Max Ruthven
My year started off with an exciting but exhausting 2 days in Dallas when I attended the Trade Show for Interior Designers. I haven’t been to the Market since pre-Covid for obvious reasons and when you see the size of this place, you will understand why no sane person would’ve been able to go into each and every shop.
It is enormous! Soooo many people! So many things to see. So many products! It is totally overwhelming, but fun! This image only shows a sliver of what it looks like inside!
The goal of my visit was to find out what types of accessories were dominating the design world right now besides the usual interior design accessories that we see in Design magazines all the time.
As I worked my way through the first bunch of stores, it struck me that there was a wealth of natural textures around me. Multitudes of the paraphernalia were made of natural materials, woven fibers, sustainable textiles, baskets, rope, wood, and wooden beads. The movement toward organic design was quite dominant!
Natural. Grounded! And familiar…
After the pandemic and the current political instability, it is quite evident that people have been leaning much more toward the concept of health and wellness, and what better way than to surround their environments with natural organic materials and greenery! Even throw blankets were thick and cozy, and scarves were made of soft, but texturized fabrics!
I also noticed a very strong tribal influence! Being from South Africa, I am always drawn toward this decorating style, but seeing it represented strongly at a designer's market, took me by surprise!
I took so many pictures, I am just sharing a few here. Again, it is quite evident that natural materials were very prominent throughout all the design styles!
I also noticed lots and lots of COLOR!
Strong, colorful walls were visible in many of the stores to display their goods. When you see color represented at a design market of this magnitude, you better believe that is safe to bring color back into your homes!
Gone are the all-gray and white and completely neutral trends of interior design! Wellll.. maybe not completely! I saw some neutral vignettes but fun, colorful, whimsical accessories art, and pillows were everywhere!
The items below are obviously not design decor, but I just couldn't resist sharing. I felt like Alice in Wonderland while walking through the store! Any kid's happy place!
In a nutshell….
Avoid plastic and synthetic materials. Mirrored furniture and harsh, straight lines are not the craze anymore. Use lots of texture and some color to create that cozy, homely feel. Buy soft, rounded comfortable furniture if you are in the market to update some pieces.
Decorate with accessories and items that make you happy, make you feel comfortable, and make you smile every time you walk into your lovely house!
Tell your own story!
