Home&Decor Exclusive: Home&Decor’s guest blogger Nikki Hunt reports on the key trends she picked up from the recent Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas. Nikki is co-founder of the award-winning interior design studio Design Intervention, and host of design show Come On In.
Every year, over 10,000 designers, architects and hoteliers from all across the globe converge in Las Vegas in May to attend HD Expo, the world’s largest trade show for the Hospitality Industry. Design Intervention had been invited by one of the leading manufacturers of outdoor furniture to design a signature piece for their collection and we were launching this new product at the HD Expo. I was so excited: this was our first product launch at a major International show and I could not wait to show the world what our humble Singapore studio could do.
Las Vegas is Big with a capitol B. Big, Bright, Brash and Bold and yes beautiful too. I have to admit, there is a beauty in the honesty: the city is unapologetically brazen, embracing the moniker "Sin City" with pride and aplomb. The city reminds me of a giant theme park (there is even a roller coaster snaking the strip). Hotels are themed like Disney land rides, Treasure Island, Excalibur, Luxor, the list goes on.
But this is a theme park on steroids and R rated! Trucks drive up and down the strip displaying billboards showing virtually naked women with the caption" these girls want to meet you" with a contact number below. Revelers wander the sidewalks, bottles of beer in hand (not one but two of course) or with liter flasks of cocktails .. This is not a place for kids! There is no pretense at subtlety or sophistication, Las Vegas is an "in your face" assault on the senses: it is a place that you will never forget!
There are more bright lights than Piccadilly Circus, billboards abound and the air is thick with the sounds of sirens, horns and the deep growl of sports engines. Everything is bigger, bolder and louder than anywhere else I have visited. As a designer, I can't help but be mesmerized by this sensory overload that is the Las Vegas Strip: a 5 km stretch, one resort after another, each attempting to out do the others with show stopping designs.
After a weekend of taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of this extraordinary city, the opening day of HD Expo 2017 arrived. We were showing our creation alongside some of the biggest names in the Design industry, and I was thrilled to be there, not just to showcase our Pina Colada Chair but also to view the 900 plus trade booths, each displaying the latest trends and products.
Gold Rush
If you thought the current fascination for warm metals was a passing trend, then think again. Leading providers of hardware from Kohler to Rocky Mountain Hardware were all showcasing their Midas touch. There was less copper or rose gold than I had expected but brass, yellow gold and bronze are definitely here to stay. At Restoration Hardware, gold details were balanced by soft greys for a thoroughly sophisticated look.
Marble Mania
I first noticed a rediscovery of marble a couple of years ago at the London Design Festival. Since then, marble has been moving out of the kitchen and bathroom and has become a popular choice throughout the home. Designers have combining this traditional material with unexpected finishes and shapes to create furniture pieces that are thoroughly fresh and current. At HD Expo, designer fascination for marble and faux marble finishes was very clearly evident.
Ombre Obsession
The design worlds fascination with ombre and painterly effects was another key trend evident at the show. Rugs, wallpapers and upholstery with soft gradient or water colour like prints were a key trend across many of the displays.
Captivating Curves
Curves and organic furniture shaped furniture has clearly moved from a design trend to a firmly entrenched style. Vladimir Kagan inspired sofas and free form shapes brought a distinctly softer side to many of the booths.