2012 Predictions: Heritage

By LuAnne Silvia, ASID
I found the predictions of Benjamin Moore's Color Pulse for 2012 exciting to think about. As interior designers we often have the opportunity to see interior fashions before they are introduced in the market. We have had the privilege of sharing our opinion with manufacturer representatives on products in the developmental stage. It is always exciting to think about where we are headed. How technology, culture, and the runways all influence what's new.
Trend Identified: Preservation= responsible action; the first trend identified in the 2012 Color Pulse is Heritage.
As Defined by Color Pulse: Old meets new, reinterpreting history and tradition in a new way, indigenous viewpoints, a return to classic.
What I Find Exciting: Embracing the richness of our past, honoring what has come before us. An introspective guide of our view into the future.
Design Highlights: Old forms in new ways, timeless patterns, re-purposing. In couture look for bollard hats and fedoras, hounds tooth, gingham, lacework, knitting. Cultural influences will come from North America Native American, South American/Brazilian, small pockets of the world. And a few items of note for interiors: damask, handwork, raffia case pieces, framework chairs.
Colors: South and North American influences; earth, nature, jeweled, chroma; sunny yellows, sand, stone, brown, gold, classic camels, timeless red, teal, turquoise and indigo
Of Interest from the Presentation: New York artist Gary Simmons, the Tee pee Towers Swedish Ski Resort, and architect Alejandro Aravena, a designer for Vitra...

Aravena's design "Chairless" for Vitra www.vitra.com

"Chairless is a seating device for the modern nomad. This sturdy strap of fabric allows its user to sit down in a relaxed manner – but with neither seat nor backrest. It is thus a solution par excellence for times when chairs are in short supply: lunch in the park, while waiting in a crowded airport, a picnic on the lawn, sitting down at a concert, reading on the beach and on countless other occasions. Chairless is so light and compact that you can carry it with you wherever you go. Chairless relieves the spine and legs, so that hugging your knees or using a support is no longer necessary. Now your hands are free to operate your laptop or your iPod, for reading, eating"
Be sure to check back tomorrow when I will discuss the second trend, Process.