Scott and I had a great trek up to Dallas last week for the spring market. We went with our friends, Shelby and Kasey, from Daley Home + Design. It is always fun to see all the new products in person and see what the ‘trends’ are from the manufacturers point of view.
We went up and back in a day, so I did not have as much time to explore as I would have liked. However, it was enough time to pick up on a couple of ‘new’ product directions.
The first thing I always look for are what colors are being shown. You will often notice current color combinations and trends at market after visiting a few vendors. This time I was surprised to see black and white as a prominent theme in several showrooms, from art to accessories to lamps.
Here are a few items that caught my eye:
Black and white frames and canisters…
Black and white vases and planters…
Black and white art series. And, there were a lot of different ‘series’ options when it came to art.
Black and white lamps. This black glass lamp from Barbara Cosgrove was smashing.
Ceramic lamps in shades of white, off-white, eggshell and cream were everywhere. I snapped too many share. But, this leads me to my next ‘trend’…
At market you will often see what ‘metal’ is popular at the time. Brass, polished nickel, satin nickel, bronze, etc. This time I felt like the customer had the choice to pick what they liked, not what the manufacturer dictated. For example, this lamp is shown with silver accents.
In the same showroom you have the nearly identical lamp in gold accents. This was the case in many places. You could choose the finish that works best for you. Which is a welcome option. I can not tell you how many mirrors, lamps and chandeliers we have gold or silver leafed because we could only get the item in one finish and it was not what our client needed for their style home.
And, finally, an example to show that it is acceptable to mix metals and have it look good. Now, the execution of mixing metals does take some skill, but do not feel like every item in your house has to be exactly the same finish.
I am always glad to see when customers have the opportunity to chose a more personalized item for their home. As I’ve said before, while it is important to keep an eye on trends, decorating your home should not be driven by any trend, but by what reflects your personality and style. Better to be patient and look for the pieces that speak to you, rather than what is available at “all” the shops this quarter.
This is the approach I believe in and I honestly think will save you money and leave you happier with your home’s appearance in the long run. If you enjoy the decorating process, this will give you time to hunt for finds that you will love for years to come. If you do not enjoy ‘the hunt’, consider outsourcing it to a designer who can cultivate this gathered look for you, to your taste, and allow you to focus on other activities you enjoy!