This Week We Love: Creative Work Environments

We do love Trend Bible HQ very much (converted grocery store in a charmingly low-key area of Newcastle) but we couldn’t help be a tinsy winsy bit jealous when we saw this much-publicised studio that belongs to Parliament in Portland, Oregon. We don’t even really know what they do (not a lot if that’s them lounging around looking creative in the pics) but we’re totally inspired by this work environment, and we spend a lot of time looking at how the most innovative companies create inspirational environments to keep their staff happy and impress their clients.  Here are a few of our favourites.

Parliament

Pretty sure the ‘bear wearing a hat’ rug is a health and safety risk…

The Trend Bible Disciples could never keep their desks this tidy! Much of the materials used to create this studio are recycled or salvaged.

Vodafone

This is the Vodafone head office in Portugal, designed by Barbosa Guiamaraes Arquitectos we love the futuristic yet organic and irregular design- a trend we flagged up in our Supernature report for 2009 which was all about enhanced nature.

 

Facebook

This is the new Facebook headquarters in LA, designed by Studio O+A. The design is all about interaction and connection and allows employees to engage and come together, whether this is in the micro -kitchens througout the building or in the main cafe where gourmet meals are provided for all staff at all hours.

Google

The Google Head Office, Zurich, by Camenzind Evolution is a unique and characterful building which has paved the way for out- of-the- ordinary, creative spaces. Communal areas are playful and relaxing, and as with the Facebook head office, staff were heavily involved in the design process to collaborate and help make a space that works for them.

Last But Not Least…

Our own humble abode, which we love very much. No all-hours gourmet meals or ‘inspirational’ hang-out areas (we’re far too busy to relax) but we do have an excellent old-fashioned sweet shop next door wich we’re tunnelling a secret underground passage to. Then it’s free Cola Bottles for all (and cinder toffee for Tanya).

Hate to say we told you so: Spring Summer ‘10 Comp Shop

Here at Trend Bible we hate to say we told you so… (well actually that’s a big lie, we love being right-our jobs depend on it!)  We’ve been checking out what’s in store on the UK highstreet this Spring and popped some of our findings into this report. Don’t forget you can commission us to provide you with similar reports tailored to your particular market, where we identify key trends and product innovations we think you should know about. Tracking trends and measuring their impact is just as important as taking the long view…

Green with Envy

We used refreshing shades of green in our trend books and with our consultancy clients back in October 2008 when we first looked at the Spring Summer 2010 season. The colour of Spring ’10 is most certainly green- from soft leaf green through to chlorophyl shades and this is inspired by a bigger trend toward natural and organic products, and of course, the fresh unspoiled promise of a new decade. We saw green incorporated into bold prints and vertical ombre  / irregular stripes across a palette of neutrals and browns (for Spring) or mixed with turqoises and blues as we get nearer Summer. Green is the hot colour for homeware across decorative accessories as well as more permanent items like furniture and upholstery.Above images, left to right; candles and vases by Next, chair by BHS, bed linen at Debenhams, vase by John Lewis.

Ombre stripes in several shades of green and turqouise work well for upholstery, cushions and table-runners.

Above images, left to right; chair by Next, home accessories @ BHS, tableware by Ikea, cushion by, towels by Primark.

We loved the way Next contrasted commercial, plain white dinnerware with absynthian green wine glasses to cash in on this trend without going too far. Gold Star!

Above images, left to right; accessories by Ikea, tableware by Next, cushion by Marks and Spencers.

Poppy Prints

This print trend was evident for bedding and cushions and works well for Valentines Day too.  We saw painterly florals and bolder graphic prints alike, the main concept here is the oversized scale. Watch out for 3D effects like beading and applique.

Above images, left to right; bedlinen by Marks and Spencers, benlinen by Next, cushion by Next, cushions by John Lewis.

British

There is an air of patriotism on the British highstreet this Spring! This trend has been around for a while at the top-end brands but has filtered down to the highstreet brands in a more obvious way using the  classic Union Jack icon.

Above images, left to right; bedlinen by Debenhams, bedlinen by Marks and Spencers, glassware by Marks and Spencers.

Rainbow Brights

This trend is already starting to emerge as the big winner for high summer this year, as predicted in our Popcentric story in our Lifestyle Trends for the Home book. We talked about the importance of geometric patterns, kaleidoscopic prints, pixels and pattern clashes in a rainbow palette. Pinks mixed with greens were the most prevailant colours, and almost every highstreet store has this look covered. This is a great story for picnicware, with melamines, silicone and glass taking the strong colour really well.

 A refreshing colour palette of pink, orange, green and blue against a fresh white background has got us excited for long summer days and picnic adventures.

Coloured glass is a key trend again this summer, bold, oversized florals work well in clashing hot pinks and oranges, and lime green features again for accessories.

Above images, left to right; glassware by Next, towels by Primark, bedlinen by Next, bathroom accessories by BHS.

Bold colour makes an impact in geometric and spirograph pattern, kaleidoscopic prints and mini-pixels. Pinks, oranges and yellow look fresh for kitchen accessories.

Above images, left to right; cookshop accessories and bedlinen by BHS, bedlinen by Next

Black and White

One of our predicted trends for Summer 2010 was Etherality, the basis of which was a palette of black and white. Sketchy, hand-rendered florals were seen in abundance across dinnerware and bedding- the perfect commercial way to do this tricky ’sinister’ look.

Above images, left to right; Bedlinen by BHS, chair by Marks and Spencers, china by Marks and Spencers, photoframes by Debenhams, bathroom accessories by Debenhams.

Transcultural

One of our favorite trends looks further afield and draws influence from a blend of African, Cuban and South American culture. We noticed neutrals, brown and orange mixed back with bamboo green, and beaded, geometric patterns which gave a nod to African textile embellishments.

Watch out for copper, amber glass, resins, hand-rendered block prints, dark wood and simplistic oversized leaf designs.

Images above; Bedlinen by House of Fraser, accessories by Marks and Spencers, soft furnishing by Ikea, vase by John Lewis.

Trend Bible Radar: Jacqueline Kari Bos

We stumbled across Brooklyn based illustrator Jacqueline Kari Bos on Etsy and had to have one of her mini books…ok so we got carried away- we got two…. When the parcel arrived this morning we were so excited to find a beautifully wrapped package and a hand written note. It’s the personal touch that we really love!

‘I heart the arctic’ is a mini book inspired by stories of the arctic, Inuit myths, arctic cultures, icy landscapes and the infinite possibilities of Aurora Borealis. The book is full of whimsical drawings and light-hearted illustrations.

Jecqueline’s gorgeous illustrations also make their way into soft furnishings and we particularly love these graphic cushions and oven gloves which are sure to keep you ice cool in the kitchen. Watch out for illustrative, hand-drawn and conversational prints as part of a wider craft trend influencing home interiors.

Trade Show Report: Maison et Object January ‘10

Ok deep breath guys….So, we visited the Maison et Object show last weekend, which as always was inspirational, exciting and totally exhausting. We just wanted to share a few of our thoughts on the key trends from the show in general terms, and we’ll follow this up later with our top picks from the show in our This Week We Love section…

Key Materials

Lo-Tec: polystyrene, cardboard, paper, plywood and felt. The move towards pared-down simple products and materials for homeware begins, as predicted in our Post-materialist social trend influence report.

Refined: Superfine porcelain, paper thin shapes, mixing ceramic and bamboo. This is all about exquisitely crafted, unique pieces that can’t be replicated, a key theme outlined in our Epicurean story for Spring 2011.

Crafted: origami paper, knited, crochet, pointelle and laser cutting. Craft is still high on the agenda for textiles, furniture and tableware, hand-made and make-do-and-mend are evident here.

Colour Vehicle Synthietics: Synthetics allow for intense, saturated colours- we saw rubber, melamine, neoprene, glass and glossy laminates.

Above; Knitted and felted wool at Donna Wilson for SCP

We loved this felt lightshade by Ango made up of lots of tiny felt cups suspended on wire.

Key Colour Palettes

Neutrals with chlorophyl green; green is the hot colour for 2010, but we think the focus will move to yellow tones for 2011. Yellow was already starting to come through for Spring 11 products at the show. Purples and pinks were also predominant.

Green

Acid greens were layered up with sunshine yellow and deep leaf green on tableware, pic-nicware and serveware.

Above images; green cushions and tableware at A&D Home

Yellow

Yellow was starting to come through in textiles and home accessories, we love yellow dressed with white and stone for a more commercial take.

Images above; yellow print lightshade by Miss Print; yellow cabinet by Nordal; quilted sofa by Ligne Roset.

Rainbow Brights

Eyecatching displays of simple products executed in a rainbow of colours looked great across stationary and cookshop items. Plastics, melamines and felted wool showed these vivid, saturated colours off beautifully. This is a great way to update commodity products or add newness to core ranges.

Above images from left to right; coloured glass candle holders by Nordal; felt totes and accessories by Hey Signs; melamine utensils by Rosti Mepal.

 

We saw lots of brands producing a spectrum of colours across all types of commodities from stationary to cookware. Felt bags and coasters at DAFF. Joseph Joseph went a step further with their neon range, neon pink was also seen at Adonde.

Above; bold colour at Nordal; mixing stripes and floral at Missoni; bold coloured laquered metal stool/storage.

Above images; neon pink mixed with lo-tec cardboard looked modern at Adonde.

Above; some of the irresistible masking tapes at MT…

Pastels

We noticed a softer trend toward pastel colours. We loved Australian brand MUD with their delicately coloured ceramics- this seasons newest colour addition…yellow. Pastels were also spotted at the delightful Alexa Lixfeld stand- we loved this palette of lilacs and grey. Pastel bedding was seen at Ourson SA, we loved the pastel dinnerware at Richard Genori.

Above images left to right; lilac and pink tableware by Nordal; painted pasel cabinets by Nordal; tie dye sofa by Futura; pastel cushions by Au Maison; pastel tableware at Nordal; powder blue sofa at Ligne Roset.

Above; Stelton pastel melamine bowls also looked great

Above; layering soft lilac shades, Alexa Lixfeld

Trend bible love these pastel coloured kitchen knives by Pure Komachi at Kai Corporation.

Natural

The biggest overall theme was natural. We loved the resin encased branches and logs as seen at Bleu Nature, which featured as stools and lamp bases, and this fantastic origami lampshade by..We also saw wooden handle cutlery, bamboo serving bowls, napkins tied with string. Mixing bamboo and ceramics was seen at JIA Inc and mixing bamboo and laminate at Bibol.

Texture is key, particularly for white and natural colours across textiles, dinnerware and decorative ceramics. We saw etched, scratched, embossed, and heavily textured finishes on plates and vases, and loved the braille effects which add a textural dimension to plain white porcelain. Pebble shaped vessels and embossed plates also looked new at Bruno Evrand.

Above images; Braille effect vases by Coming B

Card-bored?

Not us- not yet anyway! As you know we’ve been talking about the charms of plain old cardboard as a material for homeware and packaging for a while now, and we loved the CARTON PLEIN exhibition at the Maison show, where 13 architects were asked to create a cardboard home.

Above images from left to right; cardboard houses as part of the Carton Plein! exhibition; paper jacket by MT

Among our favourites were the beautiful paper tote bags at Siwa- the ultimate in post-materialist chic!

Innovative paper and cardboard stand at Molo.

 Print Trends

We saw a continuation of retro and vintage florals in a ‘tea party’ or ’shabby chic’ style theme for textiles, the best were at Blanc Mariclo, Au Maison and Villa Collection. Overscaled sketchy florals and micro posy florals were big for bedding, while the main bedding trend is still mixing stripes with florals and plaids. We saw lace prints as a key trend on textiles and ceramics, and found retro imagery like old SLR cameras and pretty birdcages as print icons across textiles and stationary.
Watch out for watercolour style prints with blurred edges including oversized blooms like roses and chrysanthemums, and a continuation of allium and dandelion style print references. Pencil sketch florals also looked fresh.

Above images; left; overscaled at Sonia Rykiel; sketch floral bedding; cushions and floral chair at Miss Print, a Trend Bible favourite!

Allium wall sticker by Miss Print

Floral floor cushions at Nordal

Plate by Deshoulieres

Floral purple plate by Deshoulieres- purple mixed with leaf green was another predominant trend at the show…

Lace

Above image; Danish brand Lene Bjerre had modern interpretations of lace and crochet.

Lace print and crochet cushions were key

Above; Lace print boxes and camera icon lace print by Seletti

Text and Type

Text and type are still strong as print motifs; above number cushions by A&D Home.

Satellite Trend: Valentines Day

With Valentines day just around the corner we’re feeling all loved up and we’ve been busy sourcing some really cool products to get you in the mood.  We’ve found ’shout about it’ prints with hearts (of course!) being a key motif, cute birds printed onto cards and stationary, and felted lettering making its way into soft furnishings. Special thanks to Rosa Falkenstein and Victoria Buchanan for their contribution to this post.

Overscaled heart motifs adorn bedding, hand-rendered and painted hearts add a hand-made touch, as seen last year at the Maison et Object show in Paris. We love these heart-shaped measuring cups- perfect for baking some little Valentines cookies (is it romantic to eat them all yourself?)!

Images above left to right:  Gold motif mug by Big Tomato Company; heart shaped measuring spoons by Heart and Parcel; tea-lights as seen at Maison et Object 2008; heart motif bedding as seen at Maison et Object 2008; printed cushion as seen at Maison et Object 2008; mug and coaster set by Disco Butterfly.

Birds are just about everywhere for 2010, and the perfect print motif for Valentines Day greetings cards and stationary. This trend is all about cute little songbirds, chaffinches and blue tits, so leave the scary ravens and magpies for Autumn/Winter!

Images above left to right:  magnetic heart pegs by Country Cream; bird candles by Emma Bridgewater; heart eyed bird card by Kaching Design @ Etsy ; valentine notes By Krystan @ Etsy.

Typography and text or even just initials works really well for cushions, bedding and even textile based wall-art.

Images above left to right:  felted fabrics by Castle; ; felted bed sheet by Castle; ‘love’ cushion by John Lewis.

This Week We Love: Bold Coloured Cookware

We’ve just seen the latest collection by Alessi here at Maison et Object in Paris. We love these pastry/cooking utensils created by French designer Matali Crasset… we’ve been flagging up a trend in cookware for bold coloured silicone mixed with stainless steel or wood for a while and this collection cheers up the bleakest of January days! 

News: Best New Products Sheds Light on Consumer Trends

Canadians are looking for healthier food options, as well as ways to save money and the environment, according to a study from BrandSpark International.

The Toronto-based strategy firm polled 25,000 Canadians online in the areas of environmental accountability, healthier options in food and beverage and private label versus premium brands.

The survey was conducted for the Best New Product Awards. Now in its seventh year, this year’s Best New Product Awards survey saw consumers vote on 144 products in 47 product categories.

This year’s winners include: Astro Zero Superfruit Yogourt for best in show, Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil in the health and beauty category, and Ziploc Evolve Sandwich Bagsfor household products.

“The survey not only provides us with valuable insights about current products and innovations but also larger movements and shifts in Canadians’ viewpoints and approaches toward what they purchase, and more importantly why,” said Robert Levy, president of BrandSpark International, in a release.

For instance, the study suggests people have made a big shift to eat at home more and as a result are spending more time and money in the grocery store.

Of those surveyed, 65% like trying new products, while 73% say they enjoy cooking for themselves and their family.

Canadians also want more bang for their buck, and as a result have turned to private label or in-store brands. Though consumer perception of private label quality has decreased slightly over the last year, 64% of consumers believe these brands offer good value for their money. Nearly half, (47%) of Canadians surveyed have purchased more private label products in the past 12 months.

“Finding new products that really deliver is more important than ever, especially with shoppers demanding greater value for money,” said Levy.

Healthy living is also a priority for Canadians, with 60% saying it’s important a new product be made from “all-natural ingredients,” while 45% say they have “greater trust” in natural products than those labeled organic.

Since beginning the survey, environmental accountability has grown to become a primary concern for Canadian consumers, said Levy, however 82% of those polled said they felt companies are exploiting environmentally friendly claims for marketing purposes, and 69% say it’s important a new product is better for the environment.

Packaging is one of the top environmental concerns, with 89% saying manufacturers have a long way to go.

“Consumers are demanding companies to be more accountable in terms of their environmental claims and they are willing to pay for products with realistic and tangible claims such as reduced packaging,” he said.

Hate to Say We Told You So: Lace

We forecast that lace would be a big trend for home interiors for 2010, and it seems to be everywhere  in design from fashion and beauty (lace fingernails) to interiors and architecture (lace fences). Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just a textile trend- we’ve found some great examples of lace patterns being embossed and printed onto glass and porcelain, laser cut metals with lace effects, and starched vintage lace molded into sculptural shapes. We love printed lace for packaging and greetings cards and expect this to be a key trend for Valentine and Mother’s Day this year…

Lace influences architecture; lace balcony, lace fence and lace building.

Lace influences dinnerware and decorative plates- either as a print, laser cut or intricate porcelain plate design.

Lace print wash basin, and etched design packaging by Evian, printed lace beauty packaging and lace fingernails as seen on this season’s catwalks.

Printed glass works well for votives and adds a luxurious element, while stiffened, starched cotton lace makes a striking lightshade.

Lace packing tape is fun, while embossed letterpress greetings cards look sophisticated and feminine.

We love this lace print beauty packaging by Lipstick Queen too…

Satellite Trend: Cardboard Packaging

We love this trend for unbleached papers and simple brown cardboard, which reflects the latest ‘post-materialist’ mood we explored in our Spring Summer 2010 forecast. This is particularly evident in food packaging (tea and cereals) and also is starting to work its way into beauty trends, like the cardboard lipstick packaging below. It’s not just for everyday items though, this luxury champagne brand below have used cardboard packaging to add a cool edge, and fragrance brand Wickle have added a vintage feel to their soap range.

It turns out it’s not just the Trend Bible team that are obsessed with cardboard…check out this store fit for Smithfield in Manchester. Cardboard-tastic! There’s something about the functionalism and pared-down aesthetic we like, plus the fact that it’s actually quite sculptural. And who doesn’t want a cardboard dog? Design by Peter Masters of  Burnt Toast.

News: Inspiring short courses at CCAD…

Cleveland College of Art and Design in Middlesbrough have just posted their schedule of short courses for 2010. There are some great 6 week courses if you fancy updating your skills or trying out making your own fairy lights, knitting, illustration, ceramics or even making personalised photobooks….Go to www.ccad.ac.uk for more details and get creative!