Trend or “feels right”?

2019 trend posts are still working their way into my newsfeed and sifting through them, I was struck by how we live in an era where anything goes. 

From Pantone’s “16-1546 Living Coral, a vibrant, yet mellow colour embracing us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment”, to Plascon’s “Ravine 62, an artful blend of beige and grey bringing a versatility and a sense of calm to every space”.

From bolder colours and richer hues, with dramatic reds, millenial pinks, berries, bold yellows and organic greens, to dark hues and moody tones and basic neutrals, to Li Edelkoort’s “brown is the new black” and her beautiful depiction of “14 shades of brown”. 

From textures and natural materials to engineered and geometric patterns, velvets and florals.  Concrete looks to copper accents and the obsession with botanicals and bringing the inside in.  From the popularity of Wagyu beef to plant-based eating.  From the Danes’ soulful Hygge that encouraged “fluffy duvet days for the soul” to the Swedes’ Lagom that prescribes “just the right amount” of simple living.

There is a deluge of choices and really, no rules.  At Li Edlekoort’s recent trends talk at Design Indaba, she highlighted the influence that folklore and culture have on trends and the prevalence of cross-cultural similarities, just interpreted, reinvented and executed in a slightly different way.  This reinforces the adage of finding your tribe, however distant, and embracing your differences, similarities and uniqueness.

Follow your intuition and have the confidence to carry it off.  If it’s right for you or your client, do it. 

Find a responsible supplier who caters for all trends and tribes with a range that always provides you with choices rather than passing fads.  Authenticity, belonging, heritage, responsibility and products proudly crafted by artisans will always be in vogue.