Trend Watch–Atlanta Home Furnishings Show–July 2015

I’ve spent the last few days at the Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings show and I’m here to share a little of what I’ve seen so far, so grab a cup of coffee and get ready for a long post.

 For those of you that aren’t familiar with the show, it is an international gift, home accessory and furniture show that is held here in Atlanta several times a year.  There are two major shows, January and July which draw retail buyers and interior designers from all over the world.

AmericasMart, where the show is held, is made up of three buildings with 1000’s of manufacturers showcasing their products for buyers.  This show is one of the largest gift and home furnishings shows in the country and it’s where you’ll see the newest trends and hottest styles in furniture, decor, textiles, wall decor, lighting and gifts.

 Park Hill showroom

While at market, I walk the showrooms looking for the latest trends and checking out the new designs that will be making their way to retail stores in the coming months.  With the larger number of showrooms at the mart, the number of products you see can be overwhelming but there are always a few trends that stand out and make a statement.  Many of the trends I spotted at this show aren’t necessarily new, several of them have gone from being something you saw in small doses last year but now is making a major statement in products.

Here’s a look at some of the trends I spotted at market:

ACRYLIC

You know when you start seeing a particular type of product at the big box stores like HomeGoods or ZGallerie the trend has exploded.  Acrylic is one such trend and I spotted it all over market.  Where you once only saw acrylic in trays and tabletop accessories, it’s now being used in larger furniture pieces, seating, and wall decor.

This mirror was simply stunning!

Many of the acrylic pieces I spotted had brass or chrome details.

ANIMAL HIDES

Another trend I spotted was the use of animal hides in unexpected ways.  I saw skins used as trim on accessory pieces and as part of seating.

This mirror was one of several that I spotted with an animal skin inset detail.  The look takes a simple mirror and makes is really luxurious.

Using a hide as a the fabric on the seat really elevated that style of this classic wicker chair.  And you can spot a bar stool behind the chair with a hide top.

BONE

You’ve seen bone on the market already in tabletop accessories but at market I saw it being used on larger pieces like lighting and furniture.

There are lots of materials being combined too, like this bone lamp with acrylic base.

GOLD, BRASS AND COPPER

Metallic finishes will never go out of style but you’re seeing silver and chrome taking a back seat to gold, brass and copper.  Brass and gold were everywhere at this market and I spotted it in every category of product.

I loved this vignette below which featured gold both on the wall and in the products.  Starburst mirrors have become a design staple and I saw what appears to be a resurgent of mirrored furniture.

The gold detail on the spine of these books was a nice touch and created a designer look on a common accessory item.

WHITE FURNITURE

You started seeing white kitchens make a comeback over the last two years and now white is making a big impact in furniture, from small accent tables to large armoires and buffets.  What makes these furniture pieces stand out are the details being used to give them added style–greek key and bamboo trims to decorative moldings and oversized knobs.

In addition to these product and style trends, I also took note of a few other looks to keep you eye on:

*  AGATE:  it seems like the agate trend started with coasters but you can expect to see large agate pieces used on lighting, furniture and in wall decor.

*  PILLOW EMBELLISHMENTS:  while there are still lots of bold patterns being used to make pillows, I saw a new trend of basic fabrics with 3-d embellishments like cording, buckles and hardware.

*  VINTAGE:  vintage decor has been growing in popularity over the last few years and there were lots of vendors selling vintage product at this market.

I spotted this vendor with tables full of vintage ironstone.

There were vintage wine barrel lids, ceramics and jars.

And I even spotted vintage cigar molds.

 I’m headed back down to market today for a final day of style spotting and then off to dinner with the hubby to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary (which always falls during market).

I’ll be back later in the week to share a few more insights and things that caught my eye at market.  Until then, have a great week!