Interior Trends 2011

"At the beginning of June, the designers Patricia Urquiola (Milan) and Defne Koz (Chicago/Milan/Ankara) met up with the designer Harald Gründl (EOOS, Vienna), the textile designer Martin Leuthold (Jakob Schlaepfer, St. Gallen) and the editor Marco Velardi (apartamento, Milan/Barcelona) for a two-day imm cologne Trend Board workshop in Cologne. Here they filtered out four of the most important trends in furniture and interior design – trends that represent the different levels of style and lifestyle. Once again this year, these four interior trends are summed up in a trend book called Interior Trends 2011, complete with informative names, exemplary products and lavishly photographed settings."

The four interior trends for 2011 are:

• Emotional austerity - whether it's the economy or the maturing of the population, there seems to be a philosophical change from getting things to a more Zen-like appreciation of less is more.

  The colors and materials are dominated by nature: wood, leather, felt and plant fibres are complemented by technical fabrics; an earthy olive hue dominates over lush and pale shades of green and is joined by powder shades from rosé to brown.

• Surprising empathy - consumers are pushing their designers to use new materials to come up with something simple but unique to that client.
  

  The dominant colour is a cold grey, accompanied by ash grey and black and brightened up with vibrant dashes of citrus yellow and mandarin orange. A light taupe mediates between grey and white and adds a little softness to the colour scale.

• Re-balancing - Maybe, we could say this concerns consumers looking for comfort and striving for a balance with nature. Think recycling or being eco-minded consumers.
  

  A warm rhubarb-red radiates positive energy and warmth and is combined with creamy-white, corn-yellow and tan shades ranging from light brown all the way to terracotta.

• Transforming perspectives - here we are taking materials we've used in one way and using them differently, with different finishes and new combinations.
  

  A dark plum-blue provides the dominant background for both an artificial lavender shade and a dove-grey with a violet shimmer. Important features are emphasised in a caramel shade with a metallic-brown gleam.

  
  

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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