It’s the time of the Spring interior trade shows again – while much of the focus is on Paris, Cologne and Stockholm, the UK also has a bounty of inspiration to offer.
Spring Fair is a gift and home interiors trade show that takes place each year at Birmingham’s NEC. It’s one of the oldest shows out there, with a 67-year history. This year, from the 5 – 9 February, some 60,000 visitors will stream through its doors in search of the latest design trends and home products for 2017.
With 14 sectors on offer there’s something for everyone. The Home section has doubled in size since 2014, with a more international focus, and for the first time a DIY and home improvement sector will be added. The Summerhouse will feature an edited collection of over 40 exhibitors offering a stylish mix of high-quality home and lifestyle brands with a designer edge, such as Abigail Ahern, VITA Copenhagen and Nkuku. Elsewhere, the Kitchen, Dining & Housewares sector will show an impressive line-up of brands exhibiting for the first time, such as Everdure by Heston Blumenthal and Tramontana, as well as established exhibitors Le Creuset and HAUS.
There’s over 2,500 exhibitors on show, with a particular focus on Scandinavia. Brands such as Madam Stoltz, Hubsch and Nordal (above) – exclusive to Spring Fair – will showcase new textiles, furniture, interior and outdoor accessories. Hygge is definitely still the buzzword here, with brands encouraging us to make our home our personal sanctuary, celebrate simple everyday moments and put technology to one side and reconnect over shared meals and gatherings.
Here are some highlights to keep an eye out for (incidentally all Danish!) and interior trends that will set the tone for the year. I try not to subscribe to trends but I think these are themes that will endure long after 2017:
Hubsch
Trend: Making your home your personal oasis / Green living
Danish brand Hubsch will be showcasing its Spring 2017 collection ‘Tendencies’. It’s their 13th collection in six years. This time the focus is on inspiring us to make our homes into our personal sanctuaries. Encouraging us to bring the outdoors in, there’s vases, pottery and ceramic-ware to display fresh flowers and big, weaved baskets for larger plants. Create a cosy setting with textures and lots of natural materials such as wood, marble and concrete.
They say: ‘Simplicity is key, which is also the focal point of our designs and styling. Simplicity allows tranquility to spread throughout the home.’
Madam Stoltz
Trend: outdoor living
Danish brand Madam Stoltz is focusing on outdoor living this Spring/Summer 2017. Moments spent outside may seem a little far away, but dream away to a place where the sun shines and the soft breeze cools the skin. This collection is all about living in the moment, savouring dinner with friends, reading a book in a hammock or simply pottering in the shade.
Nordal
Trend: Personal expression and cosy feelings
Another Danish brand, Nordal, will be showcasing a Spring/Summer 2017 collection with a focus on personality, individuality, bohemian luxury and cosy feelings. They say, ‘The collection is deeply rooted in how people live their lives. We are all unique and our lives aren’t simple. On the contrary, it’s filled with diversity and contrasts. This should be depicted in how we choose to decorate and furnish our homes.’
VITA copenhagen
Danish lighting brand VITA copenhagen creates lamps with a focus on aesthetics, functionality and simplicity. New for 2017 is the Sine lampshade (below), a tactile, undulating design made of soft felt, and the Alva lampshade (second image below), a simple, raindrop-shaped pendant inspired by the shaped of the Edison lightbulb. The charming Acorn lamp (bottom image) now also comes in white, with a soft silicone cup and a smooth outer shell of glass.
If that’s not enough, there will also be product demonstrations, talks and workshops with industry experts – keynote speakers include Mary Portas and Karen Brady. There’s also Meet the Experts sessions, where you can spend 15 minutes asking experts your most burning questions about social media, SEO for your business, website advice and online marketing. Whether you’re a small, independent brand, buyer or simply someone looking for interior inspiration, Spring Fair looks set to inspire.
Spring Fair is taking place 5 – 9 February 2017 at Birmingham NEC, visiting information here.
All images from respective brands. This is a sponsored post, created in collaboration with Spring Fair.
