As I write this month's Zeitgeist edit, my inbox is currently flooded with invites to Milan Design Week, taking place in a few week's time. It's the world's biggest design fair, and much of what I'll see there will set the direction for design for the year (years, even) to come.
However, I'm not just treading water, waiting for what's to come from Milan. This month's edit draws on inspiring exhibitions, new season launches for the home and garden, and even a throwback music format I wasn't expecting to see have a resurgence.
So, what's trending for April? Let's take a look.
↑ Going Up — Furry Feels
Faux fur textures are an unlikely hero in design right now. We're seeing it used often as a wall covering to bring wow-factor to exhibitions — just take a look at the interiors of the V&A's exhibition Schiaperalli: Fashion Becomes Art, pictured, as a case in point.
And the home isn't immune to this emerging trend, too, though you're unlikely to see it used as a wallcovering in quite the same way. Instead, as well as the more objet d'art-style designs that use actual faux fur, or even in some instances hair, you'll see textiles with longer piles that have directional movement, giving a deep, plush effect.
↑ Going Up — Modular Outdoor Furniture
Now that we've finally conquered good outdoor fabrics — those crunchy, plasticky ones of yesteryear replaced by textiles that feel like they could work just as well inside — the next frontier for the best outdoor furniture is modularity.
Yes, you'll already find some simple modular designs in the outdoor market, but take this year's collection from Ferm Living as an example of what's next. Its Rouli outdoor seating looks as good as a modular couch for your living room (and is finished in a cool brown boucle for outside, no less, this season), while the Deya table and bench, pictured, is another favorite from the collection. A fiber concrete finished with an uneven glaze, it's got the looks down, but the seats can be used either to fit brilliantly around it, or in different combinations as a long, undulating garden bench, depending on your requirement.
↑ Going Up — Romanticizing CDs
You know how I know I'm getting old? People are starting to romanticize CDs.
Vinyls, I've always understood the appeal of — they feel nostalgic and like a more analogue, raw way to enjoy music. Vinyl records are big, expensive (but hold their value), inconvenient to listen to, and often create imperfect sound — that friction is both what makes people enjoy them, and possibly spells why CDs might be an emerging trend, too.
Expect to see wall-mounted collections and the rise of aesthetic CD players again (like the viral Muji wall player, or Dutch brand Trettitre's contemporary cool take on the personal CD player).
↑ Going Up — Floor Sitting
Designer Sabine Marcelis' collaboration with CC Tapis is one part rug, one part chair, but at the same time, kind of neither. The collection, called Roll, reimagines the idea of the rug by introducing a large resin form on one side, designed for floor lounging. Covered in handknotted wool, like the rug itself, it provides another seating option and a new way of experiencing a space.
It comes in a small, one-person option, as pictured, and a larger 'roll' that acts like a floor sofa for multiple people.
↓ Going Down — Glass Tables
There's a reason we're not seeing many glass tables in design right now — their forms are limited by the material, meaning there's less opportunity to play with dynamic silhouettes.
If you like the visual weightlessness of glass, especially for something as large as a dining table, then resin might be the workaround. Take these Lumen Tables, designed by studio PARAFORMA specifically for the opening of Monologue London's new Portman Square showroom. They're cast as thick slabs, formed into angular shapes, and deliberately retain trapped air bubbles and subtle impurities for depth and interest. They're monolithic by nature, yes, but there's still a lightness to them, especially when natural daylight hits them through the showroom's windows.
↓ Going Down — The 'White' Isles
If you'd ask me to describe typical Balearic interior design, I'd tell you white-washed walls and beachy wood furniture, but, as it turns out, there's much more to design in the region than meets the eye. Just the other day, we gave a glimpse into the new design language through Natalia Miyar's private member club design, and now, Matthew Williamson, a resident of Mallorca himself, has collaborated with Pickleson to bring the color of his island home to life.
"I’m invariably influenced by the natural landscape in Mallorca where I live. The sky, the sun, the light," the designer says, "but I’m always going to be a British designer at root. And whilst this range of colors is so personal and specific to me, the intention is that they work wherever you may live."
In the 16-shade paint brand collaboration, expect to find rich, deep red, pinks, greens, and blues, with the occasional soft neutral and vibrant pastel, for contrast.
