f

A guide to the

hot, cool and awesome things to watch out for

in 2014.

A Publication of

www.playinghouse.co.za f t p

Zesty Lemon, Sunshine, Chartreuse, Canary and Butter – anything goes this year as long as it’s yellow. There is a growing need for something

inspiring and uplifting, especially at the beginning of a year where there is optimism about what lies ahead. Enter pops of Yellow in fashion, interiors

and product design alike. And of course the favourite Yellow of the year is that of the Cape

Town Design Capital logo – Go Cape Town!

This trend has been around for a while and it looks set to stay. Craft markets are bursting with beautiful handmade quilts, clothing and objects

and online craft marketplaces like Etsy are getting bigger by the day. For a few years now we have seen artists like Patricia Urquiola with her giant

knits inspire bolder use of yarn and crochet- and knitting techniques and that paved the way for a

variety of other techniques to be re-invented: macramé, weaving, paper-craft and tie-dying are all making a come-back in a big and exciting way.

This one is here to stay for the foreseeable future – the future that we’re creating by being eco-

friendly. Wood from sustainable forests, newspaper insulation, bamboo, hemp, coir, sisal, and cork are all good choices for doing your bit. Switching to green household cleaning products

is another great thing to do since it not only helps the environment, but also the skins of all those

you live with! Most paint manufacturers also now have eco-ranges: this basically means that while lead is now long gone, they also have almost no VOC ‘s, no added solvents and have to comply with strict manufacturing protocols. It doesn’t

help if you wash old paint down the drain though! Take it back to the manufacturer to

dispose of properly.

Use what you have and make it better by looking at it creatively. I don’t believe that this trend is based on economics; it comes from a growing

need to tread lightly on the earth and not waste materials and resources. Paint it, re-upholster it, change its intended function – but don’t throw it

away. You can always find another use for it!

Whether it’s French painting techniques or bright solid colours, unexpectedly painted pieces are

popping up everywhere. While we can still appreciate the craftsmanship and style of a ball-and-claw table or a parquet floor, there seems to be a need to lighten things up a bit. Some people believe it is sacrilege to paint beautiful wood, and

to those people I say: It’s wood. You can sand it down it again when the world starts moving back

to darker colours. But for now, go for it.

Something that is becoming a very strong trend in especially fashion, is combining things in an unexpected and contrasting way: bold pattern

with an even bolder pattern, pink with red, modern fabric on a vintage piece - pushing the

boundaries and creating new combinations. Gone are the days of a matchy-matchy home: if you like

it and it makes you happy, put the green floral wing-back next to the pink plastic Ghost chair. It’s

your house, after all. To quote Morrison: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. And if you realize that you don’t find it beautiful or useful,

go back to Trend #4 or give it away.

Vinyl has made a come-back in a big way: the grand-daughter of Lanolin and Novilon, vinyl floor tiles are easy to install, maintain and comes in a

variety of styles unparalleled by other floor finishes. And as if that is not enough, it is

inexpensive too.Vinyl is also the way to go for wall decoration:

wallpaper, decals and tiled applications can transform a room very quickly. Even simple vinyl duct-tape can be used creatively and effectively

to liven up a space.

Chevrons and strong geometric patterns have made a huge splash over the last couple of years, and it’s not going to end soon. The colours have been updated to the hottest of the season and

where it was very prominent on soft accessories and rugs, it is now also appearing much more

prominently on furniture pieces and wall coverings of the coolest design houses.

A very prominent fabric on the catwalk for Spring / Summer 2014, this golden oldie is going to

astound this year. And it’s not only in accessories either: prepare to see lace on sofas, wallpapers and floor coverings. The delicate patterns are

being deconstructed and brought to life as bigger versions of itself in traditional materials as well as

plastic, steel and PVC.

This ethnic resist-dying technique is still dominating the textile industry this year. While the pattern seems to be moving away from the

very traditional, it is still being used as inspiration in many fabric ranges. Also expect to see some

interesting applications aside from fabric –modular furniture based on Ikat patterns are

coming your way!

Gone are the days of having something for 1 purpose only: now you want your kitchen to also

serve as the kids’ study and the coffee table is also a storage space. There is a growing need to simplify our lives and get rid of all the clutter so looking at things in a different light and seeing how their functions can adapt to your family’s

changing needs is essential.

Original hounds-tooth patterns bring back images of big perms and even bigger shoulder pads. But

of course the moment you translate that into furnishings and give it a twist, it becomes a

wonderful new wave of amazing. Anything goes: birds, dogs, rabbits, flowers – as long as it’s

repetitive and at an angle.

This is something we haven’t seen in main-stream interior design in a while. Pleated lamps

were very much en vogue in the 70’s and 80’s and since then the folding of fabric has disappeared off the scene for a while. Designers have now started to relook this and come up with some amazing new ways to fold and twist fabric to

create the most inspiring pieces. It might not yet translate into everyday chairs, but wait for it: it’s

coming!

Throw scale to the wind and go big. If something is old and boring, oversize it to bring it into 2014.

Patterns, flowers, prints on carpets and walls –the bigger the better. And don’t be concerned if

the whole pattern doesn’t fit: having it “fall off” is half the quirkiness!

Another spin-off from the catwalks this year is the grid pattern: cheesecloth weaves, schoolgirl

checks and gingham, all in bright and vibrant colours.

Metal mesh furniture with the same cross-hatch theme as first popularized by Charles and Ray

Eames in the 1950’s are also making a come-back in a huge way.

TIP: Go look around for old garden furniture and renovate it!

This is a classic that never fails to make the Trends list and with all the new patterns

available, it is as strong as ever. Opt to use it for background palettes and then add splashes of

the season’s colours for accents. The beauty of it is that you can just update the accents next

season. Perfect!

Another 70’s flashback is the fringe. We all grew up with fringed sofas and arm chairs, but the latest twist is something unexpected. Large,

looped fringes on pendant lights and extra long fringes on sofas and chairs just look beautiful. And the update version of the fringed sofa by

Annika Goransson is something to look out for – I can’t wait to see what it will evolve into.

While gold, silver and more recently yellow brass have been seen in residential and commercial

design alike, Copper is now taking center stage. The rich red tones will be seen more and more in fixtures and fittings and bespoke copper furniture

pieces are not far behind. The bling of the season’s rich colouring also translates beautifully

into fabrics, tiles and wall coverings.

{lekker (Afrikaans): adj. describing something that is fun, appealing, delicious}

This is my personal favourite. For many years, South Africans have been deprived of

international goods so there still is this general misconception that we can’t really keep up with what’s happening “out there”. Here’s the news

flash: what’s happening in Southern Africa is the most exciting of it all. There are incredible textile

designers, artists, product designers and furniture manufacturers on African soil – use

them, support them and help them grow. Cape Town Design Capital 2014 aims to further

establish this with it’s African Innovation, Global Conversation theme, to show off what the drum beat of the land has inspired in its people: unique

solutions from a unique continent.

Yes, you! Following trends is a very personal thing. Some of them will resonate and some just really won’t. Whether you decide to follow them to the

letter or to take home some {or none!}, always remember that have to live in your space.

So do what works for you and keep visiting Playing House for inspiring ideas and projects. Because that

is ultimately what it’s all about:keep playing house!

Click the link below and you’ll receive

T h e M I Y * D i v a ’ s T o p T i p s F o r * M a k i n g I t Y o u r s e l f

directly in your inbox in April 2014

www.playinghouse.co.za ff t p

Anthropologie.com Imanhome.com

Apartmenttherapy.com Inhabitat.com

Artnectar.com Kellyhoppeninteractive.com

Atticmag.com Kylebunting.com

Behance.net Melodyhome.com

Blog.2modern.com Mespy.com

Casasugar.com Moooi.com

Chrishardydesign.com Nateberkus.com

Customcoolrugs.com Nendo.jp

Davidreport.com Noctomic.com

Decodir.com Paintedfurniture.net

Decoholic.com Palmbeachantique.com

Decor4all.com philippemalouin.com

Designboom.com Pinterest.com

Designbuzz.com Polyvore.com

Designrulz.com Projectnursery.com

Designspongeonline.com protectwithnano.com

Dumoffice.com Rexohome.com

Etsy.com Sadecor.co.za

Finnishdesignshopus.com stefanhengst.com

Furnitursite.com Stevenshein.net

Handmadehome.com Thehouseofsmiths.com

Haskellathome.com Tipjunkie.com

Hgtv.com Tordboontje.com

Houzz.com Walyou.com

Idyllhome.co.uk Whatisblik.com

Writeontrend.com