Here at Livingetc, our contributing editor Keith Flanagan keeps his finger on the pulse of what's happening on the US design scene — and reports his findings back to us. Keith is a design expert, an editor with an exceptional eye who has a talent for spotting trends as they happen... and often just before they're about to.
Summer in the design world can be a little slow at times — but not so in New York, where things never really stop and inspiration can be found at every turn. This month, while out and about trend-spotting, Keith has had his head turned by, amongst many things, a new rug release, a dynamic wallpaper collection and a ceramicist experimenting with a cool new medium.
So without further ado, here are the coolest new ideas from the best home decor stores that he thinks are setting the tone for this year's biggest interior design trends.
SOLID GROUND
One NYC rug company I’ve long admired is Cold Picnic, owned by partners Phoebe Sung and Peter Buer, who first catapulted to fame decades ago with cheeky bathmats and have steadily released playful collections featuring amusing shapes and motifs.
But what’s their latest launch? For the first time in their two-decade history, the duo has launched a collection of solid rugs in chalky hues like roasted tomato and sky blue — bold and uninterrupted colors that can transform a whole room. My personal favorite is the Grass Green rug, woven with New Zealand wool in varying pile heights for a subtle and sculptural look; like a dreamy patch of grass, it’s never been more exciting to stand on solid ground. As far as living room rug ideas go, I'm sold.
See the full collection at Cold Picnic.
HAPPY MEDIUM
While most known for his coveted ceramics, Danny Kaplan Studio is taking a turn at a different medium, debuting a four-piece collab called Delf (Dutch for ‘dig’) with Brooklyn’s Lesser Miracle, merging wood and clay in a dynamic series that features this hinged Art Deco-inspired ‘Paravent Bed,’ studded and edged with ceramic, geometric tiles. Just when I thought built-in beds were taking over interiors, a floating headboard like this feels like a perfect alternative; it commands the room like a sculpture, begging to take center stage.
See the full collection at Lesser Miracle.
SHOW TIME
Roche Bobois is showing off something extra to celebrate its 50th year in America. Through October, the French brand’s Madison Avenue flagship is now home to ‘Amazonia,’ a fabulously larger-than-life fabric sculpture by Portuguese visual artist Joana Vasconcelos.
Measuring nearly 150 feet long, the installation droops and twists throughout the space in a colorful patchwork of crocheted, beaded and felted material. It’s a particularly apt backdrop for the trailblazing artist’s collaborations with Roche Bobois like BomBom, a collection of bulbous outdoor furniture in bright hues the industry had really never seen before.
See more at Roche Bobois.
NEW LEAF
'Harvest', a textile and wallpaper collection by ZAK+FOX, ricocheted throughout the industry last season, and not only because of its pitch-perfect patterns — its story happened to strike a chord. The studio’s founder created the collection after experiencing heartache, including the loss of his beloved Shiba Inu; the result was a relatable series inspired by change itself.
And now the collection is experiencing new growth with a fresh batch of nine more nostalgic and nature-inspired wallpaper ideas. The new Manzana print, pictured here with branches of crisp apples (some whole, some bitten) is a clever way to incorporate age-old stripes (with a touch more flavor).
See the full collection at ZAK+FOX.
