Julia Roberts does it, so does Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and  others. We’re talking about knitting or crocheting. All age groups and demographics are getting into crocheting and knitting; joining the 38 million consumers who enjoy doing these crafts according to the Craft Yarn Council. Expressing creativity is the number one motivation to pick up needles and hooks. Once they learn, knitters/crocheters find it to be a great stress reliever and great for making gifts.

So with knitting immersing itself in all manner of new media mash ups, it’s no wonder we are seeing it filtering into interiors. Watch for knits in all shapes and forms to get a stronghold in the home in 2012. We’ve seen its influence on fabrics, furniture, lighting, windows and even walls.

Deryn Relph, a textile designer explored the effet that color has on emotions through the kitted media in these ” Uplifting Lampshades.” Relph specializes in knitted textiles for interiors and  merges this with previous upholstery and furnishing skills to create unique and contemporary solutions to an idea.

Tired of the cold sterility of most modernist furniture — then check out these inviting knitted stools by British textile designer Claire-Anne O’Brien. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, O’Brien’s funky and tactile stools are a refreshingly clever rethinking of what form the ordinary stool may take.

FLOR rethinks  traditional cable sitiches in these Just Plain Folk modular carpet tiles in muted neutral tones of 100% recycled Nylon fiber providing visual warmth for your floors.

The ‘loop chaise lounge’ was born from dutch designer sophie de vocht’s interest in the ‘tufting’ technique, and is characterized by a high number of tufts of yarn inserted through needles on a fabric base. Designed for italian furniture company casamania, the chair features a metal structure in which ‘over-sized yarn’ is woven through to create a softness. The main base and seat are tightly woven, gradually getting looser in their stitching along the length of the chaise lounge, eventually fanning out over the floor.

 Knitted wall panels seen at M&O

Don’t forget knitting cousin, Crochet. Believe me you won’t if you see any of Polish artist ,Olek’s work  who aggressively crochets her life into her work, and  has freely admitted to spending the night in her Knitting Is For Pussies exhibit,recently at the Christopher Henry Gallery.

Award winning designer Chae young Kim creates intricate interior products by combining analogue and digital techniques. Her Knitted Room Wallpaper is created using 2D vector graphics processed through a software to create a knitted 3D effect onto a printed surface.

We first saw this at imm Cologne as part of the Young Talents exhibition and it is now in production and available through Surface View.

Check out Etsy for loads of wonderful knittted and crochets accesories, soft furnishings and one-of-a-kind pieces if you’re looking to jump on the Knit trend bandwagon.

“Lace- the invention of a goddess and the occupation of a queen.”

Federico de Vinciolo

Lace is back.

As supported by the design studios like Indigo, lace is a popular design direction for the next couple of years.  But this isn’t Grandma’s lace doilies; look for lace rendered in fresh ways, unusual materials and in unique color and pattern combinations. Today’s lace is too fashion forward and created in many too forms and materiasl to be old fashioned. We love the dichotomy of lace- its charming innocence paired with mystery concealing as much as it reveals. Lace is can be sexy and sweet at the same time. It all adds up to an intriguing medium for interiors.

"Energy" laser lace by Creation Baumann

Customizable chain link fence through Droog USA

Another reason we love lace- the romantic softening of interiors as we move post recession. Lace adds personality because with visual and tactile layering.

Dareen Henault's Kips Bay Dressing Room

Metallic lace is one thing, but lace made of entwined human hair? It may sound revolting, but in fact, it is quite beautiful!  Kerry Howley took inspiration from the wallpaper patterns she discovered at the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture and turned up the Victorian artwork a notch. Attraction/Aversion is Kerry’s award winning graduate collection.

Modern Lace by BandJ Fabrics

1000 gallon oil tank by Cal Lane for Lace in Translation

Cal Lane's Wheelbarrow

Concrete lace by Doreen Westphal and G.tecz

It’s that time again-  the trend  pundits are releasing their predictions for 2012. So in the spirit of sharing , I am bringing you 12 Days of Trends. The list includes a bit of everything. I’ll talk trends in color, design, textiles, consumer, marketing, social media and sprinkle in a couple of my own spottings to give you the big picture of what will be affecting you and your business next year.  I’m kicking it off with a preview of  Heimtextil Trends. Heimtextil, the largest textile show starts the round of design shows January 12, 2012. I’ll be there so watch for daily in depth posts and interviews.

Heimtextil Trend Preview 2012/2013

Montage, Heimtextil’s 2012/2013 trend reflects the thoughts, ideas, inspirations and predictions of the members of the Trendtable. Each year,  Heimtextil’s trends are developed by a  Trendtable of international designers that review the most important overriding trends and provides valuable orientation and predictions for product developers, creative teams, furnishing specialists and designers. The Trendtable defines Montage as a process that symbolizes the individuality and needs of the consumer.  Montage is about taking existing elements, mixing them together to make something new and creating something of our own, something that has never existed before.

The four new trend themes are ‘Colour Riot’, ‘Dark Lux’, ‘Craft Industry’ and ‘Split Clarity’. In all four trends, color plays the dominant role.

“Color is the decisive signal for the coming season. Powerful and omnipresent, color refreshes the senses, sets important accents and is a conscious part of all styles”. Claudia Herke

Overview of the Four New Trend Themes.

‘Colour Riot’: colors in revolt

In ‘Colour Riot’, dynamic, shades of color appear in a new context – fresh, bold and vivid. And there are no limits on the interaction with light. High-gloss materials, colored laminations, superimposed motifs, fluid and flexible fabrics underscore the brilliance of monochrome colors. New are ‘optical fibers’, iridescent effects and recycled materials. Quality, wear resistance and longevity are important to these high-grade materials.

When it comes to patterns- look for broad stripes, all-over geometric patterns and graphic motifs  The computer world is represented by digital designs, photographic prints and hologram effects. Despite the playful urge to experiment, the unexpected looks appear clear and unequivocal.

Buzz words:

glossy, coated, technical knits, smooth wool, clean felt, graphic patterns, diagonal stripes, pixel optics, overlay geometrics, color blocking, 3D effects, reassembled

‘Dark Lux’: the beauty of the night

The shadows of the night create a dark, mystical and elegant color series dominated by deep black, which is particularly expressive on lustrous materials. Rounding off the color world are dark, colored accents – pepped up by metallic champagne and gold. Rubberised, liquid looks and glossy surfaces interact with furs and long-haired, smooth hides. Clarity and severity give the sumptuous textiles their modern appearance. Iridescent, shimmering and transparent qualities with animated surface modulation generate an air of mystery. Deep gloss, metallic shimmers, sequins and elaborate materials are to be found in almost all product segments.

Buzzwords:

Luster, shadow prints, distorted patterns, embroidery, matelassé, crystals, glossy, leather, new opulence, varnished, 3d laminates, material contrast, elegant + modern architectural inspirations, straight line appliques, irregular reliefs, graphic stitching, graceful strength, metallic shimmer, brocade, vintage

‘Craft Industry’: a blend of tradition, handicrafts and the modern

The combination of tradition and handicrafts on the one hand and industrial and mechanical methods on the other dominate the look of ‘Craft Industry’. A sunny-warm and lively color series is oriented towards natural landscapes with sky, mountains, lakes and forests, which contrast with industrial, metallic coal, copper and old-gold tones.

‘Craft Industry’ shows lively surfaces with irregular textures and lots of structured elements. Important are qualities with an authentic image and materials with vintage character, as well as restrained destroyed and used looks.

Fine patterns are created using creative techniques. The dominant elements include composite or offset checks, extraordinary patchwork designs, broken patterns, stripes and checks with partial pile effects, hand-sewn looks, intarsia and elaborately processed patches.

Buzzwords:

Uncover, industrial past, lively, authentic, vintage, used, structured, reused, tumbled, washed, crashed, waxed, quilted, simple, inserted patches, interrupted pattern, handstitched, folk look, nomadic lifestyle, handmade character, flamed effects, embossed, Shetlands, pile effects, unusual skins, native, genuine, natural,

‘Split Clarity’: the bare essentials

Less is more – ‘Split Clarity’ concentrates on simple, functional and essential elements. In other words, the focus is on sustainability, quality, high technology and new materials. The result is clear-cut, modern aesthetics. Clarity is reflected by a series of colors inspired by nature. The minimalistic and restrained compositions are generally interrupted by a single expressive shade. Material versatility is crucial. Metallic and reflecting surfaces, semi-plain patterns and transparent materials are used, as are animated but restrained surfaces. Linear, high-contrast and severe graphic designs set unequivocal accents. Depth is created by the interaction of light and shadow in different materials and surfaces.

Buzzwords:

Minimal, graphic, functional, intelligent, smart textiles, vibrant surfaces, metallic aspects, severe, constructed, sculptural materials, volume, technological evolution, ultra-light, shiny, immaterial, smooth, faded and pleated, opaque prints, laser-cuts, varied nature of materials, sustainability, quality, hi-tech, new materials, modern, calm, pure

My mom and grandmothers passed on their passion for the art of gracious living to me. They introduced me to the decorative and home arts early; teaching me to sew, rosemale and to knit and embroider.  I have a healthy respect for the crafts, but I am incomplete  awe of these embroidery pieces.  The world of craft and art merge into some spectacular needlework. I covet them all and I admit I have embroidery envy!

Amanda McCalvour

“I am interested in the vulnerability of thread, its ability to unravel, and its strength when it is sewn together. I am interested in the connections between process and materials and the way that they relate to images and spaces.”

I am blown away with these embroidery installations.  Toronto textile artist, Amanda McCavour moved from drawing fibers and cloth, to actually using them to make her work. Thinking that it would be even more interesting to make a drawing out of thread that might exist in air, she started to experiment with water soluable fabric. It turned out to be the perfect tool.

Drawing on her memories of  an old apartment, the life size installation, Stand in For Home allowed her to re-visit, remember and re-create a space that was once called home.

Amanda draws out her images on the fabric before sewing; drawing the outline and then blocking  in areas that will be different colors of thread.  She treats the embroidery like a drawing, moving from light to dark, like shading with thread.  McCavour sews with a sewing machine on the water soluable fabric.  Sewing so close together so that the thread image begins to hold itself together; she dissolves the base, leaving just the thread image behind.

Daniel Kornrumpf

Massachusetts artist Daniel Kornrumpf uses embroidery as a medium for his portraits. Making it even more out-of-the box, he does portraits of people he doesn’t know, but have posted photos of themselves online.

Michelle Ann Mathews

Photographer, artist and graphic designer Michelle Ann Matthews is clearly multi-talented. A photographer that has become intrigued by the mundane and anonymous spaces in the landscape she started photographing the “negative utopia” of the urban landscape- the  in between places, that beckon to the past and the future.

Recently, she became equally enamored with embroidery and its relationship to photography which has resulted in an embroidery series of her photos she titles Urban Fabric.

“ I am intrigued by embroidery’s relationship to human culture, while also looking at a way to change our reading of photography by rendering a photograph into a tactile object.”

Works in the embroidery series feature snapshots of night construction, a stack of crates at a building site, , a park by the  freeway and an abandoned Kmart.

At first from a distance these works read as photographs. It is only when you look closely do you see the thread. The Urban Fabric   materialize in tens of thousands of stitches, and the thread replaces the photographic pixel.

Cayce Zavaglia

Cayce’s work is a nod to the tradition of tapestry and her love of craft. Using wool yarn instead of oils, Zavaglia creates a dialogue between portraiture and process as well as proposing a new definition for the word “painting”.  Although the medium is crewel embroidery wool, the technique borrows more from the worlds of drawing and painting.

Cayce explains her technique: “Initially, working with an established range of wool colors proved frustrating. Unlike painting, I was unable to mix the colors by hand. Progressively, I created a system of sewing the threads in a sequence that would ultimately give the allusion of a certain color or tone. The direction in which the threads were sewn had to mimic the way lines are layered in a drawing to give the allusion of depth, volume, and form. Over time the stitches have become tighter and more complex, but ultimately more evocative of flesh, hair, and cloth.”

While in Paris last week visiting Le Manach, our wonderful host mentioned that we should make a point of seeing the Interieurs 2011 showhouse held just off the Champs Elysse at Hôtel Dassault This is the second edition of the showcase organized by Architectural Digest( FR) and Artcurial and this year’s theme  - The art of living with art-certainly lives up to its press.

Twelve top French interior designers were invited to illustrate his/her relationship to art, from collaborations with artists to art-inspired sets to the staging of collections. The goal of the producers was to show today’s diversity in interior design and the decorative arts and to reveal future design trends.  This was a not- to- be missed event and we were so excited to be able to see it.

 The cherry on top was lunch at Café Artcurial after viewing the exhibit, as I got to check the Café off my list to eat at in Paris. ( Basically, I wanted to see the restaurant’s interiors designed by Gilles et Boissier.)

The rooms and designers:

• The Japanese Office by François-Joseph Graf
• The Caesar Salon by Alain Demachy
• The Mark Rothko Styled Bedroom by India Mahdavi
• The Living-room in Optical Illusion by Olivia Putman
• The Dream-like Library and Bedroom  by Roxane Rodriguez
• The Sculptural Dining-room by Chahan Minassian
• The Private Art Gallery by Jean-Louis Deniot
• The “other” Kitchen by Tristan Auer 
• The Porcelain Office-Dining-room by Laurent Buttazzoni & Associés
• The Cocoon to contemplate a video by Pierre Yovanovitch
• The Three-dimensional Living Room by Thierry Lemaire

 

Interieurs 2011 – Artcurial by aucoindumondedeco

French showhouses are conceptual as U.S. showhouses are literal. You have to walk through the rooms with an open mind and read between the lines of what the designer was trying to express. My favorites were:

The room as Mark Rothko to India Mahdavi

 The project. The designer uses the palette of  painter Mark Rothko in a patchwork of squares of velvet wool, cotton and silk that lines the walls and extends into curtains.  The multicolored geometric print carpet with animal skin contrasts the walls.

 The decorator. An architect trained in Fine Arts and then at Christian Liaigre, India Mahdavi founded her agency in 1999. She has been exploring different areas ranging from design to interior design, through set design, and master the art of the bold stylistic juxtapositions

 The most outrageous and fabulous!

The Sculptural Dining-room by Chahan Minassian

The project. The decorator showcased the Belgian artist Arne Quinze, famous for  upcycled wooden buildings. A sculpture of wooden beams juxtaposed against gilded and paneled walls that is reflected on a mirrored floor.

The decorator. Chahan Minassian excels in art since 1993 atmospheric sets, mixing subtle shades, textures and game style agreementsFor this Parisian-Armenian, furniture, fabrics, ceramics and works of art are part of the same story.

The “other” Kitchen by Tristan Auer

The room is an architecturial synthesis inspired by the artistic currents of the 20^th century such as surrealiasm, arte povera, minimalism and artists that embody these movements like Rene Margitte   The “HABITATION CELL” combines all the functions of the kitchen into a mirrored brass monolith and explores light and space as if in a darkroom with an image projected onto a sensitizied surface.  

The Three-dimensional Living Room by Thierry Lemaire

The project. Parquet Versailles goes from floor to on the walls. A piece of aluminum sculpture by artist Christophe Raynal, is a kind of  metal springs of a chair. Her simple furniture – sofa taupe, buffet and coffee table composed of three modules lacquered white, turquoise and beige – play it down and remember that it is in a salon.

The decorator. Elegance and simplicity define the style of Thierry Lemaire.  This Parisian architect made a debut in the building before going in the decoration of private projects, and appreciates the authentic raw materials he works with modernity.

The Private Art Gallery by Jean-Louis Deniot

The project. The hallway, staircase and gallery suggest the atmosphere of a collector. Jean-Louis Deniot reinterprets, combines and  stylizes in neutral tones patterns borrowed from the paintings of Bernard Frize, Sol LeWitt and Peter Zimmermann for murals, printed carpets and wall fabrics as wispy graphics.

 The decorator. Deniot  is second to none since 2000 to relax the French classicism.  At his best  in the total look, this thirty graduate of the Ecole Camondo prefer the mix of styles in muted silky  shades.

The Porcelain Office-Dining-room by Laurent Buttazzoni & Associés

The project. The cubicles of BSM office furniture welcome a collection of china – pieces by contemporary artists like Klara Kristalova, as well as chinoiserie of the eighteenth century. In the center of the room, a flesh pink banquet table drawn close, the seats high time. Curtains and portieres in buttercup provide the key to the pop scene.

The Decorators. Colorists Fins, Laurent and Frederic Lavaud Buttazzoni boost their rigorous architectures shots by keeping solids alive. The pair met on the banks of ESAG Penninghen before collaborating with Andree Putman, and in 1995 founded their agency, known for its retro-modern achievements.