Dwayne Bergmann has never been one to follow design trends, believing them to be fleeting and not necessarily representative of what his clients want in their homes. However, with his finger always on the pulse of the industry, he looks towards the world’s most prestigious international design fairs to discover what’s next. On the heels of Maison & Objet in Paris earlier this month, Dwayne took a deep virtual dive into all of the latest introductions and now he’s sharing them with you.
This season, internationally renowned design brands introduced color back into the equation. After many seasons of neutrals ranging from gray to beige and everything in between, the spectrum has shifted to include every shade of green, hints of yellow, a deeper exploration of spice hues, and an array of jewel tones. Applied to furniture, lighting, textiles, and decorative accessories, these pops of color add dimension and personality to otherwise neutral palettes. The other top trend spotted at the fair is a new interpretation of the rounded silhouette style. Supplementing the exaggerated kidney bean sofas and bauhaus accent chairs are “squoval” or rounded edge square versions. Generous channeling, voluptuous shapes, and softened angles make the craving for curves more accessible to a wider variety of design styles.
No designer worth their salt will encourage their client to adopt all the latest trends. Like with fashion, they can be fleeting and not for everyone. Instead, using trends as a reference point to inform the evolution of your own personal style can be a helpful tool when refreshing a space. Just because it’s “in” doesn’t mean it has a place in your home, but if there is a trend that you identify with, adding it as an accent can instantly update a room. In addition to ensuring a trend passes the personality test, Dwayne looks back to the origins of the trend to determine the staying power. For example, bouclé has evolved from a trend to a mainstay because it satiates our need for comforting tactility. If that particular fabric is not your style, consider other tactile forward textiles to meet that same need.
