All that glitters is not gold and these new precious metal homewares favour character and craftsmanship over brazen bling.

Beaten techniques by Tom Dixon and 501 Design Studios give warmth and tactility to cold materials while faceted designs by Kwodrent offer a more intricate intimacy.  Lustrous titanium goblets by SUS Gallery are appearing in our favorite European concept stores and give a silken elegance to modern metal.

Metal 001:

Titanium goblets by SUS Gallery

Metal 002:

Galatea cutlery by 501 Design Studio

Metal 003:

Lamp side table by Pols Potten

Metal 004:

Vessels by Sfera

Metal 005:

Eclectic range by Tom Dixon

Metal 006:

Poppy by Kwodrent for FARM

All images © New Black Global Trends

Genty Marshall represents a new generation in design trend analysis and forecasting. Within this age of trend-watchers the editing of information to provide a basis for action is a specialised skill. The careful selection of relevant and actionable trends for a diverse range of clients was the guiding principle for Genty to start her own international consultancy, New Black Global Trends.

Design Futures at Decoration + Design has provided an inspirational jumping point for many interior designers and architects, providing an inspired look at the future; how that future influences the way we live, interact, socialise and work; and how that in turn affects design.
Design Futures returns to Melbourne at Decoration + Design from 19 – 22 July 2012 – registrations are now open so you can register to visit and witness Genty’s fourth installment of this inspiring trend platform.

Visit www.decorationdesign.com.au

With such a plethora of blogs, tumblrs, interior design sites, and pinterest boards out there, sourcing the quality over the quantity can be an overwhelming task at best. How do you find them? Just type `design’ or `interior’s into Google and it will boggle the mind.

So we went to the source, and one of Decoration Design Blog’s personal favourites for inspiration, Jen Bishop online editor and founder of Interiors Addict.

In this post, `Top of the Blogs’, Jen divulges her most-looked-at decor and design sites, from interior insights and designer decadence to the ones that just inspire her creatively with beautiful imagery.

Anna Spiro’s Absolutely Beautiful Things

Brisbane interior designer Anna Spiro’s hugely popular Absolutely Beautiful Things has been going since 2006, which is positively vintage in blogging terms! I love this blog for a fix of all things colourful and patterned. Spiro’s brave use of bold, clashing patterns and bright colours works so well and she makes it look so easy. Believe me, it is so not easy to make that kind of look work. Absolutely Beautiful Things gives a great glimpse behind the scenes of this talented woman and has a huge following.

absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com.au

Decor8

Decor8 is an American blog by Holly Becker which has become so big it has its own book (I can but dream!) which has been printed in several languages. As a fellow design blogger I look up to Becker, who built decor8 from the ground up as one of the first blogs of its kind. She also has a lesser known, more personal blog called Haus Maus about her experiences of being an American living in Germany.

decor8blog.com

My Vibe My Life by Kelly Wearstler

Another American blog, if you love fashion, interiors, glamour and all things gorgeous, this is the place for you! I don’t mind admitting I have a huge girl crush on interior designer Kelly Wearstler. She’s just so damn glamorous, stylish and cool. And now she has her own fashion and accessories range too. This surprisingly down to earth blog contains snapshots of cool things she’s discovered on her travels plus behind the scenes glimpses, tips and inspiration. Love it.

myvibemylife.com

Mr Jason Grant

Mr Jason Grant is a talented Sydney interior stylist who has his own paint ranges for Murobond. He’s a bit of social butterfly, always blogging from the latest launches and parties and behind the scenes shots of his styling work for magazines. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life of an in-demand stylist. As one of the first stylists I interviewed for my own blog, I will always have a soft spot for MJG.

mrjasongrant.com/blog/

For more on Interiors Addict, visit theinteriorsaddict.com

Founded in 1996, Bloomingdales has continued to supply the decorator market with a diverse selection of sophisticated lighting, mirrors and occasional furniture.

Their quality handmade lampshades and hanging pendants, lamps (table and floor), beautiful wall mirrors, and a range of finely crafted furniture including tables, chests of drawers and consoles will all be on display at the next Decoration + Design co-located with Furnitex from 19-22 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

The highly trained Bloomingdales staff will provide information on all your lighting needs, including their custom-design service. Registration is now open, visit www.decorationdesign.com.au

There won’t be many in the design slash art network of Australia that wouldn’t have already heard of the `king of kitsch’, Tretchikoff. Vintage and thrift stores are never without at least one of his works adorning the walls and usually with high price tags too.

According to Wikipedia, he was known as one of the most commercially successful artists of all time – his painting Chinese Girl (popularly known as “The Green Lady”) is one of the best selling art prints ever.

So of course when the email hit our inbox alerting to his artworks now available as digitally printed wallpaper through Emily Ziz Style Studio – we were instantly hooked.

And each of the designs can be scaled to suit the any area you want, and can be printed on a wide range of base papers, all suitable for commercial application. Win!

Visit Emily Ziz Style Studio for more information, www.emilyziz.com

Click below to see more of the artworks now available as wallpaper;
Read more »

With over sixty years experience in the home wares and gift industry, Swann Imports is dedicated to providing high quality decorator pieces for the discerning client. Innovative, elegant and luxurious, Swann Imports bring a range of contemporary yet timeless products of the highest standard.

Be sure to visit their stand at Decoration + Design from 19-22 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Registrations are now open, visit decorationdesign.com.au

Haute Décor Redefines Luxury for a Modern Tastemaker…

“I’ve always been inspired by fashion… and, right now, San Francisco is full of incredible fashion bloggers who have a unique perspective on the latest trends. With this type of writer in mind, I set out to create a dream office — complete with pinup boards for tear sheets and look books and, of course, a custom closet to display a truly inspirational wardrobe.” – Catherine Kwong, principal designer Catherine Kwong Design.

With the explosion of fashion bloggers on the international circuit, it seems only fitting that someone should design a stylish studio for them. With fashion and interiors sharing such a close relationship already, it was only a matter of time before the two joined forces and shared the same space.

Catherine Kwong Design has transformed a sitting room into a what has been termed, a `sartorially-inspired office’ at the 2012 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Adjoining the master suite in a lavish, turn-of-the-century classical revival mansion, the office is perfectly appointed for a fashion writer. Personal style, timeless elegance, color, scale and subtle contrast of form conspire to inspire missives from fashion’s frontline.

Pale, grey-stained quarter-sawn white oak floors create a sumptuous canvas for the room’s artful mix of classic, luxurious details and clean, contemporary lines. Silk-lined drapery and upholstered walls provide an elegant counterpoint to the room’s modern elements, like the stunning graphic Blackman Cruz metal chandelier.

Julian Chichester’s “Cortes” desk serves as the room’s centerpiece. Wrapped in hand-dyed black vellum, with a gilded steel base and sycamore-lined drawers, the desk is an elegant update to a classic design. This desk, along with the vintage Eileen Gray desk lamp and Mansour Modern’s “Porcelaine” wool and silk rug, all borrow influence from French deco design.

Throughout the room, nods to fashion abound. Andy Warhol’s famous “Chanel No. 5″ print greets guests as they enter the room. Closet doors display inset panels featuring Hermes’ colorful and iconic silk scarves, and the westward wall showcases an oversized Mark Shaw photograph, taken backstage at a 1954 Balmain fashion show. Custom wood cabinetry lines the wall, filled
with fashion books, and laden with the room’s true inspiration – a dazzling collection of this season’s most covetable clothing, shoes and bags.

“Catherine has worked on an impressive array of interior design projects for some of the world’s design greats, including Ralph Lauren, Bill Sofield and San Francisco’s own Paul Wiseman,” says Diane Dorrans Saeks. “Her tutelage shows through in her adept mix of materials and the disciplined but glamorous elegance of her inaugural San Francisco Decorator Showcase room.”

About Catherine Kwong Design

Catherine Kwong Design specializes in high-end residential projects, with an emphasis on modern architecture and custom detailing. The firm brings a fresh approach to elegant, tailored interiors – mixing modern with vintage; high art with personal treasures – to create moments of unexpected beauty.
Over the course of her career, Catherine has worked on interior design projects all over the world, which have been featured in Architectural Digest and Interior Design. Early in her career, Catherine Kwong honed her skills, working for design greats Ralph Lauren, Bill Sofield and San Francisco’s Paul Wiseman.
Catherine holds degrees from Brown University and Parsons School of Design.

Once again the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan was the launch pad for the most exciting designs of the season, both in and around the fair. But with so many new products and inspirational installations it can be hard to know where to start!

After his visit to Decoration + Design in 2011, we couldn’t wait to see what British designer Lee Broom had to offer in his first solo exhibition in Milan. Entitled Public House, the show presented a selection of Broom’s hero pieces as well as his new product release for 2012, Crystal Bulb.

Public House by Lee Broom. Image via Lee Broom

Spazio Rossana Orlandi was once again the home of style and sophistication with the release of some delightful designs including the 38 series chandelier designed by Omer Arbel for Bocci, the Colour Porcelain collection by Dutch designers Scholten & Baijings with 1616 Arita Japan and the Growing Vases collection by Nendo.

38 Series Chandelier by Omer Arbel for Bocci. Images via Bocci

Colour Porcelain collection by Scholten & Baijings. Image via Dezeen

Growing Vases collection by Nendo. Image via Nendo

In other zones, the Mutation Series by Maarten De Ceulaer and Molo’s Paper Music installation at MOST gave visitors a glimpse of the vibrant designs that we’ll be seeing here in the seasons to come.

Mutation Series by Maarten De Ceulaer. Images via Maarten De Ceulaer

Paper Music by Molo at MOST. Image via Molo

Genty Marshall represents a new generation in design trend analysis and forecasting. Within this age of trend-watchers the editing of information to provide a basis for action is a specialised skill. The careful selection of relevant and actionable trends for a diverse range of clients was the guiding principle for Genty to start her own international consultancy, New Black Global Trends.

Design Futures at Decoration + Design has provided an inspirational jumping point for many interior designers and architects, providing an inspired look at the future; how that future influences the way we live, interact, socialise and work; and how that in turn affects design.
Design Futures returns to Melbourne at Decoration + Design from 19 – 22 July 2012 – registrations are now open so you can register to visit and witness Genty’s fourth installment of this inspiring trend platform.

Visit www.decorationdesign.com.au

When it comes to inspiration, many designers reference former industry icons and shapes of the era, taking the highlights and transforming them into new modern styles to suit the contemporary consumer.
Decoration + Design blog took five with Sae Choe of H-Poem to gain insight behind their `aesthetic design products’, giving the old a new life.

What gap in the market did your brand fill?
H-Poem is about aesthetic design products, reclaimed from unwanted materials that most people would just throw away. It has already had one life, and we like to think that through our furniture ranges, it can have another.

Tell us about the various categories you work within at H-Poem from vintage furniture, industrial and display. Are there any stand out pieces?
Within vintage furniture we reconstruct chairs, armchairs, display cabinets and dining tables. But the stand out piece would have to be the original Marco Zanuso “The Lady” chairs.

Why do you specialise in vintage furniture? What is the appeal? And where do you source the pieces?
We source vintage furniture from The Philippines. Our range of vintage furniture (modern European influenced), is appealing to the current interior trends. We specialise in vintage furniture, as we not only appreciate the great design and workmanship from the past, but also want to minimize the stress put onto the environment in producing new products.

Your motto is `professional interior construction company’ can you explain this?
This motto is in fact related to the other part of our company – this being the interior design side, where we strive to create innovative spaces at a professional level. Our motto for the retail side is – `Eco-Furniture Solutions’ – providing the market with eco design products using unwanted scrap wood, salvaged from the East.

You are about to exhibit at the upcoming Furnitex and Decoration + Design in July, what do you hope to gain by exhibiting at the show? Why do you exhibit here?
We want more exposure, especially in Melbourne as we are inundated with interest there in our products.

Fusing his skills as a technical architect and skater since 1987, Manuel Llorens with his wife interior designer created Skate-Home. Founded on the union of their two passions, skateboarding and interior design, Skate-Home has given birth to a wide range of skate-inspired products to decorate the home all related to the world of skateboarding.

“In homes, it is important to surround yourself with a personal decoration in harmony with your lifestyle.”

What an impressive contradiction, the rebellious nature of skate with the stylized and static nature of interiors. We can see this trend catching on. The quirky skate bench chair and book rack are definite conversation starters.

To see more of their designs and to read up on their unique concept, visit the website www.skate-home.com