Trends preview at Tendence 2011

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The trend for home and furnishing accessories is towards a blend of traditional and modern elements combined with a natural look. Parallel to this, the subject of Africa, represented by animal prints and ethnic patterns, has an important role to play. Animal motifs, especially owls, are generally very popular and are frequently to be found on cushions, bags, dishes and pendants. A good blend of the traditional and modern can also be seen in the world of giving. For the Christmas business, there are advent calendars for mobile-phone displays, as well as bags and notebooks made of natural materials. In the case of jewellery, the focus is on a blend of styles incorporating classic reduced designs and colourful, luxurious pieces.

2,050 exhibitors from all over the world are showing these and other trends at Tendence in Frankfurt am Main from 26 to 30 August 2011.

Living: trends from the worlds of the home, wining and dining, furnishing and design

Couture & Casual: it's the mix that counts!

Style mixtures provide space for that certain something – anyone who cannot decide on a specific style for the home mixes classic, romantic and modern elements in a room or even throughout the whole dwelling and thus creates their own highly individual living style. A different kind of blend is emerging for the autumn/winter season, 2011/2012 – elegance meets cosiness, high-end meets casualness. Homes styled from top to bottom are a thing of the past. Today, it's the blend that counts. The designer sofa is shown off to best effect next to a side table from the flea market. And why not combine cool materials, such as stainless steel, aluminium and leather, with knitted fabrics, wool or felt?

A recurring favourite: naturalness
Naturalness has been popular for furnishing and decorating for many years – and is on its way back again. In the case of next season's home accessories, nature is becoming an increasingly important design feature and, for example, turns knots in wood into a decorative element. Wood combined with bronze, brass, stone and mother of pearl gives naturalness a touch of elegance and makes it compatible with many different interior-design styles. Colours are also moving in a natural direction – with a variety of shades of brown and subdued yellow nuances, the current spectrum is highly reminiscent of an autumn forest and falling leaves. The autumnal foliage colours are combined with rich colours, such as turquoise, dark blue and violet. Additionally, the coming season will be characterised by lots of floral influences, especially roses, not only for fashions but also for numerous home textiles and decorative elements. Animal motifs, such as owls and birds, are also widespread.

Christmas in blue

In many homes, Christmas 2011 will have a Scandinavian touch and Christmas trees will be decorated not only with glass but also fabric ornaments. Thus, patterned fabric hearts and figures – mainly in red & white – recall Swedish Christmas stories and dress the tree in country-house style. Classic tree decorations have drawn colour inspiration from the world of fashion. They celebrate blue in all shades – from royal blue, via ice and glacier blue to night blue – and are frequently combined with silver or gold. Alternatively, trees can be colourful with fruity shades such as raspberry, aubergine and lemon. And, for consumers who go for a particularly regal touch, pearls are set to be much in demand as a decorative element next season.

Anyone looking for Christmas-tree decorations other than baubles will find an impressive variety awaiting them this year because, in addition to classic baubles, trees can also be decorated with ducks, parrots or new Father Christmas interpretations in bright colours. Even motorcycles and cars are permitted. Incidentally, these playful breaches with tradition can be combined wonderfully with neutral, white, gold or silver baubles.

Africa is chic!

In the fashion world, Africa was 'in' last year. Now, the Africa look has arrived in the furniture and accessories fields. Animal prints play a part, as do ethnic patterns, most of them in brown or earth shades, while natural materials, such as wood, rattan and sisal emphasise the ethnic style. However, manufacturers draw inspiration for their colours and materials not only from the continent of Africa, they are also beginning to discover African designers who no longer offer just arts & crafts but also home and furnishing accessories for the luxury sector.

Giving – trends from the world of creative gift ideas, jewellery and decoration

Traditional and trendy Christmas gifts

Traditional and trendy products are set to dominate the living room this Christmas. Hence, in addition to the classic Christmas colours, red, green, gold and silver, consumers will also be looking for articles in shades of turquoise, petrol, blue, pink, mauve, violet and grey. And, of course, white. Among the innovations in this field are Advent calendars for mobile-phone displays and pop-up cards. Along with other new products, such as money envelopes in many new designs and attractive decorative articles, this elegant series in the latest colours represents a good alternative for fashion-conscious customers.

The main themes this year will be mystical and magical with inspiration and greetings from the Orient and Tsarist Russia. For example, Russian nesting dolls in the form of tree decorations or Advent-calendar sacks, as bags or gift wrapping. However, the trend to nature is also important in this segment. Natural materials stand not only for sustainability but are also warm. Thus, the winter season is characterised by lots of warm products made, for example, of felt, e.g., notebooks, make-up bags and bags revolving around Christmas themes. As well, wool hot-water bottles or fleecy blankets make good presents for leaving beneath the Christmas tree.

Amusing gift ideas for all occasions

The latest type of tie is called 'Tie me where you want' and gives the wearer the aura and charm of a Casanova, no matter whether it's fixed to a t-shirt or proper shirt. Equally practical is 'Candle to go', which is easy to transport and ensures a festive atmosphere almost everywhere. Badges as a small present are also very popular. For example, the 'Amazing Button Set' contains a postcard and several badges, which are great for giving a sign of affection whenever you feel like it, as well as for decorating gift-wrapped presents. And, for those who like something particularly unusual, tooth brushes for the toilet in trendy colours represent the ideal gift.

Genuine jewellery with classic reduced designs

The trend for genuine jewellery in 2012 is unmistakably timeless, elegant and regal. In many cases, the classic reduced designs have matt, brushed or scratched surfaces. Many jewellery studios are banking on geometrical and linear forms, dynamism and elegance. Besides white gold, yellow gold and silver, rose gold is enjoying a revival. These precious metals are also becoming increasingly popular again in the horological sector. In the case of precious stones, chains of uncut diamonds are particularly popular with wearers, as are cairngorms, olivines, mountain crystals, rose quartz and lemon quartz. Demand is also high for pearls, which are in any trendy in themselves.

Costume jewellery: anything goes

In distinction to the genuine-jewellery segment, anything goes when it comes to costume jewellery. Designers place reduce and fantastic, modern and nostalgic, traditional and chic alongside each other with no distinctions. There is just as much a demand for big, striking earrings, chains, pendants, rings and armlets as for restrained pieces of jewellery. Chains can be short or long. Materials, such as wool and other fabrics, are now being used in jewellery production.

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