What to expect from 2015: key design trends
January is the perfect time to think about the year to come and, whatever we do, try to do it better than the past year. At Barbed, we anticipate 2015 to be filled with cutting edge designs, contemporary furniture, as well as new discoveries of extraordinary outdoor furniture manufacturers and talented designers to showcase in our showroom. Design, just like fashion, is a constantly evolving world shaped by the creativity of both established and new designers. In our industry, catwalks are replaced by exterior spaces and our annual events not to be missed are design fairs in the likes of Maison & Objet in Paris, Spoga Gafa in Cologne or the Salone del Mobile in Milan, but the goal remains the same: to show the world the new generation of creations (and creators!). Coincidentally, outdoor furniture trends follow the thread of the fashion world, as we see influences from the clothing industry being reflected in the designs of garden furniture after key trends make their catwalk debut.
Natural feels: wood & metal
We are very enthusiastic about the trend we've seen emerging lately, which is inspired directly by nature and uses natural materials - we wouldn't be selling outdoor products if we didn't love enjoying everything about the outdoors! In 2015, we can expect designers to keep combining wood and metal to create even more furniture as lovely as the Gargantua Table by Extremis or the Home range by Viteo, a beautiful garden furniture set that elegantly blends oiled teak with stainless steel.
Verdigris: an evolution in complementary colours
Anyone who’s interested in design and hues knows that some colour contrasts can give amazing results, such as the complimentary opposites of blue and orange, or green and red. However, when colours become more subtle, so does colour combination. Verdigris, a greenish-blue pigment that is coming to the forefront of furniture design at the moment, is a perfect match for the earthy tones of Ochre and the brighter shades of corals – and it remains in the trend of natural tones! Cane-Line became the trendsetters last year when they added Turquoise to their on-the-move table colour chart, and we can definitely expect some more furniture in similar hues from our various manufacturers in the year to come!
New Fermob colours
We honestly don’t think you can ever get bored with Fermob and their fantastic variety of products – and colours! No matter which colour you want your patio furniture to be, you’re pretty sure to find what you’re looking for with this French manufacturer! Liquorice and Chili joined the Fermob colour chart in 2012, Plum in 2013, and Honey and Capucine in 2014. In 2015, every piece of metal furniture will be available in all 24 Fermob colours, plus two new original ones, Lagoon Blue (which competed with Capucine to become a new colour in 2014 but lost by a hair’s breadth) and Anthracite. Just like Verdigris, Lagoon Blue is a greenish-blue hue, which means that you will have plenty of opportunities to mix and match your new Lagoon Luxembourg table with Luxembourg chairs in one of the earthy tones from the Fermob chart, to really make your garden stand out!
What do you think of our predictions for 2015? Do you like the new trends emerging in contemporary outdoor furniture? If you want to discuss 2015 trends, Fermob colours and anything related to design then come visit us and our Barnes showroom, or join us on social media - we’d love to chat!
- 30th January 2015
