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And we're back! One of the biggest forecasting tools for predicting decor trends are the summer and Winter Market tradeshows. They're held twice a year at the Las Vegas Design Center, aka World Market Center in Downtown LV, at the end of January and July. They run Sunday through Thursday and are open to the Trade only. The rest of the year, the LVDC is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm although you will need to be working with a Designer to make purchases. The Markets are a really fun and exciting time to see, touch, feel and experience all that’s new and exciting in the world of Design.
I was fortunate enough to stay at my condo at the Ogden. It is vacant and furnished (and FOR RENT- MLS #2599119)! Barely a mile away, it is much easier to take a ride share than deal with the parking. HOT TIP: From my Lyft driver ~ Choose the WAIT time. Not only is it less expensive, they will still send the closest driver. Just be ready to go!
As an Empath, and as much as I love Market, it is like sensory overload! All the crowds, visual stimulation and intense energy can really be a lot for me. For that reason, I never go on opening day. Usually I wait until the 2nd or 3rd day to go. This summer however, given my close proximity, I put on my big girl pants (and girl, they are big) and went on the Monday so I could catch a couple of seminars.
First up was Kathy Kuo live and in-person talking about what she sees trending in her mostly e-commerce business. Her core demographic closely matches KFD - middle age wealthy/very comfortable people, who lean conservative, and are enjoying their lifestyle after the kids are grown (or childless). A lot of her branding, like ours, revolves around CORE VALUES. Her client experience now is focused on the wellness trend. Individuals don't just want to eat well, they want to live well at a vacation luxury level. HOT SELLS for Kathy Kuo Home right now: Massive corner/cuddle chairs for the bedroom, small, fun sofas, smart kitchens, & saunas. Outdoor areas love fire pits and what surrounds them. She was quite fascinating to listen to and learn from.
The same afternoon I went to see Laurie Clark debut Sherwin Williams color forecast for 2025. And my favorite palette wound up being the Wellspring! We always bring a lot of good color information to our initial Consultations and this will be no exception. We also get a lot of support from S.W. on our projects. They are happy to over-night 8 x 10 color samples to our clients and work with us to find those unique color choices our customers want. HOT TIP: try the new Sherwin Williams Color Expert APP to see how a prospective paint color will look in your room.
My main reason for attending Summer Market is not just to gauge the latest trends - I am usually on top of that, if not ahead. I want to see and feel the actual furniture we sell to our clients in our SHOP (currently under construction) and to-the-trade. I like to visit the showrooms that reflect the K.F.D. aesthetic and/or have products we use in our curated on-line collections. I personally want to make sure the quality and comfort matches their beauty and appeal. The research I do is based on what I like and works for our brand. There are also a lot of places I just don't get to visit because of time. So after a lot of sitting down and trying to get back up these are my top 3 pics for looks equaling comfortability. (You'll find that word in the Kerry dictionary.)
#1 - CLASSIC HOME - I love the direction they are going in and their indoor furniture is super comfy. The Caplan Sectional is ‘like butta’ to sit in AND made in America. They also have a lot of soft goods, lighting and rugs. And they're accessible to the trade all year round thanks to showroom manager Derek Campbell.
#2 ALDER and TWEED - Slightly more formal, and slightly more firm, their transitional vibe showcases unique and funky accessory pieces as well. In my opion it is a nice mix!
#3 REVELATION (By UTTERMOST - another favorite) I kinda got lost in this chair towards the end of the day...I like their clean aesthetic, use of color, and whimsical pieces. Their showroom is always so refreshing!
While day 1 was devoted to research and discovery, day 2 was a little more playful. I had my partner in crime, Carisa, with me as usual. Her family has been in the furniture business for like 70 years. We both have an affinity for pretty shiny things and taking selfies. From vanity to vanities, that's how we roll.
I started out on my own at "Ahead of the Curve", a seminar by 5 Millennial gals – 4 designers and a writer from Luxe Interiors - talking about …you guessed it… what is up and coming. Their observations weren’t exactly glass ceiling shattering, however they did manage to sum up the big trends that were ALL OVER Summer Market and are really defining this decade. Drum roll….
Curves – dangerous or otherwise, from arches to sofas to live edge tables. Which brings us to …
Everything Organic - everything on the planet. At K.F.D. we like to sprinkle natural elements in all our designs. Moderation is our take. Segway to…
Art Nouveau - (Long before Art Deco - still popular) Art Nouveau is biophilic design on steroids! It’s a history lesson in itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau. The city of Paris is a tribute to this style. I was fortunate enough to visit the Musee d’Orsay a few years ago which has a huge Art Nouveau display. Their most iconic representations are their subway entrances.
Brown is the new gray - All we can do is pray that it all goes away….. At K.F.D. we like Creamy whites, Charcoals and lots of color, particularly blues. I/We are not down with brown except for where it occurs in nature like beautiful wood tones (or quality LVP).
Darker moody spaces – we can totally get onboard with this at K.F.D. We’ve always preferred moody primary suites, and who needs a light and bright TV room? Reference the new Four Hands showroom. Everybody loves F.H. They have some really great accent pieces yet overall it doesn’t reflect us or our brand. If everyone is doing it, we are probably running the other way.
Other notable takeaways, Carisa and I observed ~
Boucle fabric in Off-White – everywhere on everything! Especially...
Curved/Round Swivel Chairs – I thought the wood in-lay at ART was a nice touch. I actually like this trend. Here I am enjoying Classic Home’s version at Winter Market 2024. They’re a novel item and their price point should reflect that.
Round Pillows – They remind me of my 8th grade sewing project when I decided to sew a basketball. Not feeling it.
Canopy Beds – YES! They were in many showrooms in all sorts of materials. Some offered the option to remove the Canopy and have it as a four-poster bed. My favorite was in black shagreen at Abbyson Living. This is the first time in a long time I’ve gotten excited about bedroom furniture. For the past 30 plus years your choices have been extremely plain, Farmhouse, King Henry the 8th, full-on Liberace or downright tacky. Canopy beds are nothing new yet I LOVE the fresh clean look of the square edges. I was doing black metal canopy beds back in the 90,s albeit in that style. And I just put one in my condo. I love them in Silver and Gold as well. They are definitely K.F.D.!
Colors – Greens, Blues. Teals – absolutely! I even like the muted sage hues on velvet show pillows. They work especially well with Terracotta in the desert.
Rattan is still very much around and we're seeing it in other colors like white, grey, black etc.
Indoor furniture is the new Outdoor furniture or is it the other way around?
Showroom shoutouts:
Abbyson Living – Before you weren’t even allowed in if you didn’t have an appointment. Their new showroom manager Jordyn Aldridge has changed all that, making their line affordable and ACCESSIBLE! They were even handing out these cool little black candles. And don’t forget their canopy bed. I always ask before taking photos and they politely requested we not photograph their New Looks. So no pictures yet.
Alder and Tweed, Classic Home and Revelation as previously mentioned.
Notable mentions to my regular favorites Global Views, Uma Home Décor, Dovetail, Palecek, Currey and Company, Karastan Rugs and…. We didn’t even make it to Zuo or Theodore Alexander. Two days was more than enough and I was happy to discover, uncover and rediscover some new brands like Hubbarton Forge.
I also revisited a couple of showrooms I really hadn’t seen in like 10 years – Modway, Sunpan and bless the return of Caracole! (Under the same umbrella as ART, Rowe and Jonathan Charles). I LOVED them all especially Caracole. They have solved the dilemma of silver vs gold with their ‘whisper of gold’, a beautiful champagne colored mixed metal used on most of their furniture. Their line is very glamorous in an extremely elegant way.
I stumbled upon Renwil only because my friend was working there. Their light, white and bright showroom was a refreshing change and their accessories and wall art are exquisite.
This was the first Market to inspire me in awhile. Perhaps I was overwhelmed the last two shows, staging and styling the MEVA showroom. Unfortunately they have moved out along with another big vendor on A 3. And because the first 2 floors of building A are open all year round I don’t really spend a lot of time there. Building B has my heart with a lot of my favorite showrooms listed above. Building C has a few too, yet is mostly gift and seasonal ware. The Expo is huge and a bit overwhelming for me. I wish I had more time.
So what is inspiring you? Do you like soft neutrals? Or bold expressions? Want to try a new paint or color scheme? Kerry F. Décor is here for you. We always start with a discovery call followed by a Consultation. Where we go from there is up to you. Give us a call ~ 702-882-4518.
Check out www.glassartbycecilia.com
Kerryfdecor@gmail.com 702-882-4518
Business License: G68-08235
Sherwin Williams Colormix Forecast
LVDC
Wikipedia
Kathy Kuo
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