Posts by Michelle Lamb
Luster Is In For The Long Haul
At the recent High Point furniture market, luster confirmed that it is in for the long haul. It appeared at price points from high to medium, and in décor products from seating to framed art, with metallic the primary point of view. One factor in luster’s continued growth and forecasted longevity is that it is…
Read MoreBest Kitchen for Small Spaces
When great design, clever functionality and high utility converge in the kitchen, the result can turn heads. Get ready for some real head-turning. Kitch’ T Concept, from Dsignedby, packs seating, cooking, refrigerating and storage into a compact unit that is made to be moved from one living space to another. Combining the Table T and Kitch’…
Read MoreFun and Games in Décor
Millennials are having a huge impact on every aspect of home décor. In The Trend Curve Colors™ 2017, we provided the details for a Millennial favorite called Analog. This trend focused on mixing retro-tech—typewriters, record players, film cameras and more—with today’s contemporary styles, creating a new look for interiors. Recently, Millennials have been gravitating toward…
Read MoreThree Trends Consumers Will Want in 2017
I was just asked to contribute three trends for 2017 to a consumer-facing guide that wants to offer expert advice on what to buy this Holiday season. As they say in the vernacular, that’s easier said than done! Because The Trend Curve forecasts color-and-design trends 18 – 24 months into the future, I’ve been focused on the recent release…
Read MoreAll Tied Up in Paris
Who would have guessed two years ago that knots would have such a prominent place in décor? But as a swing back toward 1970s style took hold for home interiors in 2015, macramé swept back into trend. It appeared in chairs, wall hangings, pot hangers and more, confirming The Trend Curve‘s forecast from nearly three years ago. Consumers…
Read MoreLondon Isn’t Gray Anymore
I never tire of trend-spotting in London. But no matter how many days I set aside for retail reconnaissance, I always wish for just one more. While taking in the retail landscape last month, it didn’t take long to notice the absence of gray. I don’t mean that gray disappeared from assortments altogether. Instead, gray was a no-show…
Read MoreThe Practical Side of Paper
Paper is today’s on-trend material, and The Trend Curve forecasts that it will remain so for at least the next two years. Products ranging from book-paper birds and papier maché rabbits to tissue-paper blossoms and cardboard signs have been cropping up at trade shows for more than a year. Andbros, showing at the September Maison &…
Read MorePetite Friture’s Immersive Product Launch in Paris
Petite Friture is among our favorite design-driven companies because their products are so innovative. So, when The Trend Curve was invited to an intimate dinner at their Paris showroom to celebrate the launch of their first tableware collection, Succession, I jumped at the chance. I’m glad I did. It was the most immersive product debut…
Read MoreLondon is Going to the Dogs
On a retail trend-spotting tour of London last week, dogs seemed to be everywhere. They were seen in the shapes of items from giant erasers to flocked busts. Used in pattern, dogs popped up on aprons, tea towels, plates and platters, baking dishes, bedsheets and lots of cushions. They were the subject of books, greeting cards,…
Read MoreThe Next Big Thing: Martini Tables
It all started with the wildly successful television series Mad Men. It got everyone talking about the lifestyle of the 1960s-70s, the drinking culture of corporate executives and how consumers entertained at home. More importantly, it energized an interest in mid-century modern style that had already begun. Today, mid-century forms and surface designs have become…
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