Tastemakers Get Ahead of the Curve
of Interior Design Trends
Anthony Baratta, Jeffrey Alan Marks and Nathan Turner Scour Las Vegas Summer Market for Next Season’s New Looks and Coveted Pieces
Three of the nation’s most celebrated interior designers, Anthony Baratta, Jeffrey Alan Marks and Nathan Turner shopped five-million-square-feet of showrooms during the Summer 2011 Las Vegas Market, August 1-5 at WMCLV. They uncovered what will become next season’s most popular trends during their presentation, Ahead of the Curve,moderated by style guru and “Today” show contributor Susanna Salk. The program, which featured a live in-studio audience and webcast viewers from around the globe, gave the world a chance to watch top design stars reveal their favorite discoveries.
“I’ve found the experience at Las Vegas Market to be incredibly inspiring,” said Baratta. I have found some great new pieces to incorporate into current projects and have so many new ideas to take home to New York with me. I was non-stop shopping.”
“We had an amazing time going through each showroom and picking our favorites,” said Marks. “From comfort, to fun design elements, and great colors, this season’s Las Vegas Market really had it all. It was extremely difficult for me to narrow down my choices for the Ahead of the Curve presentation. There just wasn’t enough time to highlight all of my favorites.”
“Because I have a retail store I am always on the hunt to look for new and exciting things, and was not disappointed here in Las Vegas,” said Turner. “I saw so many different types beautiful pieces and spotted numerous trends. I can’t wait to bring some of these things back to my own store in Los Angeles.”
The trends discovered included:
Red Hots
Nearly every showroom featured pieces in candy apple red. Hot red combines well with chocolate, gray, navy and white. It has a tendency to give a graphic quality to a room and is an easy way to add instant spice to a project. It’s all you need to make a room sizzle.
Au Natural
Natural, unfinished materials that incorporate hand craftsmanship do not have to be exclusively rustic. At Las Vegas Market, several of these “natural” pieces had sexy and sleek shapes.Going au natural can add depth, soul, and character to a room.
Basketweave
Basketweave knew no limits in Las Vegas. It was featured on pieces with metal, rope, and wicker and caning accents. It brings outside in, allowing something you typically associate with the outdoors to be inside the home in a very chic, stylish manner. It could even take the place of a pattern.
Small Scale
In the 90s, the trendwas to do everythingbigger. Big houses, big rooms, big furniture. Now things are smaller with more details. Small scale pieces provide a more tailored, very sweet look.The economy has had a lot to do with it. McMansions are out and people aren’t looking to just fill up a house. And more than anything, they want their home to have pieces with personality.
Swivel
Because rooms are smaller they are required to be more dynamic, so multi-purpose pieces are critical. From the end of a bed to in front of a fireplace, pieces that swivel, rock or roll bring life and movement to a room while saving space.
Pop of Color
One of the latest crazes has been light grey, rough woods. But it can grow stale or boring. Dress up your neutrals with a jolt of color. At Las Vegas Market there has been a pop of color trend showing up in rustic pieces, wherethe color really emphasizes the contrast between the rough edges and a smooth, modern finish.
Retro Redefined
Forms from the 40s, 50s and 60s are now being made with materials to make the look more modern. These pieces give a whimsical element to any room, and offer more compatibility with today’s design options.
Black and White – the ultimate neutral
Black and white allows color to stand out in a room, and can bring a room to life. A lot of the black and white pieces at this year’s Las Vegas Market are very graphic, which really allows a piece to give a room a whole other dimension.
Chrome in the Home
Chrome gives any piece a clean, fresh look. Las Vegas Market featured countless retro pieces that were updated with a chrome element. Chrome adds a nice sparkle to a room and will work in both modern and traditionally designed homes, giving them a sharp, crisp finish.
