Friday, February 12, 2010

Trend Report: Limed Wood

DSC_0811

The second most dominant trend that continues to gain steam at the international markets is limed, bleached, natural, or white washed wood. It was everywhere shown in hundreds of different subtle hues of grey, tan, taupe, and white.

DSC_0960

Patinas were boldly distressed, sleek and shiny, and everything in between. Virtually every vendor highlighted some shade of grey or mushroom wood with oak and teak being the raw material of choice.

guadarte_collection_5

I know, white washed oak !! – it makes me shiver just thinking of my old pinkish whitewashed kitchen cabinets that I hated with such a passion back in the 80’s! But this new oak is tinted in sophisticated shades of dove grey, tin, gunmetal, lichen, frost, and many others that lend a sophisticated edge to the rough luxe movement.

DSC_0977

Pale woods in all hues of whites and creams were also abundant, many mixed with the color of the moment – mauve.

061DSC_1600

Grayed woods mixed with bright bluish purples were also on display in many showrooms.

IMG_2631jhgg

This photo shoes the range of tints available at this vendor of teak furnishings.

IMG_2859

Kitchens were shown decked out in grey distressed woods that gave them almost a menswear vibe. The perfect compliment to the soapstone countertops and farm sink!

J400

Grey and mauve were the accompanying colors to this new pale wood.

dsc_0294

It doesn’t matter if you’re into classic lines -

DSC_0815

or a more contemporary aesthetic, the palette is the same.

DSC_0971

White on white was also a popular combination with lots of play on texture and sheen for variety.

IMG_2631jh

Super rustic was still on view but for the most part a more sophisticated take on the rough woods was the norm.

IMG_2854

This roomscape was the piece de resistance of the show, combining rustic finishes, gilded accents, limed case goods and that fabulous real fur throw as a centerpiece. For me this room really summed up all of the trends at the show in one well designed package. Pale vertical stripes on the walls gradiated from a deep grey to a light lavender at the ceiling. Many subtle variations of grey on the chairs all on men's wear inspired wools welted with patent leather in bright shades of purple and fuchsias. A super pale bleached out repurposed carpet (another trend here) was the base of the display. Wish you could have all been there in person because it was spectacular. My photography does not do it justice! ( I had to sneak this one and actually got thrown out of this show room for taking pictures even with a press pass)

IMG_3158

Photos: Guadarte, Provence & Fils, JVT

7 comments:

Trouvais said...

Hi Jackie...fantastic post. What you do for your readers! Love the diffused light tones, baroque touches. Sated my need for flourish, scroll, drama. Thank you! Trish

Mélanie A. said...

Wonderful post ! I'm totally in love with the lantern on one of the pic

Francine Gardner said...

What a great post! I just relived the fair. I, also, was thrown out of Flamant and I just wanted to take a picture for a wall unit I wanted to purchase but needed to show to my client. Still waiting for their spec sheet!
I am also sorry that we did not get to meet! will you be in NY for the ICFF?.I will be moving my showroom from Tribeca to uptown on 58th street, (daunting) but we should be open by then..

Concrete Jungle said...

Wow, great to be in the loop of the latest from your fab observations...Thank you!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

What a thorough, fabulous post AJ. I do love the darker (greys) limed woods. Look like they have such history and depth. You gave us so many gorgeous examples of this new trend. Your blog is always such a delight to visit.

x deb

All that is Pie said...

I have seen some very traditional toiles and some souleiadou prints that were lavender that I liked, but I am not looking forward to that mauve that you cite here and the in the skirted roundtable. And the grey wood is nice in limited quantities. unless you are very fast, it will be out of style by the time you complete re-doing your house. Or if you do go with these trends, where will you be when they go out as fast as they came in and you have a whole houseful of it? How about a post on how to keep it classic without being boring(you probably do this all the time)? I am new to this blog since your appearance on the skirted roundtable, which I enjoyed! Thank you.

*Chic Provence* said...

Love the woods, the grays, etc....would you look at that PEACH wall in one of the pictures? It looks fantastic with all the greyed, limed woods...bien surprise!

Kit