Day 4, Part III:
Color and lots of it was the trend we saw the most. Though, curiously, an article in an English paper that ran at the end of the show eschewed the lack of color at this years show! Maybe the author is color blind because we saw nothing but color, everywhere!
A rug and color trend that we’ve seeing sputtering about at the last few markets we’ve attended seems to be in full swing in Europe: Over dyed vintage and new rugs, as well as on patchwork vintage rugs.
Examples below, of colorful over dying on a vintage rug and on a patchwork rug.
One of the things that differentiates European trade shows from American trade shows is the effort that the vendors and manufacturers go to in building such elaborate display booths. See a sampling of them below that embrace color..
A display of table color saturated red lamps is repeated for impact
A free standing room, or booth is very common. Very few booths divided by the more typical metal framed and fabric versions that we see at most American trade show
The booth above featured this mannequin dressed in the vendors robe, swinging on a contemporary “tire swing”. Reminds my of the bar in New Orleans French Quarter with the pair of shapely legs that swing through the window high above the side walk, but this model has on more clothes. Guys, you know what I’m talking about!
The vendor above built an entire restaurant/lounge setting to show their tables and chairs
Dramatic painted black walls and white upholstery makes a striking display for the upholstery manufacturer, above.
This manufacturer above built and entire Tuscan style bungalow replete with a tile roof, wood windows with glass panes, and “aged” stucco walls.
Even simple displays used color, and used it well to differentiate there booths, below:
Lively orange walls are in contrast to the vintage black-framed vintage photographs
Magenta painted walls set off the trio of vintage black & white photographs
In the photo above, painted orange accent wall is in contrast to the taupe wall behind the bed
Stunning blue grey painted walls complement the painted grey wood platform floors that led us through this very good looking booth, above. The table is a huge reclaimed wood slab atop a trio of unique Corten steel bases. And the contemporary painting was exquisite.
At the booth of DK Living, one of our favorite vendors, was a line of custom wall tiles that was elaborate and unique as anything I’ve ever seen, below:
Clay, fired and glazed, with metallic silver
Terracotta, above
Bisque tile, left, and metallic finished clay tile
Stamped and hammered metal on a ceramic tile background, above and below
Two more samples of metallic finished ceramic tiles, below
More terracotta. Below: Natural left, and metallic washed terracotta, right.
Need something even more fabulous? Tile with color? Try the magnificent custom malachite tile, or perhaps something in agate, below:
We met another French artisan group who hand built parquet wood floors, and had a display showing the parts and how they’re put together. The next time I price them to a customer I want to show them this picture, which shows an amazing amount of craftsmanship and joinery.
They also did a table top in parquet, but in an oval shape. They can also stone carvers, so they can make a hand carved limestone base for your table top, or you may supply your own base.
This company or group of French artisans, also work in hand forged iron, and displayed a magnificent pair of gates supported by two of their hand carved limestone gate posts, below.
A handsome hand carved French limestone fountain (not shown), and a fireplace surround, below:
And, as if that wasn’t enough, they also import Moroccan tile floors and painted cement floor tiles, below:
Changing into something a little more delicate, I want to show you some beautiful handmade and decorated porcelain dinnerware that is paper thin, translucent and absolutely the essence of restraint. By Sonobe Park, an artist from Taiwan, represented in the Taiwan artisans pavilion at the show. We didn’t buy the line because we aren’t really a tabletop store so to speak, but if we were…
Stay tuned for Day 4, Part IV.
Good night moon.
Source: A Design Guy
