Deb Barrett: Hot off the Runways

A few weeks ago, I discussed some of my favorite trends from the Paris design shows. But, there was so much to love, that I put together round two of some of the key looks hot off the interiors “runway.”

Lace is Back

After this last round of shows; we can confirm it. Lace is back and hotter than ever. But we are not talking about traditional lace that is created by twisting, looping, or knitting thread in patterns. The lace that is popular today is lace motifs themselves. We are seeing an impressive array of net, tulles, laser cuts and interpretations and reinterpretations of the motif that moves lace out of grandma’s trunk and into the contemporary arena.

Alicia by Nya Nordiska; Photo courtesy of Nya Nordiska

Fan lace by Evteks; Photo courtesy of Evteks

Ophelia laser cut lace by Jakob Schleapfer; Photo courtesy of Jakob Schleapfer

Palazzo by Elitis; Photo courtesy of Elitis

Modern English

Design is still on a high from last summer‘s London Olympics, not to mention gaga for Downton Abbey and we’re seeing no slowing down on the the rebirth of English design. It’s manifesting itself in several forms from boarding school looks like crests, plaid, flannels and herringbones; Tradtional twists of updated classic looks like chesterfields, Union Jacks, with inspiration from ’60s Twiggy and Abbey Road, to English Country-Bloomsbury florals, soft-faded wovens, natural lines and wools.

Photo courtesy of Harlequin Fabrics

Country weekend by Mulberry Home; Photo courtesy of Mulberry Home

Festival collection by Clarke and Clarke distributed by Duralee; Photo courtesy of Clark and Clarke

Floribunda wallpapers distributed by Duralee; Photo courtesy of Duralee

Voyage Fabrics Highlander collection; Photo courtesy of Voyage Fabrics

It’s a Plaid Plaid World

Which brings us to Tartan plaid. Spinning off on its own trend trajectory, Tartans have everything going for it–color, artisanal craftsmanship, quality and history. This season we see box plaids, houndstooths and vintage interpretation of tartans associated with Burberry and Scottish Highlanders evolving with novel color combos (i.e. lilac, blues and mint greens), lurex looks, unique weights like sheer chiffons or velvets.

Dubochov velvet tartan by Cassaro; Photo courtesy of Cassaro

Clan by Elitis; Photo courtesy of Elitis

  Fire Tartan rug by Vivenne Westwood for the Rug Company; Photo courtesy of the Rug Company

Highlander by Voyage fabrics; Photo courtesy of Voyage Fabrics

Speaking of Color…

Emerald might be the Pantone color of the year, but blue was the star at the European shows. Blue is definitely a key color for 2013, with hues ranging from sapphire to turquoise and good old denim blue making us fell as comfy as we do in our favorite pair of jeans. Touches of red echo back to Americana. Does upstart teal offer a design compromise between blue and green?

Our growing love affair with color progresses toward high contrast graphics fueled by black and white stories with a P.O.C. (Pop of Color). No matter what your favorite shade or tint; color is being served up in bold, intense hues and brave color schemes in every room of the house. 

Harlequin fabrics; Photo courtesy of Harlequin Fabrics

Big Bold color in Mondrian velvet by Cassaro; Photo courtesy of Cassaro

Unusual color schemes will be increasingly important

Technocraft

We’re inspired to merge materials and techniques of different ages. There is freedom to play with historical boundaries and combine them with contemporary materials and techniques. Technology allows us to combine arts, crafts and folklore with iconic as core concept for decorating all in the name of Modern Vintage. Embroideries are a huge part of this. Large in scale with intricate stitches; some with applique, cross stitch or laser cuts are explorations of the mixing and melding of technique, materials and technology.

Pierre Frey’s embroidered, appliqued wool works on so many levels. Photo courtesy of Pierre Frey

 Wool applique by Travers; Photo courtesy of Travers

 A mix of print, embroidery create this stunning floral by Travers. Photo courtesy of Travers

 Cassaro’s sheer is embroidered with reflective tape. Photo courtesy of Cassaro

Baroque on the Horizon

This isn’t your 90s nouveau riche, over-the-top baroque, but a fabulous mix of intricate detailing, deep intense  texture, color and just the right amount of luster.

Velvets are on-trend, and key into the baroque themes that are starting to emerge in fabric patterns. Deep intense color also leads to layered dramatic looks. Look for Skins, snake, croc , jacquards, leather, pierced metals , brass, lacquers, we are even seeing a hint that moirés are coming back. Supported by iridescence and the shine we mentioned in round 1 look for stylings that are a modern mix of high Victoriana, Art Deco and Hollywood Glamour.  

Tsarina by Cassaro; Photo courtesy of Cassaro

Bedding by Etro; Photo by Deb Barrett

Area rug by JD Staron for Nobilis

–Deb Barrett

Deb Barrett: Window Fashion Visionary. Trend Strategist. Design Confidante. Blogger. Consultant and passionate about design, food, wine, travel and all things French. Deb has been actively working in the design industry since 1975. As an entrepreneur and principal in her design firm, Window Dressings, she is most well-known and has built a reputation for cutting edge couture treatments. Her fascination with what’s around the corner and the constant search for inspiration has led her to her current roles as trend strategist, designer and design blogger at Design-Confidential. Since 2010, she has hosted the Paris Décor Tour twice a year  providing exclusive access to some of the world’s best design destinations.