out now...

Recommended Retail

Recommended Retail is a new i spy regular - we will feature reviews of interesting retail destinations [design related in either their wares or their amazing fit-out] either online or on the street. If you have any you would like us to feature please let me know [email me or leave a comment]. I am particularly interested in 'revived' retail - unique shops in local shopping strips that have been revived with renewed community support. So here is the first Recommended Retail - enjoy!

Brown Button Trading

Having loved Brown Button [blog] it's great to see Adelaide based Kimberlee launch Brown Button Trading - her new online store. Featuring a few of Kimberlee's favourite things - House Doctor Homewares, Scandinavian woollen soft toys and Zoe BonBon Jewellery to name a few, I am sure this gorgeous online store will continue to grow due to its unique offerings. I love the cards [pictured above] but I am also intrigued by the Italian toothpaste, Marvis - the packaging is fab! I don't think I could squeeze that tube - it would have to be my 'display' toothpaste! Drop into Brown Button Trading and let me know what you think...

Vogue Living has its first ever guest editor

My copy of Vogue Living arrived today, its still sitting next to me - I am dying to open it and see if the contents are as amazing as the cover - but I am one of those people that have to wait until the right moment to sit quietly and absorb each detail with delight. Catherine Martin is the guest editor of this collectors edition, I love her work and I think her latest venture into interior textile design shows it keeps getting better and better. Upon investigation I have discovered that there are actually 4 different covers - this presents a real dilemma for me as I am a collector when it comes to magazines. Should I hunt down the other 3 versions and essentially have 4 copies of the same mag?! My copy is the gold and red one but I am a bit partial to the bronze teal and gold version...mmm perhaps a trip to the newsagency just to have a look...
image via vogue.com