Here at Livingetc, our contributing editor Keith Flanagan is our ear to the ground, keeping us on the pulse of what's happening in the US design scene. 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.
This month's been an interesting mix of launches with new outdoor products, stunning murals, decor releases, and more — everything to give the home a fresh spruce up for the summer. And Keith is combing through it all to pick out his edit of what's hot right now. So this is what has caught his eye and will be helping to inform what we report on this year.
These are the new ideas from the best home decor stores that Keith knows are setting this year's big interior design trends.
OUTDOOR AFFINITY
Always one to watch, designer Jeremiah Brent (among many things, the interior designer on Netflix’s Queer Eye) released a rather sweet outdoor furniture collection for Atrio, his two-year-old retail brand. I’ve seen so much feverish output of furniture that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor design (the latest patio seating is really starting to look and feel like it belongs in the family room) which actually makes this confident little launch so exciting to see: it has unapologetically classic outdoor aesthetics.
Jeremiah’s inspiration came from Mid-Century ironwork, rendered with delicate and loopy legs in powder-coated iron (the small set includes variations of a coffee and dining table, dining chairs and lounge furniture). My favorite part is that each piece is embellished in just the right place with simple brass spheres–totally whimsical and ready for your next alfresco affair in your backyard.
See the whole collection at Atrio
MURAL MOMENT
People just want to be transported…that’s my takeaway, at least, after previewing an expressive collaboration by Backdrop (Los Angeles-based maker of paints and wallpapers) and artist Xavier Donnelly (Creative Director behind NYC’s Ash design studio). Real and imagined destinations are the provenance of the four-piece collection (from Rome’s Appian Way to other heavenly spaces), all printed on textured papers that bring them to life.
Each painterly scene channels natural light—how it moves and changes throughout the day—and I couldn't take my eyes off the enchanted clouds in the Painted Sky print, a wistful nod to Xavier’s mother, a painter herself who often used the walls of the family’s home as her own canvas. I could see it in a kids room, and certainly a big kid’s room (yes, I’m referring to myself) for those prone to daydreaming.
See the whole collection at Backdrop
GREEN TEAM
Flamingo Estate, a garden-inspired lifestyle concept that centers on a dreamy property in the hills of Los Angeles (its heirloom tomato-scented candle is my go-to housewarming gift), is branching out in a new campaign with Kohler Co., plucking estate-approved green colors from the bath brand’s archives, which can now be applied to a range of modern bathroom fixtures like tubs, sinks, and pedestals.
The joyful palette unearthed by Flamingo Estate includes three ‘70s and '80s shades named Teal, Aspen Green, and Fresh Green (the latter of which reminds me of Matcha Green, which our style editor has dubbed the shade to watch this season). Refreshing and retro, it’s the right amount of vibrant color to make a splash in the bath, and the deeply rich Teal in particular would make a ripe change for any neutral scheme (it’s anything but garden variety).
See the Kohler x Flamingo Estate campaign
HAUTE HOLDBACKS
‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ are the words I said at designer Lori Weitzner’s Flatiron studio, where she recently previewed her fifteenth collection for Samuel & Sons, the NYC-founded maker of fine trimmings. One clever series is called Acrobatics, a clutch of inspired holdbacks that are more akin to jewelry (not surprisingly, her work with the passementerie company actually led her to create her own line of jewelry years ago).
As the name suggests, the holdbacks feature rhythmic and artistic movements in their designs, like Somersault, with linen-wrapped chain links, or Backflip, a necklace-like arrangement that alternates wood beads and cuffed leather. Another one that stands out beautifully is Cartwheel, made with delicately hand-stitched faux leather that loops back and forth like ribbon candy–eye candy for your living room to bedroom curtains, if you will.
See the whole collection at Samuel & Sons
