Chic in Silver at Maison et Objet 2010

Maison et Objet is always a whirlwind of color, finish, pattern and design. Silver this season added a touch of luxe, without overdoing it, in many exhibitor's booths. Texturized finishes, accents of nail head trims, rough and distressed treatments toned down the precious metal into an earthy and rustic application for furniture and home decor. A few of our favorites...

Sleek silver gets a rustic touch with nail head accents at Becara:The ARTYTUBE trend hall went a little space-age with silver in ranges from shiny bright chrome to edgy gunmetal metallics:
Provence Et Files accented elegant creamy white with distressed and aged silver inlay and edging:Dappled and distressed, this vase from Faiencerie de Charolles offers an aged and weathered take on reflective silver finishes:A fresh take on minimalist modern furniture, the texturized leafing effect on this table from Interior deco Vinvent Dadeaux adds depth and warmth to cool silver tones:

Color Caffeine - Fiery Fuchsia

Looking for some color inspiration? We've got your fix! It's time for our weekly installment of color palette innovation with this week's featured color - Fiery Fuchsia! Of course, if you missed any of our Color Caffeine palette posts, we keep a nice and tidy collection of them on our Flickr photostream. Inspired by the always moving, always energetic and always motivating Gen Now generation, this color represents bold character and bright futures! If you missed this week's newsletter on insights into the Gen Now Generation, you can read it (and sign up for future issues if you like!) right here. Enjoy!

Colors of Maison et Objet 2010

We've recently returned from Maison et Objet in Paris, France where we were treated to home decor, colors, patterns and designs galore! Color is near and dear to our hearts, so we thought we'd share some inspiring hues as seen at this year's show:

Lovely lavender & plum hues from Blanc D'Ivoire:
Shades of elegant gray from Anna Torfs:
Serene blues and earthy eggplant from Rian Menardi:
Steely blue & vibrant gold from All Deco:
Comfortable and casual pale celadon & deep sage from Provence et Fils:

Wellness in Furniture Design - IMM Cologne

Incorporating wellness into every day life is a challenge for most... Especially for those of us who spend lots of time sitting in an office chair or on an airplane. An interesting concept from Top Star at IMM Cologne was their line of "Sitness" products that blends fitness into your daily sitting routine. The line of products includes a chair, the design inspired by yoga poses, that supports a healthy back, spine and circulation. Interesting! (Pictured in the last photo is Ziki Fraiman, the lead designer for Gayo Lab who created the chair for Top Star.)

Sweet Patchwork Color - Heimtextil 2010

We keep jumping around here on the blog... So many tradeshows, so little time!?!? With so many shows in the month of January, it's hard to decide what to share with you first. Heimtextil is a show filled with color, pattern, motif and detail, but this sweet little patchwork pattern in candy coated colors really caught our eye this year. The manufacturer Move featured tiny Swiss polka dot patterns, oversized circles, subtle plaids, flowers and cheery stripes in combination with lively shades of raspberry and sky blue. Cute, clever & fun!

Small, Medium or Large? - IMM Cologne 2010

We love this concept! How about one couch that fits every shape and size? At this year's IMM Cologne show we visited FM Munzer to give their "Concept S - M - L" sofa a try. This sleek and minimalist couch has hidden adjustments to slide the sections into small, medium and large settings perfect for every stature and size.

Chandelier Redux - IMM Cologne Furniture Fair

Sphere Trending is tracking trends, design & color across the globe at the moment, we've got teams covering shows Frankfurt, Cologne, Las Vegas, Detroit - all at the same time! Our latest breaking news is coming to you straight from the show floor at the IMM Cologne Furniture Fair. We've noticed a bit of "chandelier redux" with many exhibitors reinventing this traditional design with an updated twist. Frosted glass, chunky wood blocks, flocking, dipped effects and vivid colors give this basic staple a fresh outlook for 2010!

Light & Lifestyle:

Lothar Haman:Pepe Heykoop:

Evoloution of Wood in Design - Builders Show 2010

A continuing theme over the past few years made it's next evolution at the International Builder's Show this week. The mixing of wood species isn't necessarily new, but the focus has changed direction. While exotic and high gloss woods reigned in year's past, this season the resurgence of authentic American species, such as alder, walnut and poplar was a strong direction as well as a noted softening of the finishes and stains. Matte, clear coat treatments on simplistic farmhouse and craftsman designs were key, with an emphasis on straight lines and seamless looks.

Marvin Windows:
Craftsmen in Wood: Simpson:

Builders Show 2010 - Highlander Home

The International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas is lighter in attendance than in some previous years, but moods are brighter and outlook seems to be much more positive than last year. The Professional Builder Show Village and the home tours are always one of our favorite parts of the show and with the New American Home remaining incomplete this year, we spent a little more time perusing the homes outside the convention center.

The Highlander Home, designed and built by Palm Harbor Homes, is a 1,780 square foot home built to the NAHB Green Building Standards. The home features energy efficient Bosch appliances, Merillat Cabinets, Andersen Windows and Behr Paint. Inside, the design is cozy and warm, reflecting rustic lodge and Americana motifs. The attention to detail, such as the tile backsplashes and custom bath designs compliment the home's comforting style and warmth.

Color Caffeine - Washed Neon Purple

It's Tuesday, so it must be time for another edition of our Color Caffeine series of palette inspiration collections. This week we continue our focus on the emerging, or shall we say resurgence of the pale, washed neons reminiscent of the early 90's. This shade of washed neon purple is fresh for the Gen Now generation and is making an entrance back onto the fashion and decor scene for electronics, fashion and home decorative accessories. For a look back at our entire collection of Color Caffeine palettes, head on over to our Flickr page.