Just in time for  holiday gift giving a flurry of design books have been released ; offering creatives and clients inspiration. Here are the top ten ( in no particular order) on my wish list:

1.

Live, Love and Decorateby Martyn Lawrence Bullard

With the release timed with the launch of Bullard’s fabric collection for Schumacher and his design center speaking tour, get a copy and have it signed as a gift for a fellow design pro. The book  shows off the author’s mastery of the dramatic and balance between contemporary and traditional.

2.

Celia Birtwell

Considered one of the most influential textile designer of  this generation, muse to David Hicks and friend of the Beatles, Jagger and Picasso this book , British print designer, Celia Birtwell, is celebrated in this new publication. Her beautiful hand painted prints have appeared on apparel for former husband, Ossie Clark, as well as on new collections for Topshop and John Lewis. This book is a wonderful addition to any surface designer’s bookshelf.

3.

The Impossible Collection of Fashion by Valerie Steele. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!

From Poiret to Pucci, Doucet to Dior, Vionnet to Valentino, Valerie Steele,  chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT), selects the one hundred most iconic dresses of the twentieth century. This magnificent collection, while certainly subjective, is sure to receive gasps of pleasure as well as of surprise. Steele’s selection, hand-picked for this luxury volume presented in a linen clamshell case with a cutout metal plate, astounds in every regard. 
 

4.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel

Having always  admired the legendary “High Priestess of Fashion,” Diana Vreeland’s impact on fashion and style was legendary. I am looking forward to getting a peek inside her rich life. With more than 350 illustrations, including original magazine spreads and many famous photographs, this intensely visual book shows fashion as it was being invented, and how Vreeland shaped American taste through her superb vision.

5.

For my Francophile fix- In The New French Interior by Penny Drue Baird, authority on all things French, moves beyond the traditional historic styles to explore the design elements that make up the fresh, clean look. To illustrate the style, Baird draws on ten of her own recent projects, apartment and house installations, and presents French precedents and influences through specially commissioned photography of Parisian interiors.

6.

My Midwestern roots draw me to Chicago Spaces published by Chicago Home and Garden and hopes to vanquish the notion that we only design conservatively. The book showcases spaces that the editors loved or spoke to them representing a broad range of styles.

7.

Sister Parish, American Style  by Martin Wood revisits her sumptuous and quirky interiors. Her trompe l’oeil sawgs and cascades come to mind.

8.

Katie Ridder: Rooms by Heather MacIssac is the designer’s first book showcasing her  eclectic cool  interiors.

9.

The New Bespokeby Frank Roop lets the reader into his head as he works through the entire creative process- from inspiration to installation.

10.

Influential design blogger Grace Bonney penned  Design*Sponge at Home,the ultimate design manual for her fans. This says it best- “ Thank you,” wrote a reader to Design*Sponge creator Grace Bonney, “for teaching me that houses don’t have to be frumpy and formal. They don’t have to be matchy-matchy or rigidly modern.”

OK… 2 more I can’t seem to do without…

11.

Patina Styleby the Giannettis

12.

The Way Homeby Jeffery Bihuber

I am officially obessessed ( and have been for years) with vintage art posters and Maitre de l’ Affiche.   

Drawn to poster art by their vibrant dramatic scale and colors, I  also love them for the peek inside the world of Paris at the turn of the century. I own several  Cappiellos and have introduced art posters  to clients, used them as inspiration and decorated around them, but I hadn’t thought about them on a window until now. ( Don’t ask me why! )  Creatively Different Blinds suggests just that – why NOT chose vintage poster art imagery and print them on blinds, shades or fabric to give your clients an authentic edge using the bold designs of these famous prints. BTW, Texton and is another company working in the digital printing arena; working with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation . Adaptive Textiles and Spoonflower will print fabrics for you.

In the 1890s the buildings of every big city were covered by large colorful advertising posters. The poster movement played a major part in codifying, glorifying and perpetuating the ebullient period of La Belle Epoque.  Jules Cheret, the father of poster art, whose unique combination of artistic, technical and entrepreneurial talents paved the way for a true industry. The poster had not only caught the fancy of the public, but its best examples were already being regarded as works of art to be exhibited, reviewed in journals, collected and reprinted in a manageable form. During the poster heyday, Cheret also published “Les Maitres de l’Affiche” (Masters of the Poster) reduced lithographic versions, in authentic colors, of the best posters of Europe and America. There were 256 color lithographs in the collection, reproduced from the original works of ninety-seven artists in a smaller 11 x 15 inch format. The varied selection of prints were sold in a package of four and delivered monthly to subscribers. The collection was issued as separate numbered sheets and in the margin at the right was a blind embossed stamp of authenticity. Working in a dressing room or bedroom? Look at some of the great fashion illustrations and magazine covers for roller shades.

Game rooms, library, home theater, sophisticated man cave? Imagine liquor or wine ads, auto racing or sports and entertainment  themes as motorized window coverings on those windows.

 Focused on beautiful imagery and delicious typography, it’s a genre that works in so many different interior settings to inspire fabrics, textiles and accessories and mood through color and form. Plus, digitally printed on blinds or shades is a inexpensive way to start collecting.

If  you’re looking for patterns rather than figures, ads or depictions of events, introduce some art deco influences based around dress fabric prints from  F. Ducharne  or Arthur Sanderson and Sons.

So now I am thinking about where I can use the poster that has been haunting me lately…..

I’m forecasting textiles with a bright & youthful styling  and a new breed of intense, yet understated luxury that is meant to be admired rather than envied. Design studios at Surtex and Heimtextil said one of the strongest demands they have been receiving is for hand-painted designs, many noting that hard lines and computer-generated creations are less in demand. I concur that the free flow of the hand is growing in popularity and that artisan looks are  key.

What better way to do that than with florals. These florals are not the viney, mid size motifs from past years. Those have given way to large sometimes ethnic influenced full blown blooming florals in size, scale and motif.   

Pillow: Bluebellgray Fashion: Christopher Kane

Big blooms are making an impact in both fashion+ home. One of our favorites is Bluebellgray.

 We saw this new fabric collection at M&O introduced by two young gun Scottish designers influenced by a love of color and all things floral.  The designs are something unique and special; each design is painted by hand in the Bluebellgray studio before being printing onto natural cottons and linens using state- of- the- art digital printing.

 Digital printing enables every brushstroke and color to be captured, enhancing the feel of the hand painted design. The pieces above have a sense of provenance and the designer behind the product, adding to the feeling of exclusivity. (Hard to believe they are digitally printed!)

 Shortlisted for an Elle Decoration Design award at TENT London last month for their collaboration with Roger Lewis, the design philosophy behind the brand adheres to the ‘eclectic mix’ school of thought.  As Fiona says ‘it’s ok when things don’t match, if you love it- go with it!’ The designs are aimed at people looking for something unique and individual for their home, an antidote to mass production.

More Evidence:

Amrapali Fall/ Winter 2011 Designer’s Guild

Collier Campbell for Fabricut VPR 36"

Catalina for Duralee

Wall panels from Jakob Schlaepfer

Here are the winners of the Blue Drop Awards given for textile and technical  innovation at MoOd( Meet only Orginial Designs) this week in Belgium.

Best Innovation
Hyosung (South Korea)

The jury was unanimous about this particularly innovative achievement. This window covering is woven as a single piece on the loom, meaning that the system is ready to be hung immediately. It can be used in two positions: in the open position and in the closed position, which lets in more light. Ingenious and never seen before, in the jury’s opinion.  Window covering innovation coming from other places as the  U.S. window covering industry  cord issues and commodity challenges. We still can’t seem to get it together.

Best Window Covering
Deltracon (BE)

This window covering in 100% linen was selected by the jury for its subtleombre  print in indigo, which is produced so elegantly that it looks as though it is done by hand. The repetition of the pattern is barely noticeable. The quality is both superior and luxurious. Deltracron is one of my favorite mills.

Best Upholstery
De Poortere Frères (BE)

This fabric was chosen on account of its ingenious weaving technique that produces a very special visual effect. In particular, a slub yarn is woven into the pile and there is also a slub in the weft. This combination creates a relief that visually looks even deeper because the slub in the weft is black. The fabric is not merely a technical stand-out, but is also rich and of great quality.

Best Wall Covering
Konrad Hornschuch AG (DE)

When it is used as a wall covering, this bio-synthetic leather creates a very special effect. It looks just like real animal hide, but in actual fact is an imaginative imitation that makes high demands on the printing technique used. But for all that, there is no denying that Konrad Hornschuch is particularly good when it comes to manufacturing sustainably. The product is also well suited both to the residential and contract markets. The combination of these elements has resulted in a well-deserved Blue Drop Award.

Best Contract product
De Kabels (NL)

It calls itself one of the last companies that does silkscreen printing entirely by hand – which is pretty remarkable for a product suited to the contract market. De Kabels opted for linen on account of this material’s natural qualities. The natural colour of the linen has been retained and black was chosen for the overprint. An unusual and daring choice

Best Première
Hulshof Royal Dutch Tanneries (NL)

The first genuinely organic leather in the world. This Dutch tannery examined all of the harmful substances used during the tanning process and replaced them with organic products. The result is the first ecologically manufactured leather that is totally biodegradable.
Which is your favorite?

Carniege Textiles

Swiss textile manufacturer Création Baumann recently presented its new Halina and Halina Stripe curtain fabric – an airy textile with an African touch from the new Living Line collection ‘Inspired’- at imm Cologne. Carneige Textile was showing the fabric at Neocon and it won gold award in textile category.

 Halina is a finely striped weave with the color woven in a heavier yarn.  In order to achieve a 3D effect, the finely striped weave is vertically pleated and horizontally embossed. Halina Stripe is a broad stripe of contrasting colors reminiscent of woven raffia. The design picks up on current fashion trends and adds an up-to-the-minute touch to any interior.

Celebrating it’s 30th  anniversary, Carnegie added two new patterns to the Xorel brand of multitasking textiles.  Xorel Pixie & Cascade Appliqué explore the blending of a modern innovative material (Xorel) with traditional textile craft process. Xorel, a high performance solution textile is embellished by appliquéing decorative design motifs in secondary layer of Xorel.

DesignTex

Through a licensing program, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation invites manufacturers to reap decorative harvests from its four museums, six monuments, and single archaeological-studies office. The roster of partners hits 18 with the debut of the Shelter collection from Designtex. After vice president of design Kimberle Frost connected with the foundation’s director of licensing, Pamela Kelly, a yearlong series of product-development trips to Santa Fe commenced. Frost huddled with two curators—the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture’s Valerie Verzuh and the Museum of International Folk Art’s Bobbie Sumberg—and mined their vast collections as sources for 11 upholstery patterns.

Wolf Gordon

Wolf Gordonhas turned out innovative and amazing wall coverings for forty years. Not one to  rest on their laurels,  the natural progression is toward textiles Fabrics by Vescom, named for the mill that’s manufacturing the line, includes 19 polyester drapery fabrics. Burano is one of the bold solids. In pattern territory, recurring geometrics read organic in Minu. Beadlike lines embellish Zembra. And wide bands of color dominate Etolin. All meeting or exceeding Association for Contract Textiles guidelines for colorfastness, breaking strength, and flame resistance, the

Knoll Textiles

I am always excited to see what Knoll Textiles will introduce or revamp from their rich storied archives. I am never disappointed!

Designer Suzanne Tick introduces Fila, a 100% high performance polyester drapery fabric, is the little sister to Suzanne Tick’s Escala.  This smaller scale warp knit potentially allows for interesting scale pairings when used together with the original.  It comes in 6 colorways and is 118 in. wide. 

 With her latest collection for Knoll Luxe, Dorothy Cosonas draws inspiration from current fashion with three upholstery fabrics, Arabella, Gramercy, and Vermeer. The collection includes two large scale velvet upholstery fabrics, which offer a modern twist on a traditional concept, as well as a classic Knoll nubby texture.

Inspired by trends on the runway, Arabellais a modern take on a classic plaid. Digitally printed on 100% cotton velvet, it comes in six colorways, including Serenade, a fresh combination of gray and yellow. This fabric is Greenguard certified and is made from 100% cotton. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Gramercy is a large-scale geometric cut velvet that combines a modern pattern with old-world technology. Colors range from classics like gray and camel to fashion-forward green and purple. It is made from 100% cotton and comes in six color ways. This fabric is Greenguard certified.

Included Archival reintroductions  is the expansion of Cato, which is celebrating its 50^thanniversary. Since its introduction in 1961, Cato has never gone out of production.  It was originally hand-woven in Germany in 30 yard runs.  In the 70’s, it was turned into machine woven goods in Scotland, where it has been made ever since.  Cato has become an iconic design for KnollTextiles, often pictured on classic KnollStudio pieces such as Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair.  Over the years KnollTextiles has added and deleted colors; For Cato’s 50^thbirthday, Dorothy Cosonas has brought back three colors from the original 60’s archives: natural, yellow and hot pink.  This high performance fabric is made of 86% wool and 14% rayon. It exceeds 100,000 double rubs, is now available in 12 colorways.