Thursday, August 4, 2011

DAPPER DESIGNERS AND TRENDS UNCOVERED AT AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN VEGAS

The Dapper Designer Dans and Susanna Salk on stage
If you missed yesterday's live webcast from World Market in Las Vegas, don't fret, you can see the trend updates from Nathan Turner, Jeffrey Alan Marks and Tony Baratta right here, courtesy of Editor at Large. Susanna Salk moderated a lively panel with lots of great comments and fun moments. I had to ask, "What are you seeing out there that you are tiring of, what styles or design moments need retiring?" More on that to come!

The designers uncovered what will become next season’s most popular trends during their presentation, Ahead of the Curve, moderated by style guru and “Today” show contributor Susanna Salk. The program, which featured a live in-studio audience and webcast viewers from around the globe, gave the world a chance to watch top design stars reveal their favorite discoveries.

The trends they discovered included:

Watch Nathan Turner's video here
Red Hots: Nearly every showroom featured pieces in fire engine red. Hot red combines well with chocolate, gray, navy and white. It has a tendency to give a graphic quality to a room and is an easy way to add instant spice to a project. It’s all you need to make a room sizzle.

Au Natural: Natural, unfinished materials that incorporate hand craftsmanship do not have to be exclusively rustic. At Las Vegas Market, several of these “natural” pieces were sexy and sleek. Going au natural can add depth, soul, and character to a room.

Basketweave: Basketweave knew no limits in Las Vegas. It was featured on furniture with metal, rope, and wicker accents. It brings outside in, allowing something you typically associate with the outdoors to be inside the home in a very chic, stylish manner. It could even take the place of a pattern.

Watch Jeffrey Alan Mark's video here
Small Scale: In the 90s, the trend was to do everything bigger. Big houses, big rooms, big furniture. Now things are smaller with more details. Small scale pieces provide a more tailored, very sweet look. The economy has had a lot to do with it. McMansions are out and people aren’t looking to just fill up a house. And more than anything, they want their home to have pieces with personality.

Swivel: Because rooms are smaller they are required to be more dynamic, so multi-purpose pieces are critical. From the end of a bed to in front of a fireplace, pieces that swivel, rock or roll bring life and movement to a room while saving space.

Pop of Color: One of the latest crazes has been light grey wood. But it can grow stale or boring. Dress up your neutrals with a jolt of color. At Las Vegas Market there has been a pop of color trend showing up in rustic pieces, where the color really emphasizes the contrast between the rough edges and a smooth, modern finish.

Watch Anthony Baratta's video here:
Retro Redefined: Forms from the 40s, 50s and 60s are now being made with materials to make the look more modern. These pieces give a whimsical element to any room, and offer more compatibility with today’s design options.

Black and White – the ultimate neutral: Black and white allows color to stand out in a room, and can bring a room to life. A lot of the black and white pieces at this year’s Las Vegas Market are very graphic, which really allows a piece to give a room a whole other dimension.

Chrome in the Home: Chrome gives any piece a clean, fresh look. Las Vegas Market featured countless retro pieces that were updated with a chrome element. Chrome adds a nice sparkle to a room and will work in both modern and traditionally designed homes, giving them a sharp, crisp finish.

“We are very proud of the reputation Ahead of the Curve has gotten over the last few years,” said Robert Maricich, chief executive officer of International Market Centers, World Market Center Las Vegas’ parent company. “We know that media, designers, buyers and mainstream consumers all anticipate what our trend forecasters will divulge. Fall is such a busy season for decorating so this is the perfect time to get ahead of next season’s trends.”

“I never tire of identifying the stand-out pieces and trends year-after-year,” said Susanna Salk, design expert and author. “Las Vegas Market has an amazing variety of products, from very luxurious high-end manufacturers, to very affordable well-built pieces and even the more obscure, whimsical pieces.”

“This is my first time at Las Vegas Market,” said Baratta. “I’ve found the experience to be incredibly inspiring. I have found some great new pieces to incorporate into current projects and have so many new ideas to take home to New York with me. I was non-stop shopping.”

“We had an amazing time going through each showroom and picking our favorites,” said Marks. “From comfort, to fun design elements, and great colors, this season’s Las Vegas Market really had it all. It was extremely difficult for me to narrow down my choices for the Ahead of the Curve presentation. There just wasn’t enough time to highlight all of my favorites.”

“Because I have a retail store I am always on the hunt to look for things, and was not disappointed here in Las Vegas,” said Turner. “I saw so many different types of things and spotted numerous trends and am excited to bring some of these things back to my own store in Los Angeles.”

LA designers have more fun! Nathan and Jeffrey, half of the Million Dollar Decorators crew, dressed in their blue blazers and looking smart in 100 degree heat.