Editor’s Miscellany: Spring Fling in Fabrics and Papers

By Kyle Hoepner

If the temperature in New England is (more or less) reliably staying above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit twenty-four hours a day, it must be time for the new spring lines to appear in fabrics and wallpapers. And, sure enough, our friends at Osborne & Little are rolling out a light, bright, colorful and ambitious set of collaborative collections for the warmer season that is (almost, we hope, pretty please?) upon us.

One thing I’m happy to see is that, in many cases, patterns derived from tribal sources (ikats, for example) are beginning to be played with and reinterpreted in bolder ways as graphic material. Changing colors and changing scale is nice enough, but I love when creativity is applied on a more structural level, too. William Yeoward’s Astasia collection includes several pertinent examples.

All photos courtesy of Osborne & Little;
William Yeoward pattern images from designersguild.com

And Christian Lacroix has similar fun with his Moorish-inspired Carnets Andalous fabrics and wallpapers.

With its abundance of overlapping boteh, Nina Campbell’s Braemar paisley reminds me a bit of a koi pond at feeding time.

Cover your walls in deconstructed coral with Coralie, one entry from Lorca’s Louisiane collection.

It wouldn’t really be spring without flowers, of course, so Designers Guild’s Octavia Linen is a must, giving colorful blooms a lightly stylized treatment through digital printing.

Names like Nina Campbell, Designers Guild, Christian Lacroix, William Yeoward and Lorca raise certain expectations. As we all begin to find out more—information and images have been seeping out gradually—I imagine those expectations will be rewarded.

For those of you in the trade, though, the reward may come sooner than you think. On May 8, Osborne & Little’s Donna Murtha will be at the Wakefield Design Center’s “To The Trade” Market Day in Stamford, Conn., to present the season’s new wares. So rather than just a quick glance at the bitsy pictures above, you’ll be able to ogle and caress the real things. For more information, call (203) 358-0818 or email info@wakefielddesigncenter.com.

You might also want to check out the day’s other presenters of new creations, Oly Studio, Farrow & Ball and Vanguard Furniture, and get yourself a signed copy of Connecticut designer Cindy Rinfret’s new book, Greenwich Style: Inspired Family Homes. (Oh, and New England Home’s own producer/stylists Stacy Kunstel and Karin Lidbeck Brent will be reviewing projects and giving publication advice during the afternoon.)

Kicking off the season in style!