The “Ahead of the Curve” tastemakers – Alexa Hampton, Ron Woodson, and Windsor Smith
I’m finally back in LA after spending 3 days in Las Vegas for Market Week. After every market, I swear to myself that the next time I am going to attend in my comfy running shoes, but that never seems to happen, and every time I torture myself. 3 days of rushing from showroom to showroom, appointment to appointment, and with some luck, a little rest for my feet while I am attending a seminar or two during the day.
Yesterday I had that rest before the day even started, as first thing in the morning was the headline seminar “Ahead of the Curve”, a preview of the season’s best new products and trends. This year’s tastemakers included a panel of three well known and respected designers, Alexa Hampton, Ron Woodson, and Windsor Smith, with Today Show contributor and author Susanna Salk acting as moderator. The day before the seminar, the three panelists along with Susanna, scoured the World Market Center to find the newest and hottest trends in the market. And that they certainly did. I had covered quite a bit of ground in the two days prior to “Ahead of the Curve” and had spotted many of the same trends. So without further ado, here is what is hot and trending in the world of furnishings and interior design:
Moroccan lucite table by TARA SHAW– a great classical form using a modern material. As Alexa Hampton so eloquently put it, “Lucite has entered the “Pantheon” of classical design”.
Bernhardt had a similar coffee table and matching accent table that I saw at High Point in April:
“Annelise” coffee table by Bernhardt
Indoor/Outdoor rug from the Sargasso Collection from FEIZY RUGS – Handmade from recycled PET. Eco-friendly, durable and stylish.
Pillows by Nanette Lepore for PEKING HANDICRAFT – Colorful, whimsical. Here’s another shot with other pillows and bedding from the collection:
Tubular Burst Sculpture by Dwell Studio for GLOBAL VIEWS – “great design, great price point” A piece that can be mixed and matched with more expensive pieces. Clients now want beautiful pieces and great value. With this piece they get both beauty and value.
Acrylic Carved Finial by Hillary Thomas at CODARUS SHOWROOM – Add a little bit of color and pizazz to a table lamp by topping it off with a beautiful finial. And here are some other finials from the Hillary Thomas finial collection. I’ve always been a fan of the colored agate. One of these days…
Mary Mc Donald lamp for ROBERT ABBEY – Black shade and gold base in a Neoclassic/Directoire style compliments today’s soft, organic lines with a graphic quality of the lines.
Alexa Hampton lamp for VISUAL COMFORT – designed with a flat shape so that a wider profile can be used on a console without having to worry about the base jutting out too far. That Alexa is very ingenious – and a hoot!
Beaufain Bachelorette’s Chest by STANLEY FURNITURE – From the Charleston Regency collection, this chest is a twist on classic, traditional design. Updated colors, yet still timeless. Notice the offset pulls on the bottom drawer – I love the detail.
Seen in Ropemakers white (on left) and Church Coral (on right)
Below is the Beaufain Bachelorette’s Chest as seen at the High Point showroom this past April. Yes, I noticed it back then and even took this snapshot, so I guess you could say that I am a bit “ahead of the curve”. (no pun intended)
Horn wall sconces by Barbara Cosgrove at CODARUS – A clean-lined wall sconce with horn reproduction made of resin. A sleek metallic accent compliments the rectangular shade and organic horn shape.
Table lamp by Aerin for VISUAL COMFORT – From Aerin Lauder’s new lighting collection for Visual Comfort, this is one of the few with color – blue, textured, and reminiscent of organic forms – with a little hint of gold at the base for a little bit of glamour.
Toile linen chest by STUDIO A – wrapped in fine Belgian linen and then given a multi-layer glaze, this dresser juxtaposes texture with the smooth flowing lines of the undulating drawer front.
The Brigitte Chair by GLOBAL VIEWS – covered in cream cowhide leather, this chair is a nod to midcentury modern design.
Chair by KRAVET – in a contemporary neutral zebra pattern with nailhead trim along the bottom edge. Traditional in silhouette, contemporary in choice of upholstery.
Barbara Cosgrove lamp at CODARUS SHOWROOM – This black table lamp stands tall and mighty. The black shade is lined a contrasting gold, the metal finish du jour. (see photo below on top of Christopher Guy accent table)
Accent table from CHRISTOPHER GUY – This high gloss lacquered white accent table makes a nice addition to almost any style room.
Wall Play by GOLD LEAF DESIGNS – “instant art for any surface” Windsor Smith referred to Wall Play as “wall candy”. Great design, great value. Accessible art, if you will.
I’d like to make note that the designers/tastemakers were not instructed to follow a certain color way but instead encouraged to select items that would be able to stand on their own. It just so happened that almost everything selected belonged to the same white/ivory/beige family.
Another noteworthy observation – with the exception of the Barbara Cosgrove horn sconces, every item that contained metal utilized some type of gold finish rather than silver or nickel. That should be a sign of what is to come. Whether you like it or not, be prepared for more gold!! It’s here to stay for a while…
I’ll be back next week with more on what I saw as trending at Las Vegas Market, so stay tuned!
