Metropolitan Home just released its design 100 issue. The editors describe the issue as a celebration of “one hundred of the best homes, architects, designers, buildings, materials, furnishings, housewares, trends, shopping venues, restaurants, green goods, activists, accessories, ideas and mores from the many worlds that make up the design universe.”

JPD is thrilled to announce that our Irezumi design created in partnership with Ink Dish and Sunset Strip Tattoo artist Paul Timman is number two! We are thrilled to be bringing tattoo art to a larger audience.

For more information check out www. inkdish.com

Scandanavia is a well known Mecca for all things design so it was with great excitement for a design junkie like me to take my first trip to Copenhagen. Arriving at the airport I knew it was a good sign when I saw the sleek and, key word here, efficient luggage trolleys.

My knowledge of Danish dinnerware design before this trip was Royal Copenhagen so I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to see it featured so extensively in the home and interiors shops of  Str∅get. My first stop was a department store chain called Magazin, very up market and with a fantastic home department. A large section allotted to the increasingly familiar blue designs of Royal Copenhagen. This time it was nice to see a new pattern, for me at least. Musica is a pattern designed by Monica Ritterband. Still in the traditional blue but playful mofits based on musical notation.

Another design company new to me was a Danish company called Menu which I have since seen in UK stores. Danish designer Verner Panton designed a collection for them with bright cololurs and bold shapes, nothing too stirring but striking all the same.

I wasn’t surprised to find the largest concession for Norman Copenhagen in Copenhagen either; their slick shapes and silicone forms are recognizable in most cities throughout the world now as a sign of modern functional design.

From Magazin I continued to the Bodum flagship store. I suppose it makes sense that those simple recognizable shapes should have originated in Scandinavia. They have a reasonably sized selection of ceramics, the most successful being a yellow set of espresso cup and saucers.

Next stop was Illum Bolloghus, the home and interior section of the department store Illum. Here was an even larger display of Royal Copenhagen, the usual patterns but there was a nice version in a citrus Orange, they’re obviously predicting orange to be popular next year too! Norman Copenhagen, Iitala, Menu, Costa Boda, Design House Stockholm, Erik Bagger and Ditte Fisher Kahla were some of the tabletop companies on display here. Ditte Fischer caught my eye and I’ll let them explain why “Ditte Fischer’s design is clean curves without any unnecessary trim. The design is striking and powerful with soft curves and sharp edges. The base colours are black and white supplemented with a wide range of contemporary colours – from a delicate ice blue, a raw army green to a fresh orange. Colours, which add to the classic forms, and create a twist.” Throughout the interior shops I think the furthest tabletop company from Scandinavia I found was Villeroy and Boch.

On my way to the Danish museum of art and design I passed a great little shop called Stilleben where I discovered the ceramic objects by Anna Carin Dahl. She describes her work as lively, light and playful and I couldn’t agree more. I was able to see them again as her vases were also on sale at the museum Butik.

The Danish museum of art and design was good for an insight into the history of a nation that specializes in great design. Looking at the original Royal Copenhagen designs it’s clear how little it has changed; I guess they got it right the first time. Simplicity seems to be the key over here. The tabletop design in Copenhagen is sleek, uncomplicated and modern, no Martha Stewarts or Laurence Llewelyn-Bowens, designers are the stars here, maybe we try to hard or maybe there is effortlessness in design that is ingrained into the Danish that we will never really get.

Eco green
The push for environmental awareness is reflected with shades of green from electric jades to subdued olives. Look for leaves and other foliage forming bright, attractive patterns.

Orange and Yellows
Fun and vibrant these statement colours are making a big impression on the catwalk in Derek Lam and Lanvin’s bright orange and yellow dresses. When used in interiors these hues stand out against subdued backgrounds and add warmth and drama to any living situation.

Gothic Glam
A return to old school Hollywood glamour, with a darker twist. Materials play a big part of this style in fashion with lace, sequins, pearls and patent leather paired with gold metallics. On the table, black is here to stay and it’s more dramatic than ever.

Ethnic Brights
Vibrant ethnic prints are raising their profile using this season’s oranges and yellows. Native American patterns using feathers and coloured leather as well as African motifs and Asian batiks make a great look for interiors.

Whimsical Graphics
Quirky, hand drawn patterns are making their way on to more surfaces. Originally seen in illustration and paper goods, their popularity in blogs and hand made products are bringing these playful patterns into the mainstream. Eccentric and abstract, they can add humour and interest to the table

Jason Solarek on his blog Tableware and Homegoods Marketing Strategy recently quoted an article in the New York times about  how fashion designers are using the web to design new collections. He wondered if the same could be said about tableware and home goods designers. As a tableware designer I find myself relying on the Internet more and more as a giant sourcebook for design ideas. I used to spend hours making my way through design magazines for trend predictions and creative inspiration but like everything these days, the practical side of technology has overtaken the need to buy as many magazines and books. Here are a few reasons why.

1. The cost. Websites are free and subscriptions to magazines can add up to quite a hefty bill if you look at it over time.
2. Convenience. Big bulky magazines and sourcebooks can be heavy to lug around especially if you do a lot of travelling or work in different locations. Anything that catches my eye these days on the web I right click on and save  in my ‘inspiration folder’.
3. Variety. To get a greater insight into different niche markets requires a lot of digging around and a lot of different books to get the information needed. An hour or so on Google is all you need to learn about the style of Rio De Janiero’s emerging street art or the decorative scrolls of the French Renaissance. Google images have been particularly helpful on one or two of the more vague commissions we’ve been asked to do.
4. Bias. Being the cynic that I am when you are reading a magazine you never know how or why exactly something is being featured. In the back of my mind I am always thinking that a big PR firm has paid lots of money to persuade me that so and so is the next greatest thing. Blogs, on the whole at least are written because a person is passionate about something. Rarely do they get paid and that leaves the writer with the freedom to write whatever they want. There numerous blogs for example la la lovely things , absolutely beautiful things and the always excellent especially if you’re a pattern junkie print pattern blogspot, that are just personal voyages into the whims and lusts of passionate creative people that have gone out and traveled far and wide and have taken the time to share all the wonderful things they have found along the way. You can’t get better inspiration than that.

One thing that the Internet cannot provide however is the simple joy that the latest copies of Vogue and Art Et Decoration, a large cup of tea and some post it notes can provide. This indulgent activity never felt like work and the blissful hours spent scrolling through the pages of www.etsy.com as wonderful as it is will never make me forget that.

Splitting time between the U.K. and the U.S. give me an interesting perspective of the tableware market in both countries. The most noticeable contrast is the UK’s penchant for minimalism versus the bold holiday patterns that take over the American department stores at certain times of the year. Boston has its fair share of department stores with the usual suspects, more exciting however are the great little tableware boutiques in the city.

Firstly on the fashionable Newberry Street is a wonderful little shop called Bliss. Its main focus seems to be dinnerware for bridal registries. The buyers have exquisite taste and have all their products elegantly displayed. They have a large range by Bernadaud whose sophisticated designs seem to have been ignored by places like Macy’s.  Making sure they appeal to the younger market they carry more modern and fun labels like Iitalla and Alesse.. Bliss has also thrown in a few other choice designer brands to offset their impressive tableware collection such as Mandarina Duck luggage and Kartell homewares. The stand out item for me today at Bliss was probably Alessi’s quirky sushi set by Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni. It is almost too gorgeous to eat off but fun enough to be functional. With the owners eye for great design and willingness to try new products you can rely on a visit there to source all the exciting new labels that you should know about!

The second Boutique worth mentioning is a store in Boston’s artsy Fort Point neighbourhood called Front. It is actually a store (front) attached to the design studios offices and warehouse of a great little company called Bob’s Your Uncle. They started out doing stationary and still have a great line of beautifully designed greetings cards and notebooks etc. What caught my eye however was the large collection of melamine tableware. The colourful collections by Thomas Paul, in particular his aviary collection jumped out against the white walls of the industrial gallery like shop. They also have an Americana collection with plates with photos of typical diner scenes and American restaurant signs.  The display was a feast for the eyes because the wonderful thing about melamine is there seems to be no limitations to surface coverage or boldness of design. Front supplements their own ranges with renowned design houses such as Norman Copenhagen and other cutting edge design. Head off the well worn path of  the usual shopping trails of Boston, it is well worth a visit.

One of the most widely anticipated events of Liverpool’s 2008 capital of culture year was the Gustav Klimt exhibition at the Tate gallery. On the ground floor is a reconstruction of the Beethoven Frieze from the secession building in Vienna. The contrast of the highly decorated gold on the rough unfinished concrete is striking in its delicateness. It reminded me of Bernardaud’s gold leaf and silver leaf dinnerware, the roughness of the gold leaf contrasting against the highly polished smoothness of the porcelain.  In fact, a few of Bernardaud’s luxurious new designs remind me of Klimt with their brightly coloured circles paired with lavish gold and silver metallics.

It is clear throughout the exhibition that Klimt was incredibly accomplished at painting life like representations. However, he appeared most comfortable when his paintings took a turn to fantasy. For a designer, what’s most exciting is what lies behind the figures in his paintings. He has a gift for patterns and colours. He could almost be described as a decorator. Sections of the backgrounds could stand on their own as fabrics and wallpapers. 100 years after it was first exhibited his stylised flowers are on trend today.  Similar flowers are seen on fabrics today on the catwalk and in the high street. Stella McCartney’s floral print dress comes to mind.

In addition to Klimt’s paintings the exhibition focused on the larger Vienna Secession group and the interaction between art, architecture, and interiors that it represented. As tableware designers we take direction from trends, not just in tableware but also fashion, interiors, and art. Dinnerware isn’t displayed by itself on a wall, but is part of people’s lifestyle.

The exhibit also gives us a look at the table with a beautiful set of flatware that looks strikingly modern by today’s standards and an equally contemporary silver coffee set. Only when you see old photographs of it being used do you realise how ahead of its time Klimt and the Vienna Secession must have been.

The Business Design Center in Islington recently hosted New Designers, a collection of the best art and design degree shows in U.K and Ireland. This is a great chance to see the future design talent of Britain in one large, badly air conditioned space. The talent varies from year to year, with this year being particularly good. Although, no matter how talented the students the reality is that the vast majority will never become old designers. The best girl from my year was plucked from New Designers to show at DKNY on Bond Street which propelled her to gallery showings throughout Europe. Five years on she is doing quite well, but out of the design world.

What makes this show so wonderful is that it is raw. By the time trends hit the high street they are often watered down versions of the original idea. Of course, they are also practical, commercial, and hopefully profitable. All of these designers have talent, the ones who make it will also have the ability to refine their ideas so that they are commercial without losing the spark that makes them stand out.   But for this show it is the crude, powerful, unrefined work that triumphs over the conventional. To that end, Elisabeth Petch who took the trend for urban art and made it even more urban stood out. Her large canvasses of grimy, industrial signage were wonderful.

The theme of funky, illustrative line drawings was extended by Karen Thompson onto dinnerware where she mixed photographic and painted motifs. The 80’s are still an influential decade for this group and showed themselves in angular computer graphics and silhouettes of Run DMC and other influences at the time of breakdancing and the birth of rap. Like most of the work in this show that style was taken too far to be commercial, tableware with too much coverage, textiles that are too in your face, and all in all, just too wonderful to make it in the mainstream.

Barcelona is a city well known for its style. From modernism to noucentisisme, its artistic heritage is evident from the world-renowned architecture of its buildings to the look of the people that inhabit them.

Nowhere is this more apparent then in the Barri Gotic and further from the Ramblas and not as obscured by touristy t-shirt vendors, in the Circuit del Born. This area is home to the Picasso, Contemporary Art and Textile Museums as well as countless galleries and trendy boutiques. The London equivalent would be Shoreditch, an artsy urban center where style is inherent. In El Born this is not just evident in the galleries and museums but in the graffiti stenciled in abandoned doorways to the skillfully modern design for signs for the more mundane businesses such as Laundromats.

Too often trends are copied by going through the motions. Bringing style to the plate is not as easy as partnering with a fashion designer and fitting their designs to new shapes. Tableware is much different then art on a canvass or fashions on the catwalk. It is a difficult line to walk as a designer between giving retailers what they think may sell because the style is on trend and ensuring that our transformation of the style is successful. For example, the 80’s look with a penchant for Mondrian style block color prints was successfully showcased in Barcelona but we have also seen this look dulled on the table. Designers have brought this to the table in a smaller scale borders on plates and although they have succeeded in bringing this trend over the energy that is fueled in part by the large scale is lost in translation.

The current style in Barcelona can be described as urban-punk and is evident in the graffiti on the walls and the piercings on the urbanites. Naive scribbled pen ink style sketches, as you may find on a vandalized school desk, are everywhere. We have begun to see this style on the table and expect it to pick up steam.

The Spanish aren’t scared of pattern or boldness and shops like Desigual engulf their clothing in striking metropolitan motifs in eye catching colors. We are yet to find evidence of this trend transferring to housewares in this city or elsewhere but expect it to arrive in asymmetrical layouts on plates and in reduced motifs on cups and saucers.

It seems as though the dinnerware pattern market is saturated with flowers, it always has been and it certainly doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. This year saw the explosion of florals onto the runways and then in turn onto the high street. Big and bold, these were statement flowers, not shying away into pretty little borders. Flowers are everywhere and nowhere was this celebrated better than in Chelsea last week with the opening of the 2008 RHS Chelsea flower show. To join in the festivities the shops around Sloane Square were bursting with floral displays. My favourite was probably the very lavish Jo Malone store front, they seem to do a great job every year and I imagine spare no expense!

This morning I walked to Kings Road to do my usual trawl through the interior shops for inspiration. The gardens on Chayne walk were alive with sumptuous roses and I stopped to take a photo or two. Living in America you forget about how beautiful the gardens are here in England, that’s one advantage of all the rain, which I don’t miss. On Kings Road Osborne and Little were displaying some of their Hothouse wallpaper designs by Suzy Hoodless. These are bold designs with a very modern twist on floral decoration and very successful they are too. Across the road at Designers guild the flowers were in full bloom but these were more of a romantic English style, beautifully done but nothing I hadn’t seen before.

Geometrics abstracts and other types of vegetation will always play second fiddle to the ever-popular floral surface pattern designs, it’s our job as designers to keep reinventing and moving them forward. We’re always the first ones to get bored afterall!

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