Subscribers to The Trend Curve™ know that we have just released The Trend Curve Colors™ 2011. This is an all-new version of our annual color and trend forecast.

We are particularly excited about this collection. That's because we think it fits perfectly with the mood of the market. Things are getting moving again, so there is a need for colors and trends that are different from before so consumers will have a reason to buy. At the same time, it is important that new hues also work with those from the past, so consumers will be able to add newness selectively, without feeling like they have to do more than they are ready for at one time. The Trend Curve Colors 2011 satisfies both needs.

This forecast includes 37 hues in six different values. We provide them in two sizes of paint-on-paper swatches. One is about 5" x 5", and has a grid printed on the back to guide you when cutting them up to share. We also provide a portable mini-deck on a ring, so you will always have a ready reference when you need it.

The Trend Curve is all about trends for home décor. That expertise has been translated not only to color, but also to style directions. Packed in with the color are Trend Cards for 9 new trends that we believe in for 2011. Each card gives you bullet-point details about the trend. For example, form, fabric and motifs may be what you need to know about most for one trend, but finishes, embellishments and wood type may be what drives the next. It is different for every trend. But we always tell you which colors we recommend for that style, including the volume-selling, accent and fashion-forward hues. Here are our trends for 2011:

- Classic Romanticism
- Swing Shift
- Future Perfect
- Dream State
- Stone Age
- Tribal Wisdom
- Renaissance
- Tough Enough
- Spice Islands

If you subscribe to The Trend Curve, your pricing on The Trend Curve Colors™ 2011 is $595.00. Non-subscribers pay $695.00. But if you subscribe to The Trend Curve when you order your color, you can purchase at the subscriber price. Just email Janice to get things going, or head back to the Trend Store and use the pull-down menu to select Color Forecasts.

If you have any questions about the forecast, feel free to email me directly. Below is a quick pic of The Trend Curve Colors 2011.


 

One of my favorite pieces at the Maison & Objet trade fair earlier this month was the Bloom Lounge Chair, designed by Kenneth Corbonpue.

This chair is made of soft microfiber stitched over a resin top. It sits on a steel base. The cover is sculpted by hundreds of fine running stitches that radiate from the center of the seat, creating a subtle, textural feel and mimicking the organic appearance of a blossom. In fact, it's easy to see how inspiration from the graceful blossom of a flower was translated into the entire design.

Below is a picture of the Bloom Lounge Chair. If you would like to see more of the brilliant design of Kenneth Corbonpue, just click here.

I learned years ago that some of the most creative textile products at Maison & Objet came from Taj, Wood & Scherer. Today, I planned my visit to this company for the end of the day, intentionally keeping the best for last.

I walked into the stand in Hall 6, Row A late this afternoon to find Managing Director Roger Wood even more cheerful than usual. That’s because Taj, Wood & Scherer is celebrating its 10th anniversary. What a milestone! I have been visiting Roger for most of those years and I have loved each of his specialty-store collections in succession. The business began with embroidered/appliquéd/pieced cushions as the primary focus. Now the company also carries kids’ products, lampshades, wallets and more.

I have a picture below of Roger, who looks both pleased and proud (which he should be!). He is standing in front of selections from his new kids’ collection. These pieces demonstrate the kind of design and handwork in each creation.

VG Newtrend is always one of my favorite stops at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Vincenzo Antonuccio, the company’s art director and the genius behind both the product development and the visual display for VG’s stand in Hall 5A.

He took a few minutes to tell me about the concept behind the new collection. Since this was the first time VG has shown only designs created by Vincenzo and his partner over the 20 months they have been at VG, the color story was carefully selected to represent the rebirth of the line. The showroom was all about White and Chrome.

Look below for a picture of Vincenzo Antonuccio sitting on an over-sized velvet sofa that made a dramatic statement—in White, of course.

I cannot remember the last time I spent Labor Day weekend at home. The Maison & Objet trade fair seems to fall on this weekend year after year. So while my husband is enjoying perfect weather and taking our college-age daughter to buy a bicycle (to get around the U of MN campus this fall), I'm in the hotel lobby posting on Twitter, blogging, working with images (I took hundreds of them today) and wishing my feet didn't hurt so badly.

But if you have to work on a holiday weekend, Maison & Objet is the fair to attend! I spent yesterday in Hall 5B, which I consider the best launching pad for a trend update that this trend-forward fair has to offer. Today I walk Hall 7, which contains outdoor furniture and accessories, for most of the day, and then shifted to Hall1, Ethnic Chic, for about an hour. I finished my day by walking through the three trend exhibits.

The trend themes included Body House, Delight and Sense Fiction. The last one meant the most to me, beginning with the soft and fluid-feeling outside structure. As you can imaging from seeing the "walls," held product that was nearly all White. I have a couple of images for you to see below.

I will have two huge trend reports from Maison & Objet, both of which will be available in a couple of weeks. Trend Album™ Maison & Objet, September 2009 will be an overview of the colors and trends impacting home décor. Trend Album™ What's In Outdoors 2009 focuses on furniture and accessories for outdoor living. Subscribers to The Trend Curve™ can preorder either or both of these products. Just email Janice. She always has special pre-order pricing for our subscriber family. Others can order when the product is released. Check the Trend Store in about 2 weeks.

My top pick from day 2 of the Maison & Objet fair in Paris today was Casador, a 17 year-old company that makes fabulous decorative accessories. I was more than tired when I walked past their Hall 1 stand this afternoon, but when I saw what was inside I just had to stop.

Rope icons like leaves and medallions on a felt rug combined for a look I have not seen before. That’s what got my attention in the first place. Then I noticed a laser-cut hair-on-hide skin for the floor. The cuts formed animal silhouettes—so whimsical! Finally, a Black rabbit pillow used set itself apart with scalloped tiers and crystals.

If you are in Paris, stop to see Casador at C 94 in Hall 1. Below are two images I snapped in their stand. Note: my photography doesn't do either item justice!

Some companies came to the fall version of Maision & Objet in Paris without any new products. What a bad idea! People who had innovative and different things to show had lots of buzz in their stands. A typical refrain from companies who did not invest in innovation this time was that they are now able to ship everything they showed at the January event. This is somehow meant to make everyone overlook the fact of no new product. How interesting that this is taking place in Europe while those of us in the U.S. keep hearing that the recession is over for Germany and France, two big economies. I can’t help but suspect big missed opportunities and soon-to-be-felt regret for the companies who came to this show empty handed.

Of course, there are still plenty of products debuting here and I saw lots of them on my first day at the show. One of my favorite items today was designed by Michael C.K. Chan for a company that is simply called The Chair.

Michael says the curve was the inspiration behind a line of leather and fiberglass chairs (with metal legs). He also says that from initial idea to prototypes took just three-and-a-half months. And for my favorite chair, there were zero total revisions to the original concept along the way. Wouldn't it be great if every idea each of us had was right from the get-go like Michael's was for this chair?

Take a look below and you’ll know why I fell for this chair. Designer Michael C.K. Chan is sitting in my chair of the day.