Last year, interior designers were focused on cool metals, high contrast colour combinations and oversized furniture and accessories. But in 2009, things take a very different turn, and one of the key trends for this year is animal prints - or Safari Chic, as those in the home fashion industry are referring to the hot new look. If the thought of leopard-skin rugs and zebra-print bedspreads is enough to send you running through the doors of Laura Ashley for some calming florals, don’t panic as the trend is more subtle than that. Animal motifs and faux skins make their presence felt in the details - think scatter cushions, chair backs and single wall panels - gently enlivening your home interior without taking things over the top.
One designer who is a step ahead in the Safari Chic stakes is Marlo Lorenz, who launched her safari-inspired collection in 2008; a range of pillows adorned with a variety of wild animals and exotic prints. Check out the animal theme locally at Tequila Kola (
www.tequilakola.com) - it even has a ‘moo’ leather chest of drawers in store.
Hollywood Regency will also loom big in 2009, a glamorous style that embraces sumptuous fabrics, bejewelled accessories, mirrored furniture, chinoiserie and lacquered furniture. Famed for its regal-style beds and bedding, LA-based Platt Collections is one design firm with a good understanding of how to interpret this 1930s-derived look today. If you want to create this mood in your home, check out Hong Kong-based lifestyle boutique Kou (www.kouconcepts.com) for chandeliers from Europe, Bollywood bedroom furniture and ornate, vintage accessories.
Another big trend set to hit interior design stores this year is Classics with A Twist - traditional furniture forms and styles re-interpreted in a fun, bold manner, like chairs and headboards updated with daring upholstery, as per US lifestyle store Anthropologie. Admittedly, this is hardly a new development, but experts are predicting that 2009 will be the year this trend goes mainstream. Want to embrace this theme in your home? Then shop locally at Indigo Living (www.indigo-living.com) for striped easy chairs and brightly painted wooden storage boxes.
Similarly eclectic is Global Mergers - combinations of different design styles from around the world - which is also predicted to take off in 2009. In this trend, the symbols, colours and cultural styles of individual countries collide, so expect to see things like Asian patterns realised through a Moroccan colour scheme. The Jaipur sofa from Versace Home (www.versacehomecollection.com; available at selected stockists throughout Hong Kong) is a good example of this style.
This year, living responsibly will also cross over into home design, with eco-conscious pieces becoming more prominent. Want inspiration? Then check out US design houses like Cisco Brothers, Hickory Chair and Valley Forge Fabrics. If you’d like to buy eco furniture here in Hong Kong, then Tree (www.tree.com.hk) is worth a look, as some of its collections only use recycled teak wood, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent international organisation that promotes responsible stewardship of the world’s forests. Another good bet is Celtic Viking Furniture (www.celticvikingfurniture.com), which sells one-off pieces of furniture made from recycled timber , as is Okooko (www.okooko.com), a chic lifestyle store which prides iteself on its environmentally aware home products.
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