Scarlet Opus Trends Blog

Now, New, Next: Fabulous Fifties!

The Fabulous Fifties: sixth decade of the 20th Century and birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  An era of prominent entertainers like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean, and the beginning of Pop Art.  The summer of 2012 will see a renewed interest in the Fifties that will continue to develop well into the Spring/Summer 2013 season; in today’s posting we look at how all things Fifties flare up once more!

We’ll begin with what’s happening Now, exploring the current Fifties Diner aesthetic: ice cream parlour and soda bar looks – it’s all about the sweetest thing!  Then we’ll take a look at what’s New with a focus on the fashion house Prada’s current ad campaign and its potential influence on upcoming seasons.  Finally, we look at what’s coming Next as we present a Sneak Peek at our Spring/Summer interiors trend, ‘Motel’.

But more on that taster in a bit.  For Now, let’s look at the established trend inspired by Fifties Diners, soda bars, and ice cream parlours.  This look works particularly well in the kitchen and in dining areas, reflecting its inspirations.  Retailer H&M have released a fantastic, sweeter than sweet table runner adorned with ice cream cones and pastel coloured lollipops for their S/S 2012 interiors collection.  The Anna G corkscrew in chrome from Alessi exudes that streamlined yet quirky Fifties look.  John Lewis have also picked up the Diner trend with their ‘Playnation‘ collection full of chalky pastels and bright, poppy colours.  The fuchsia pink bin and mint green mixing bowl will certainly inject a Fifties vibe into your kitchen space.

Antonella Arismendi (below, bottom right corner) has themed her advertising photography work for Intima Cherry on hazy, laid back days spent in soda bars with the Cadillac parked in the lot.  You can check out more of her work on her website and also at Intima Cherry online.

Top to bottom: Table runner from H&M International; Anna G corkscrew from Alessi; Ice cushion from Bonjour Mon Coussin; Fifties Diner booths in Rochester, NY from Jays Furniture Products; Melamine plate and bowl from Kim Seybert at Barneys NY; Retro style jug and tall tumblers in acrylic from Rice, DK; Smeg Fridge in Pastel Green and Freestanding Dishwasher in Pink; KitchenAid Artisan Mixer with veg slicer in Aqua Blue from Wheesh; Brights Matte Pedal Bin in Fuchsia and Playnation Mixing Bowl in Green both from John Lewis; Antonella Arismendi for Intima Cherry S/S 2012 fashion campaign

If you’re really loving the Fifites Diner look then make a bold choice with these fantastic handle back diner chairs from Richardson Seating in the US.  With ‘dual tone’ channeled back, in vinyl and chrome these authentic American diner chairs are brilliant!  Also check out the ‘Soda Fountain’ counter stools with footrest and 360° swivel seat.  So, pull up a chair and have a soda folks!

Kitchen appliances are also sporting shades of Vanilla, Spearmint, and Raspberry Smoothie, like the toaster from Dualit and this new range of Smeg fridges and dishwashers.

Paint company, Crown, have put together a new palette of paints for S/S 2012 with their ‘Ice Cream Parlour’ collection.  Bottom right below shows a selection of their candy colours with the full range available online on Crown’s inspiration pages.

Top to bottom: Soda Fountain counter stool and Handle Back diner chair from Richard Seating, US; Annies Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlour, Bathurst, NSW courtesy of A Table For Two; Ice Cream and Cherries vintage print from eBay seller FavouriteFabrics1; Mels Drive-In Diner, CA; Fizz Soda maker from Soda Stream in pink; Libbey 11.5 oz Soda Glass from The Webstaurant Store Online, US; Dualit Dome cordless kettle in cream from Heals; pale blue Apron from Donna Hay; J-99 Fifties Booth seating from Jays Furniture Products; extendable Craft dining table from Ligne Roset; Dualit Vario 2 Slot toaster in Azure Blue from Heals; Selection of paints from Crowns ‘Ice Cream Parlour’ collection

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Prada’s recently launched ad campaign (watch the video below) and ‘Real Fantasies’ lookbook for S/S 2012 features Fifties styled girls perched on Cadillacs parked outside typical mid-Century Americana porches.  The drive-in campaign focuses heavily on their Cadillac inspired heels (which The Boss Lady predicts will become an iconic shoe!) and explores the “nostalgia of hot rodding, golfing, picnicking, the space race, and other wholesome past times”.  Do check out the fabulous imagery in the lookbook with cut-out models superimposed on vintage posters collaged together with their incredible automotive heels.

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In a posting earlier this year we looked at the influence of fashion on interiors, discussing fashion houses moving into new realms with interior products and services.  The influence of this campaign will certainly be felt!

Top to bottom: Prada ‘Real Fantasies’ lookbook; ‘Target Practice’ print Sammy Slabbink; Prada’s S/S 2012 Americana campaign and the Cadillac inspired heels and clutch bag

Prada have recently collaborated with Hyundai on the Genesis Prada, with Prada creating a sophisticated unique version of Hyundai’s award-winning 2012 Genesis sedan.  The fashion house also has a well established line of bathroom products, including male and female fragrances, and since 2001 have been creating wallcoverings for their stores, each year expanding on the theme of the previous.  With their recent forays out of the fashion world I wonder if they will soon be joining other major fashion houses – Fendi, Hermes, and my personal favourite, Armani - who have already transitioned into interiors.

To go back to the brand’s fashion influence, and particularly the ‘Real Fantasies’ lookbook, we already begin to see this aesthetic in other areas, for example in the work of Sammy Slabbink and his outrageous use of proportions and mixes of colour with black and white vintage photography.  Bright, inventive prints with a lacing of grown-up seductiveness epitomise this – in Miss V’s words – “retro-revival road trip”.

The aqua pleated dresses from Prada are mirrored in design classics such as the Eames RAR plastic rocker, now also available in tones of Spearmint and Rose for the new season.  Vitra’s classic Sunburst clock incorporates these mid-Century shades as does the Grid Lock print from Etsy seller PoolPonyDesign, reflecting the key colours Prada have used.  This Fifties pastel look will continue to develop and evolve into a more punchy, vivid trend fit for relaxed summer days.

Top to bottom: Prada ‘Real Fantasies’ lookbook; Sunburst wall clock from the Aram Store; Grid Lock print from Etsy seller PoolPonyDesign; Prada catwalk shot; Tulip Chair from Knoll; Pradas S/S 2012 Americana campaign; Eames RAR rocker in Ocean from Vitra; 1963 Geneva steel kitchen from Design Clique; Cassina table in yellow from Yoox; Manuel throw from Missoni Home available at ArenasCollection, DK

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This leads us nicely into our final and most exciting part, what’s Next!  ‘Motel’ for Spring/Summer 2013, that’s what.  A trend that sees a definite move on from the current Diner look and one that pushes us towards summer fun, out of the dark winters of austerity, into vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll sexiness and laidback, hazy poolside gatherings.

It’s a Fifties Motel vacation, inspired by the palm tree lined, Art Deco adorned boulevards of Miami and a laidback LA vibe – we see graduated colours and ombres; matte, opaque surface finishes; kitsch styling and products with a humorous twist.

Colour blocking is predominant and creativity is passed from designer to consumer via furniture Hacking – “user-initiated product intervention; taking an object and optimizing its function through an alteration that was not intended by the manufacture”.

Top to bottom: Motel colour palette including Design Barks printed veneers; Wooden stool from Cappellini; Antonella Arismendi for Intima Cherry SS12 fashion campaign; Steel and pastel Dot Bowl by Paul Smith for Stelton, DK; vintage photograph copyright Aladdin Color Inc. at RetroStockPix.com; Bolle vases/glasses from Venini

Shapes are either (I love this, Miss V!) “flirtatiously curvaceous, lozenge shaped” or are more angular and geometric providing two alternatives at either end of the spectrum.  Pattern goes all Tropicana and we also see conversational prints featuring cars, fruit, and girls.  Materials like blonde wood veneers are overprinted with geometrics, take Design Bark por exemplo, with Lipstick Red and Mint as key colours for the season.

Top to bottom: vintage photograph copyright Aladdin Color Inc. at RetroStockPix.com; House of Holland for S/S 2012/13; ‘eu/phoria’ chair by Paola Navone for Eumenes, It; vintage record player image courtesy of PeskyMonkey on iStock; Printed veneer light shade from Design Bark

The trend has moved on from all things sweet in S/S 2012 to a more sophisticated, tongue in cheek aesthetic that’s bolder in colour and form, and cooler and more radical in attitude.

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As usual huge thanks to Anthony for today’s posting.  If his Motel trend teaser has captured your attention then check out the Services page for all the details on our reports and trend boards or email us direct at designteam@scarletopus.com to order our full S/S 2013 trend report.

Stop back next Monday when Victoria will be sharing her ideas for the future 100 years from now!

Jubilee & Olympic Party Theme Ideas

Thoughts at Scarlet Opus HQ have turned to celebrating the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in style!  The long Jubilee weekend (2nd – 5th June) and Olympic opening ceremony (27th July) are still weeks away but as all hostesses with the mostesses will tell you, the difference between a good party and a great party is Preparation! 

With Jubilee parties and Olympic get-togethers across the summer in mind, we asked Patricia Hall over at Serenata Flowers to give us a few floral ideas to get the party planning started.  As Patricia says “It’s a great time for friends and family to gather together and celebrate and one of the best ways to liven up your party style is with beautiful floral decorations.”

So in today’s posting we bring you a selection of floral ideas (& more!) from the Scarlet Opus team along with Patricia’s expert tips for Jubilee & Olympic parties.  Patricia believes that “before you do anything, you need to decide on a colour scheme.”  So let’s begin with innovative colour scheme ideas for the Queen’s Jubilee that might prove more original than the obvious Red, White & Blue route that many party hosts will take:

Homage to Her Majesty!

There are several colours the Queen is known for wearing so why not pay homage to Her Majesty by colour co-ordinating your tea party or garden party table settings with her favourite outfit colours.

The 1st stop on the Diamond Jubilee Tour was Leicester and the Queen wore a Fuschia Pink hat and coat…a colour she often wears:

 Above: As well as small vases of Fuchsia dotted on your buffet table, carry on the pink theme with single Gerbera’s tucked into T-light or shot glasses.  Treat your female guests by presenting them with a Pink Gerbera wrist corsage each.  You can ask your local florist to make them very inexpensively, or better still make them yourself by buying some standard wrist corsage holders and attaching a single fresh bloom or artificial flower yourself.  In case it rains why not have some stunning Pink Gerbera Umbrella‘s on standby.  It’s the little things that make the difference when you’re hosting a party…so why not make your bathroom extra special for your guests with the butterfly patterned toilet roll we designed for Andrex which is currently available in UK supermarkets…it’s sure to raise a smile!

Of course the Queen wore Canary Yellow to the wedding of William & Kate which always looks summery and cheerful…and is a lovely colour scheme for indoor or outdoor Jubilee parties:

Above: I love the outdoor table setting bottom left (designed by Three Apples Events) which uses the heads of Yellow Pincushion Protea to hold name-cards in place on the charger plates.  It’s such a simple and clever idea.  The mix of white ceramic vases holding a variety of very simply arranged yellow blooms, including Tulips, looks so fresh and joyful.  Sunflowers are another wonderfully upbeat option and because of their striking appearance and size they’re high impact!  You only need to place a single head on each guests white napkin and you’ll have made a style statement.  The Sunflower tablesetting pictured top right was designed by A Stunning Affair and includes wide yellow ribbon tied around the napkins and bowls of Sunflower & fruit arrangements (try oranges & lemons!) brighten up the middle of the long table.  The Luxury Yellow Roses pictured above are available to order from Serenata Flowers with free delivery and would be perfect for homemade button holes for the gents…by making people feel special you’ll ensure it’s a memorable and special day.

Miss P & I were fortunate to happen to be in York when the Queen visited to distribute the royal Maundy money on April 5th.  We joined the flag-waving crowds outside the Minster and Miss P managed to stretch above the hoards to get a few shots of the Queen as she slowly passed by in her Rolls Royce.  She was wearing a bright turquoise hat and a coat with a turquoise pattern & buttons.  It’s another colour that she favours and is a wonderful outdoor party colour theme:

Above: It’s tricky to find fresh flowers to exactly match turquoise but blue Roses and Hydrangea can be sourced or white flowers can be dyed simply by dipping the heads into a bowl of diluted food colouring.  But if that seems like hard work then turquoise artificial flowers are easy to find (often Gerbera).  If artificial flowers aren’t really your thing (they aren’t my thing) then stick to all white, yellow or green flowers (Kermit Chrysanthemum, Moluccella – Bell’s of Ireland and Viburnum are great green options) and introduce bolts of vibrant turquoise via a table cloth, ceramic vases, tableware and napkins.  The painted turquoise table above (via Line+Liv) gives you an idea of how effective a turquoise table cloth could be! And Tony Burch’s tablescape for House Beautiful shows how well potted green plants, herbs & flowers work together with turquoise tableware…this is also a great table setting if the weather isn’t good over the Jubliee weekend and you can’t eat in your garden…you can bring some of your garden indoors to create an outdoor vibe.

Invitation to Afternoon Tea:

What could be nicer than to receive an invitation to afternoon tea.  How very civilised!  Afternoon Tea themed parties were really popular internationally on the day William & Kate got married last year…so why not dust off your teapot once again and have the girls ’round for a nice slice of cake and a sandwich (with the crusts cut off of course!):

Above: Bunting is an absolute must whether your Afternoon Tea party is indoors or outdoors.  There are lots of fab floral bunting options in stores at the moment or you could make your own using wrapping paper to cover cardboard triangles or (if you have time) cut your triangles from fabric (you could try your local craft shop or make a few inexpensive purchases at your local charity shop and get snipping!).  Get your best china out and really do things in style.  If like me you don’t have a set of ‘best’ china then pop to a car boot sale or have a whizz around the charity shops and pick up some vintage crockery.  Mix & Matched cups, saucers and side plates look great jumbled and stacked together.  Alternatively let someone else do all the work…you can hire vintage tea sets & dinner services from lots of companies now (like The Tea Ladies whose pictures we have included above).  Make sure you have enough cups to serve tea in and tuck some flowers into to make charming flower arrangements.  If you don’t fancy facing all the washing-up afterwards then why not buy paper plates, a Sandwich Stand and Cake Stand that look like patterned vintage crockery…the pieces pictured above are part of Lakeland’s Utterly Scrumptious Collection.  Although not British, I think the pastel coloured macaroons from Ladurée are perfect for a girlie Afternoon Tea…find out where your nearest store is here (Miss P you’ll be glad to know there is a store in Lebanon!  But no store in Dubai as yet I’m afraid).

I must just mention that if you’re a fan of cup cakes then take time to check out the amazing hand-painted cupcakes created by Nevie-Pie Cakes…just beautiful!  If you fancy having a go at creating something similar then you’ll be pleased to know Natasha Collins (the cake artist behind Nevie-Pie Cakes) gives classes:

There’s nothing quite as British as a cucumber sandwich.  Hear me out!  So why not use the colours of the classic cucumber sandwich as a theme for your Tea or Garden Party…this idea (courtesy of The Dreamweaver) isn’t as mad as it sounds…take a look:

Above: Fill a cake/sandwich stand with white & green flowers (again Kermit Chrysanthemum, Moluccella – Bell’s of Ireland and Viburnum are all great green options).  Unscrew the middle layer of the stand so you can slide a ring of floral foam/oasis onto the bottom plate.  This will act as a base for you to push your flowers into until…completely fill the bottom section of the stand.  Then place small white bowls (I have a stack of them at home I use for cheese savouries, nuts & wasabi peas) with flower heads placed in them onto the middle & top layers of the stand.  You can see how effective it looks from the example pictured above which was created by Arome Flowers.  For your white flowers (representing the white bread) try using Daisy Mums, Gerbera Daisies, White Mini-Dianthus and Roses as in the Heavenly White bouquet pictured above right.  A green & white gingham table cloth will finish your table off beautifully.

A few notes now on the itinerary for the Jubilee weekend before we move on:

• On Saturday 2nd June the Queen will attend the Epsom Derby. 
• On Sunday 3rd it will be The Big Jubilee Lunch: people will be encouraged to share lunch with neighbours & friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.  You can find out more here.  Sunday will also be the day of The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: This event will take place on the Thames and consist of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world.  The Queen & The Duke of Edinburgh will travel in the Royal Barge which will form the centrepiece of the televised flotilla.  You can find out more here.
• On Monday 4th the BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace will take place: The televised musical programme for the concert will feature British artists (including Elton John & Paul McCartney), and Commonwealth musicians.  You can find more details on the concert here.  Monday will also see the lighting of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons: A network of 2,012 beacons will be lit by communities throughout the UK, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth.  The Queen will light the National Beacon.
• On Tuesday 5th The Diamond Jubilee weekend will culminate with a day of celebrations in central London, including a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.  A Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace will then take place.  Personnel from all 3 military services will line the streets, military bands will play along the route, and the procession will be accompanied by the Sovereign’s Escort.  The King’s Troop will fire a 60 gun salute during the carriage procession.  There will be a Guard of Honour present in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace and finally there will be a Balcony appearance and Flypast.  You can find out more about the processional route here.

So whatever you do and wherever you go don’t forget to wear your best hat!  I saw these beauties in a shop last week.  They had been made especially for a Jubilee & Olympic summer window display:

Best of British:

OK…let’s do it!  Let’s take a look at ideas for a Red, White & Blue themed Diamond Jubilee garden party, street party or house party.  In fact this style could also work well for Olympic parties…and you don’t have to be UK-based or English to have a London themed Olympic party knees-up!  No matter what nationality you are or where you live in the world, why not embrace the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics and be an honorary Londoner for the day with the Best of British style:

Above: All over the world England is known it’s fish ‘n’ chips so why not serve this iconic dish at your party.  I saw an idea on a blog (all about projects using Fenner Paper) for printing your own newspaper sheets to serve your fish ‘n’ chips in on the day of your street or house party.  You could create bespoke newspaper wrappers easily on a home computer and include photos & information about your family or the street you live on for that special personal touch.  For dessert offer guests strawberries & cream (the fab Union Jack ice cream tubs featured above are available from Funky Fairies).  A red & white striped table cloth will make a great base for your tablescape, then add blue glass chargers, red glasses & white plates.  The smart tablesettings above were designed by event designers Mango Pie show you how it’s done!  Oooo I must just say that the brilliantly British napkins above are the nicest ones I’ve seen on the Union Jack theme…they’re available to order online here.  The \London cake/food toppers & cases are available from Plum Party and Lakeland.  The crown & flag shaped cookie cutters are from Lakeland (you can see the full Street Party Collection from Lakeland here).  Small white ceramic vases of densely packed Red Roses, Red Tulips and Red Carnations will add a final floral flourish to your party table.

Top tip from Patricia Hall: ”The Olympics are only a few months away, and if you want to throw a party celebrating the big games, go with red, white & blue carnations.  They will take pride of place in your party room.  To start glue gold Olympic medals to 3, 20 centimetre white square florists foam blocks and glue red, white & blue ribbon around the base of each block.  Stick toothpick flags around the parameter and fill in the spaces with the carnations.  You can place the blocks together and use as a centrepiece, or spread them out on your party table.  Complete your Olympics theme party with a red table cloth and Union Jack plates and napkins.”

The Olympic Rings – Be a good Sport:

Next let’s look specifically at ideas for the Olympics.  As you’ll have gathered by now, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will take place in London from 27th July to 12th August.  London will be the 1st city in the modern Olyimpiad era to host the Games on 3 occasions.  It’s a sporting event that brings the worlds nations together to compete and party.  Patricia Hall says “To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers – it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways – unity of all mankind!” 

The iconic Olympic Rings logo can be the source of inspiration for an opening ceremony party or BBQ during the course of the Olympics this Summer.  The floral arrangements are easy and obvious…get oasis/florist foam rings and fill with appropriately coloured blooms (for the black ring you might want to get some artificial flowers)…but you can also use the rings as inspiration for the food & drinks you serve:

Above: If you’ve got a steady hand when it comes to icing then why not have a go at the Olympic ring cookies (the Olympic Ring Cookie Cutter is available from Ann Clark).  Or for a quicker option, ice doughnuts!  And what about serving Olympic ring-coloured cocktails?!  I know what you’re thinking…blue, yellow, green & red are no problem but what cocktail can you make to represent the black ring?  Try this: 1 ¼ oz. Three-O Tripe Espresso Vodka, ¾ oz. premium dark chocolate liqueur, ½ oz. orange liqueur.  Make or buy Olympic ring paper chains and maybe link together small balloons in rings.  If you’re feeling super-confident (and you’ve got a reasonable sized garden) prepare for your party by having a go at mowing the Olympic rings into your lawn.  OK…it might be a bit ambitious…so what about mowing the roman numerals for 2012 – MMXII…come on…that’s do-able!

Getting back to floral arrangement ideas, Patricia suggests buying ”plastic rings at your local craft shop, then cut them so that you can entwine them like the links in the logo.  Cut white florist foam blocks to fit each ring. You can paint them accordingly or leave them white. Cover the base of the blocks with greenery. Use flowers that match the colours of the rings.  Carnations come in almost every colour, and if you are unable to find black, ask your florist if they can have them dyed for you.  For a focal piece on your wall, buy five coloured hula hoops to represent the rings.  Decorate the entire party room with plastic flag streamers. Be creative with your appetisers. Go with the ring theme, and serve donuts or onion rings.  When the doorbell starts to ring, hand each guest a gold medal that they can hang around their neck, and don’t forget to ask your guests to wear athletic gear.”

The Olympic Torch:

The torch is of course an iconic symbol of the Olympic Games and Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby have done a rather stupendous job designing the London 2012 torch.  I really love it!  The triangular shape represents - the 3 Olympic values of respect, excellence & friendship; the 3 words that make up the Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger; the fact the UK has hosted the Olympic Games 3 times – in 1908, 1948 and 2012.  It is perforated with 8,000 holes and each hole represents one of the 8,000 inspiring torch-bearers taking part in the 8,000 mile Olympic relay around the UK.  It all starts on May 19th from Lands End and you can find out whether the relay will passby near you here.  Whether you like the 2012 torch, as I do, or you think it looks like a cheese grater, an Olympic torch flower arrangement would nevertheless make a striking and rather clever centrepiece for your buffet table:

Above: I’d be inclined to place Red Hot Poker flowers (also known as the Torch Lily but officially called the Kniphofia) or Orange Flame Calla Lilies in a very tall, very thin gold vase (like the example above) to create my torch…but Patricia Hall advises to ”Use Birds of Paradise or Orange Roses to create an Olympic torch centerpiece.  Gather 3 to 5 orange blooms and cut the stems to a length of about six inches long and push the blooms into the centre of a block of floral foam.  Gather small white roses, daisies or other small white blooms.  Trim the stems to a length of about four inches and fill in the area surrounding the “flame” with white flowers.  Keeping the white flowers shorter than the orange blooms helps the torch appear raised.”

Ancient Greek Origins:

Personally I fancy a bit of Ancient Greek glamour for an Olympic Opening Ceremony Cocktail party or even for a BBQ during the course of the Games:

Above: Keep the colour theme White & Gold!  You can hire Greek Goddess costumes from most online fancy dress companies or dig out a spare white bedding sheet and go for a classic homemade toga!  Fake gold or real foliage Laural wreaths are a must for each guest to wear!  If you can afford to hire some large false white columns of varying heights to dot around your garden or party room then go for it!  Crisp white table cloths & chair covers, gold coloured cutlery, white & gold tableware and gold metal serving platters make this an elegant theme.  But if you can’t afford to invest in gold metal cutlery & plates then just buy some gold plastic plates & cutlery.  Then make your own flower garlands to hang over doors, windows, chairs & tables or buy the Jasmine fabric flower garlands above from Not On The High Street. 

My thanks to the Scarlet Opus team for their ideas for today’s post and of course many thanks to Patricia Hall for her expert tips and suggestions.  Patricia works part-time for an online florist in the UK and loves to surround herself with flowers. 

I hope we’ve given you lots of ideas to get your Jubilee & Olympic parties started!

Trend Arrival: Cultural Nexus

This months Trend Arrival posting looks at one of Spring/Summer’s more challenging trends, Cultural Nexus.  We welcome Anthony back as he explores this trend through the eyes of the nomad in his trend story, In Search of the Divine Unreachable  …

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In Search of the Divine Unreachable

The nomad has been searching.  Searching for the fabled land that lies beyond the horizon, a world harmonious and of connected kinship.  He has found it.

The One with the Golden Hand came to him and whispered of the Divine Unreachable, through the beguiling sounds of the dulcimer he heard of the paradise that lays far across the desert, an oasis of kindness and wellbeing.  A vision of a Cultural Nexus appeared in the seductive flames of his evening fire as the cold swept over the desert.  The amber mirage evoked a sense of exploration, what lies outside this world of broken foundations and twisted lies, a land of bitter turmoil and unrest where the dunes themselves writhe with unease?

Left to right: Etch Web light in copper from Tom Dixon; Motion Gold mirror from Deknudts Decora range; Conical G occasional table by Nada Debs; Golden Hand from OBJECT, US; Day Queen cushion from Day Birger et Mikkelsen at Selfridges; Residential project by Sydney based Interior Designers Greg Natale; Amalfi Turquoise bowls in medium and large from Vivre; Shian ceiling pendant from BHS; Barcelo in Truffle fabric from Kelly Wearstler II collection for Groundworks (via Design Field Notes); Etch candle holder from Tom Dixon

Greed and vanity had changed his homeland of peaceful times.  As selfishness and gluttony scarred the land he began to see a changing shift; so much had been destroyed and corrupted, seeping into the earth.

An apocalyptic event had cleansed the land.  He had seen it coming, a monolithic cloud of dust sweeping over the distant mountains towards the besieged.  The ground shook and swelled, rising high like the mountains and sinking into great gorges of chaotic proportions.  His once beautiful homeland fell into the depths: the withered and dead palms snapped in the vicious winds; sand cascaded over the whitewashed mosque, flooding the cavernous halls of worship; a thousand soaring minarets crumbled like dust; the fountains of gold cracked and endless harems perished.  He saw the domes on the palaces of those too blind to see their own undoing, collapse; the life-giving creek bled dry as it fell into the cracks of the earth; sand and water mixed and swallowed all, taking back the life it had given.  The screams of his forsaken kindred pierced his ears, they bled with the pain.

Paint colours in Islamic pattern, top to bottom; Golden Riches, Bronze Sculpture, White C3-4 & High Spirits all from Dutch Boys paint range

Left to right: Brass table lamp from Dunelm Mill; 3-piece beaten metal tray set from Pols Potten at yoox.com; Watson Table from Paul Loebach; Mistic Candelabra from Gaia & Gino; C occassional table from Nada Debs; Thabo Boa washbasin from the Vitruvit’s Ethnic collection; Cooper swiveling unit from Armani Casa; Brubeck Wall Scone from Mondo, NY; Selection of fabrics from American designer Kelly Wearstler (as before); Tiwi tea-light holder from Nkuku

He turned and left his hilltop viewpoint; filled with the hope of a promised better land he left all that was his previous life behind in the destructive chaos.  The setting sun in the distance, a deep orange light casting long shadows over the red desert dunes: that is where he is headed, beyond the swirling sands and over the horizon.

Left to right: Tempest in Truffle fabric from Kelly Wearstler II as before; Truro Gold Bowls from Vivre in 24K gold; Belle jewelry box from design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune for Skultana; 2 tier pendant from Dumelm Mill; Gold plated brass Camel Camel necklace from OBJECT; Web Dining Table from Mondo, NY; Seehotel Uberfart wall panels by Casador Interiors; Celeste porcelain dinnerware (inc. bowls and plates) and Glass candleholder all from LSA; Espresso Cup & Saucer in porcelain and 12% pure gold with 18K gold holder from Merdinger; Candlestick from Y’a Pas Le Feu Au Lac at Yoox

Alone in the vast expanse of hot sand, breathtaking mirages, and exotic oases, he walked toward the vanishing point.  The nomad had the Wings of Gabriel to carry and shield him from the beating sun and the voice of The One with the Golden Hand to guide him.

He was close: the scented lakes and rivers of truth drew him towards the Land of Punt, far beyond the desert dunes of his renounced former land.  Meaningful and honest, kind and fulfilling, the discovered land bore the fruits of a new life.

Left to right: Sahar ceiling light from Kafka Goes Pink; The Fragmented Clock by Nada Debs from the Carwan Gallery, Lebanon; Etna Vases from Armani Casa; Brass Trivet by Oji Masanori at Orphan Socks; Coro Dessert Dishes from LSA; Under Plate/Charger from Merdinger in porcelain and 12% gold; Residential project by Greg Natale, as before; De Sade Table from Jonathan Logan; Wine Carafe and Glass from the Midas Collection by Skitsch, IT; Platform Rainbow Table from Karen Chekerdjian Studio; Copper Chandelier from Justine Ashbee and Iacoli & McAllister at OBJECT; Venini Vase by Rodolfo Dordoni available at Yoox; Henna Table Lamp from BHS

His precious dream had come to bear a world of wonder, the nomad has come to reach the Divine Unreachable.

New WorkPlace / Office Trends

A while back I met Stuart Martin of Walker and Martin when I was presenting a trend seminar at one of Steelcase’s fab events at their London WorkLife space.  Afterwards Stuart sent me designs for a really exciting corporate workplace concept and he has kindly granted permission for me to share the project with you today.

WaM is an award-winning architecture & design practice that encourages the exchange of ideas with other disciplines, artists and people interested in the built environment.  Known for their interesting and innovative design solutions they have worked on projects for the likes of Skype (pictured below), AVIS, Thomas Cook and BBC Wales as well as being invited to produce a scheme to reinvent the offices of Ministry of Sound in London.

It transpired that both Stuart & I are big fans of The High Line in New York and in Stuart’s case the elevated park (as well as Central Park) provided inspiration for a new Walker and Martin project called ParkLife.  Bringing the countryside into the city is now a familiar trend but bringing the countryside right into the middle of the office…well that’s something very different!

Their ParkLife proposal offers a visual, physical and emotional freshness, resulting in a highly dynamic office space for London City commercial bankers. 

As Stuart explains “Our aim is to provide a fluid workplace environment whilst keeping a relatively high density desk ratio typical of the more traditionally arranged banking sector.  The key to this is to encourage fluidity and movement throughout the space.  We do this by providing a number of alternative flexible work setting destinations that assume the adoption of current & future mobile digital cloud communication technologies.”

Let’s take a closer look…

I really like the whole idea of the workplace being less static…that it becomes a series of connected spaces that truly enable chance interactions, planned meetings, creative discussions and the presention of ideas as well as quiet sanctuary spaces for work which requires concentration.  

Stuart understands the balance of these requirements perfectly - ”These destination spaces need to be easily accessible, places people are immediately at ease in and are somehow familiar in the collective conscious, only then will they encourage thinking that goes beyond the problem in order to provide innovative business solutions.”

Stuart continues – “In our design these spaces manifest themselves as the city Park, a green oasis against the back drop of the  densely packed ‘city’ of highly tuned desking systems.  Simultaneously a place to wander and a place to meet or ‘chance meet’, a natural break from the daily routine, these situations are then encouraged by including events within the park and design features such as benches, coffee baristas, pic-nic tables, pavilions, a climbing frame etc… The space begins to have a life of its own (like the High Line) and the need for individual traditional desks is eroded as people become more accustomed to sharing and collaborating.”

“The Park space is surrounded by dedicated ‘focused work’ desk areas and small team studios (with individually tuned break out spaces) that may well be high density (and seldom fully occupied) but are more reactive to individual requirements.”

Here is a breakdwon of Walker & Martin’s workplace destination spaces:

Walker and Martin have refined their Concentrated | Collective | Collaborative | Learning work-place model so it is applicable to other sectors outside of banking e.g. their Beach Life and Island Life designs for the Travel/Holiday sector – “In these examples the spaces manifest themselves as a beach with beach huts and a jetty.  It is based on the idea of going on an ‘away day’ from the office to find inspiration.”

“There is strong evidence that through collaboration innovation is fostered.  Clearly with a digital native workforce developing, the need for spaces that inspire collaboration will become key to business success.  Think of a new type of space that will inspire innovation and make the collaborative business a much richer and more fertile experience.”

Some final thoughts for us on the future of the corporate workplace from Stuart Martin:

Many thanks to Stuart Martin of Walker & Martin for sharing their inspiring projects with us all today.

To see more of Walker and Martin’s work visit their website

Check back on Monday 30th when Anthony will be looking at the arrival of the ’Cultural Nexus’ trend in the Interiors sector.

Trend Preview: A/W 12/13 | Emporium

In last months trend preview we looked at the understated grandeur of Ancient Times.  This month we focus on the elaborate sibling trend, Emporium.

OVERVIEW | Highly embellished, sophisticated glamour; this is a fusion of the Great Empires as Designers take inspiration from Ancient Queens such as Cleopatra and Empress Theodora.  Expect to see a 1920’s Parisian vibe in Art Deco geo’s alongside Damasks and Eastern inspired scrollwork.  Metallic effects work with a rich palette of beautiful jewel tones and an old, aged gold.
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