Time to shine a spotlight on creativity once more....

Osborne&Little's Palazzo Collection (out now), is diverse, eclectic, bold and beautiful.
Venice and the magnificent palazzi on the Grand Canal constructed in varying styles at different periods of the city’s history are the inspiration for this collection of opulent printed and woven velvets. It is also evocative of different periods of art history associated with Venice from the early Renaissance to the Peggy Guggenheim collection.

FALDA has a fantastic energy. This discharge printed velvet is an evocation of floating squares as if in a modernist abstract painting. Falda is the Italian word for flake as in snowflake.

COSIMO is poetic. Cosimo de’ Medici, great patron of Renaissance art and culture, lends his name to this richly coloured cut velvet jacquard floral with the appearance of a carpet. The cut velvet design is further enhanced by a digital overprint.

PELLESTRINA is sumptuous. The chiaroscuro colourings of this floral bouquet are printed on velvet. A dual purpose fabric with a high Martindale abrasion (100,000). Named after the island at the edge of the Venice Lagoon.

The Palazzo Collection also includes a stripe, geometric designs and abstract prints. Each highly creative and original.

Let's celebrate the creative genius of MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

Williamson is a British icon, known for his design flare; a colourful, expressive approach, flamboyant pairing of patterns, and a rich elaborate interior design style. His work refuses to go unnoticed on fashion catwalks and in homes and hospitality interiors.

Williamson last year released his fifth wallpaper and fabric collection with Osborne & Little. And each collection he has produced since 2013 is an entirely unique celebration – a rich tapestry of creativity.
He's described by Osborne & Little as a master of print, embellishment, attention to detail and kaleidoscopic colour. His collections reflect a refined yet spirited sense of glamour inspired by global and artistic influences.

Above we've included an image from LA's The NoMad Hotel, located on the corner of 7th and Olive Street. This hotel is an incredible design spectacle, residing in the historic building, Giannini Place. Originally built in the 1920s as the headquarters for The Bank of Italy. The interior design concepts throughout honour the building's rich history, and Matthew Williamson is a perfect fit.

CHRISTOPH NIEMANN –
ANOTHER CREATIVE WE LOVE.
If you haven't already spotted the work of Christoph Niemann on Instagram, or by his work's appearance on the cover of The New Yorker and other publications, then check it out. We love the original thinking that is evident in his creations. Often playful or thought provoking, his ability to visually tell stories in inspiring. His works seem to capture not just moments in time, but the emotions of a situation or the feelings and thoughts associated with an everyday encounter. His work is beautifully executed, funny and clever in nature. His Sunday sketches (which you can follow on Instagram @abstractsunday) is a weekly treat and definitely a celebration of original thinking. See more on his website.

PHOTO CREDIT: Christoph Niemann from http://www.christophniemann.com/

We encourage you to feedback your thoughts, share your insights and show us examples of original thinking that you love. You can do this by emailing us or posting comments on our Facebook and Instagram updates.

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This month as we celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Osborne&Little, we’re shining a spotlight on Original Thinker, Nina Campbell.

Not only do O&L bring us highly creative and original collections year-on-end, they also collaborate with original thinkers to bring us further fantastic designs with their collections from Matthew Williamson and Nina Campbell.

Campbell’s collections are inspired by Italy, France and England.
Her latest collection Les Rêves, won Best Fabric Collection at the Brittish Homes & Gardens Fabric Awards, 2017. This stunning collection is inspired by the works of Henri Matisse, who was himself a master of creative collaboration as well as original thinking.

Confined to a wheelchair and his bed in the later years of his life, he swapped his paint brushes for paper and scissors, and working with studio assistants, went on to create some of his most well-known and loved works, that at the time were truly original. It is these paper cut-out works, or as Matisse referred to them, ‘works sculptured with scissors’, that inspired Nina Campbell.
Matisse grew up in a small French town known for fabric milling. His mother painted ceramic plates which hang on the walls of his childhood home and he went onto to have an art filled life in which he created small and large-scale works, on paper and canvas as well as large scale murals and stained-glass windows.
 
Collioure, from the Les Rêves collection is described as – an arrangement of colourful hand-painted pots printed on pure cotton. Named after the Mediterranean coastal town in the Pyrénées-Orientales where Matisse often worked. Nina says 'I love the Collioure print featuring decorative pots, it's like stepping into one of Matisse's still-lifes.'

 

ANOTHER COLLABORATION WE LOVE

"The Chain" is a song by the Fleetwood Mac, released on their best-selling album Rumours. It is the only song from the album credited to all five band members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood).
And although the whole group were given credit, when you listen to the lead vocals in this song, the exchange between two people is very real. You can sense all of the emotions being felt as you are swayed between the voices of Nicks and Buckingham. Have a listen.

Paris is a must see travel destination year round, but for us, January is the time to visit. Sure it's winter, so leaving a kiwi summer behind isn't ideal, but Paris at this time of year is alive and buzzing for design, architecture, interior furnishing and fashion industry experts.

Our travels see us attend Paris Deco Off and Maison&Objet. A chance to meet with leading design editors, our fantastic suppliers, and attend trend shows. From home linen, fragrances, furniture, outdoor products, kitchen and kids… it seems everything for the home is here to be seen and sampled.

And as well as being in Paris for both these event this past week, we also attended Heimtextil in Frankfurt the week before.

Much of what we have seen this fortnight aligns to our trend report (see below) that we shared with you last week. We have also experienced the new collections with presentations from Osborne&Little, Elitis, Luciano Marcato, JAB and others. We can't wait for samples to arrive on our home shores very soon so we can share these.

Pictured here are a few sneak previews and we encourage you to check the websites of our suppliers whilst you await our presentations. Sophisticated colour palettes, filled with warmth. Attention to detail and texture are key. The appearance of translucency with mesh and cut-outs. Printed and woven velvets, succulent and seductive with intricate florals.

This trip has been a feast for the eyes and we return with a spring in our step and such energy to share all the new collections with you.

 

I know we are talking trends for 2018 and beyond, but I want to start by drawing attention to an exhibition that was presented in 2015 by Foundation Louis Vuitton, Keys to Passion (April 1st to July 6^th, 2015). And the reason for starting here is that this exhibition was curated into four parts that seem an entirely appropriate fit with what present and future trends represent. For the most part, these are ideas that have continually been explored by artists and philosophers for centuries, but they feel intensely relevant and poignant today.

• Subjective Expressionism: evoking questions of about life, death, angst and solitude. Munch, Bacon, Dix and Giacometti.
• Contemplation: from mediations on nature to the radicalism of abstraction. Monet, Mondrian, Bancusi, Rothko and Picasso.
• Popist: capturing the energy, vitalism and invigoration of modern life, with an eye to the future. Delaunay, Leger, and Picabia.
• Music: the close relationship between artists and music. Kandinsky, Matisse and Severini.

You’ll see as you read on, that these four themes fit with the trend themes we foresee for the coming year and beyond.

There is a lot in this report. So take your time to explore and digest what is on offer. This report will remain on our website, so check back whenever you feel like it.

Four key trends:

Natures touch:

Green hues: Green was a key trend in 2017. Moving forward, we will continue to see hues of green present, but the use of this colour broadens from a single reference point of kale to encompass a much wider spectrum – from new growth zesty lemon green through to translucent green glass and onto deeper kelp like hues.

In 2017, we saw kale green paired with raspberry pink. Now this shifts to moss green hues complimented by heather tones, softer pinks or burnt orange. Teal green paired with terracotta or soft beige.

Colours to note:

• Green: moss, kelp, green glass,
• Purple: mauve, heather, lilac
• Orange: deep red, burnt orange, rust, terracotta and dusty pink
• Blue: turquoise blue, teal

From Pantone®: “Designers are beginning to tackle the “nature deficit” and are developing solutions that bring the natural world into the urban environment by way of considered urban planning, nature-symbiotic architecture and engineered nature.”

Nature is expressed not only with the colour palette. Alongside florals (often romanticised) we’ll see leaves and plants as well as allusions of nature with textural rubbings and weaving and weather motifs such as clouds and water droplets.

Mono coloured spaces:

 

Think green room and blueprint – this is a trend we will see particularly for retail spaces.

Intense and intoxicating – drawing people in and attempting to control responses. This trend seems to flow on from brutalist architecture trends that flowed onto brutalist graphic design trends. A raw exposition of uncertainty. Now into interior trends where bold powerful statements are being made with immediate impact. Capturing the spirit of innovation, freshness and creativity.

Some would see brutalist architecture as being too austere and hard edged for interior spaces, however this mono coloured trend is about deliberate edginess and defined point of difference without being cold or closed off.

Variation will come with the use of graphic elements (geometric patterning & fine line detailing), texture and tonal shifts.

In the home expect the intensity of colour to be paired back and white or neutral tones added to bring balance, but the idea remains. A single colour as the theme for a room.

Futuristic world:

 

A celebration of technology – bright colour (green, blue, pink, purple alongside metallic – silver and gold), translucency, projected light, layering/screens, transitioning of colour. Expect to see materials such as mesh and tinted coloured glass becoming common place.

Translucency, with sheers or semi sheers which give the impression of mesh with cut outs and texture will come to the fore.

Pantone® have a trend palette they have dubbed TECH-nique.

In recent years (and still very much relevant) we’ve followed the well-being trend by creating quiet, zen spaces to retreat to, seek refuge from the hustle of our every day, our on the go, connected lifestyles. This technology trend comes as a direct point of opposition to the well-being trend. It is not seeking to attack or undermine our dependency on gadgets, bright lights and stimuli, but rather to find beauty and exoticism in ever changing, unpredictable and futuristic high tech.

Read more at Interiorzine

Colours to note:

• Power pink, velvet burgundy, deep purple and mauve – a deliberate statement of sensuality and sexuality.
• Sapphire blue – translucent and intense. Blue paired with gold.
• Green glass
• Metallic – gold, silver and metal

For more on Pantone's colour predictions, visit Inspiring Interiors.

Balancing act:

 

Playing with scale and colour, this trend is about being bold with the pieces you pair and the colours you place alongside each other.

Large, soft and organic shaped furniture pieces in strong colours. Bright colours with bold stripes and geometric patterns. Fine lines from black thin framed furniture and lighting features, alongside large soft sofa in bright colour.

Like the works of artists Kandinsky and Luigi Russolo, there is music at play here. It is not just a matter of this and that, mix and match, but a careful composition of elements to create the finished performance.

Colours to note:

• Zesty yellow/green paired with grey/silver and warm charcoal.
• Watery hues and deep aquatic blues with golden tones of natural wood.

Things to watch out for:

Reuse – The upcycle trend of recent years takes a shift sideways with the challenge to design editors to reuse. Already we’ve seen this with Coco Shells from Elitis utilising the discarded coconut shells as a texture for wallcoverings (and shells in their soon to be released Trancoso wallcovering). Expect to see more fabrics, wallcoverings and homewares that use waste products from building and agriculture processes. This trend has made its way into building materials with the likes of exterior cladding systems made from recycled milk bottles, but it will start to feature more in interior materials also.

A sojourn to Russia  – For some time, our gaze has been towards Scandinavia for the aesthetic we adopt in our homes. But this is beginning to shift. The question is, where to next? A few likely reference points stand out for the coming years – ancient empires of Japan, China and Russia.

These destinations reveal stark contrasts between contemporary culture and deeply entrenched heritage and it is this dichotomy that will inspire and intrigue.

Each design editor may have a different take, but the trend will be to seemingly merge old with new, holding on to sentimental pieces (dreaming of faded grandeur) and blending in modern touches (fine lines, industrial materials and precision). Just as the kimono has made its way to the catwalks, expect these traditional cultural reference points to be present our homes.

Across all trends:

Continuation of modular and versatile furniture items. Mixed use spaces, and homeware solutions that fit this. Mix and match, easy living solutions.

Baroque influence and richness of sensational experiences: gold, velvet, reflective/shining surfaces, and dark wood furniture. Sitting somewhere between the charred wood (black, or almost black) to dense dark tones.

Tufting, fringes and pompoms – we’ve seen it on cushions and bottom of drapes, but expect to see these more traditional crafting techniques and finishing touches on ottomans and other furniture pieces. As well as two tone upholstery, mixing colours, textures and prints.

 

Now we eagerly await the collection releases of our design houses to see what will fill our homes, hospitality, work and retail spaces in 2018 and beyond. We can’t wait to share this with you!

If you're looking to weave some magic into your next interior project, then here are some collections worth checking out:

ALSTON by Romo
A distinctive collation of textured weaves that combines an array of unique yarns with subtle intonations of colour.

ORMOND by Osborne & Little
A collection of fabrics named after castles in Ireland is principally intended for upholstery use. In essence the colour palette combines linen or ivory with tones which provide a gentle contrast such as aqua, fawn, peacock, chartreuse, taupe, grey, navy and coral.

SORAYA by Romo
Enticingly tactile, characterful upholstery weaves featuring bold geometrics and eye-catching block stripes create a striking, visual impact with a natural charm.

SAM by JAB
SAM is the perfect partner for anyone who prefers a distinctly calm look. The uncomplicated upholstery fabric convinces with a natural, almost linen-like impression that dispenses with spectacular effects. The 32 colours of the palette offer a spectrum that leaves all options open

MASQUE by Osborne & Little
Celebration and festivals are the theme of this collection of woven fabrics presented in suitably joyful colour combinations which include fuchsia, teal, aqua, orange, azure and chartreuse.

Explore our website for more woven collections and inspiration.

Les Reves wallpaper collection was also runner up in Best Wallpaper Collection and Beau Rivage shortlised in the Best Wallpaper category.

View these fabrics and wallpapers on our website, or in our showrooms.