Want to know what’s in this Winter from the Sweet Peas Design Team? Sweet Peas Design is an award-winning, full-service design studio serving residential clients in the North Shore, Chicago and beyond. Below they have listed the top 7 trends today in furnishing.
1 ) G E O M E T R Y 1 0 1
No doubt about it, octogons are this year’s go-to shape. The iconic stop-sign configuration is making a statement on tables, ottomans, lighting, chair backs, mirrors and side tables. The sharp angles can truly be a focal point in a room, mixed with softer angles and curves. It’s all geometric to me!
Photo courtesy of: kravet.com
2 ) L E A T H E R – W R A P P E D F U R N I T U R E
Leather is nothing new in furnishings, but I’ve never seen so much of it before. It seemed as if every manufacturer had a leather-wrapped piece this year, so count on this trend to have legs. My advice – limit yourself to one or two leather pieces in a room or it may start to look like a convention hall for Harley owners!
3 ) L I N E N – W R A P P E D F U R N I T U R E
Last fall we raved about finding two vendors for linen-wrapped furniture at High Point; this year we were practically tripping over them! This is another trend that’s becoming a standard. It’s a textural treatment used mostly on chests, but I saw it on buffets, occasional tables and headboards too. We’ve been so excited about this new finish that earlier this year we selected a linen-wrapped dresser for a client’s master bedroom. It’s gorgeous!
4 ) A N E W & L E A F
Last year it was silver leaf; this year gold leaf is the metal of the moment. Gold leaf was applied in simple, elegant ways to cabinet door hardware, tables, lamps and lighting fixtures, mirrors and lots of chests. No need to pack away your silver leaf treasures. Just layer in a gold leaf piece with silver and other metallics and avoid matchy-matchy boredom. It’s time to turn over a new leaf.
5 ) V E L V E T Y V E L L U M
It looks textural, but isn’t. It seems worn and vintage, but it’s not. Vellum is one of the hottest leathers in furniture making, and designers are falling head-over-hooves for it, so to speak. The name vellum comes from the early French word for calf – vélin – and it typically comes from a calf or goat. I love its richness and texture, and that no two pieces are ever alike. Natural variations in the skins make each piece unique. Vellum is beautiful when contrasted with other materials, such as metals or wood. And here’s a fun fact: Vellum is so durable that since 1497, British Acts of Parliament have been printed on it for archival storage. Jolly good.
6 ) L I F E O N T H E E D G E
I’m so happy to see that live-edge wood furniture continues to put down roots in home furnishings. The natural wavy, rough edge of a piece of wood is incorporated into the design of a piece – often a table – giving it an organic look that is rustic and engaging. The latest update – pairing live-edge wood with acrylic, metal or resin elements, such as table legs, to create an eye-catching contrast between materials. Be daring, live on the edge!
7 ) U P H O L S T E R Y, M E E T M E T A L
There’s a new twist to upholstered furniture with metal frames, legs and/or feet – it doesn’t have to be modern and contemporary any more. Furniture makers are introducing mixed-media pieces that work in transitional and traditional homes, if you choose wisely. The blend of soft and hard, shiny and matte, rough and smooth are very appealing combined in one piece.
