News

You’d think that by now our machine and technology driven society would have moved on from the natural but humankind is increasingly aware of our connections to, and impact on, the world at large.

The trending term ‘biophilia’ refers to the desire of humans to affiliate with the natural world and we see this increasingly in the way we are choosing to live, work and play. In the design world (and at HS), we remain nostalgic about past processes and handiwork, giving rise to looks and designs that focus on the natural and on low-impact processes.

Happy Concrete II  |  Iwan Pol

Prism Folding Screen  |  Zafia Strumilo-Sukiennik and Anna Loskiewicz

Knitted Eames Chair  |  Image: Osamu Koizumi / Plain Living

This is embodied in the Nomadic Living trend that focuses on:

• The use of leftover materials, innovative materials and recycled items. This extends to the use of concrete, earth tones and textures. Terrazzo embraces this trend with its recycling routes but it’s made a sophisticated and artistic comeback across a variety of colours, textures and applications. In fact, it spans most of 2019’s trends
• The rise of handmade objet and furniture that celebrate uniqueness and imperfection.
• The use of live plants in homes and corporate spaces, as opposed to cut stems
• Artistic creations that are inspired by nature – celebrating the freedom of expression and the complexity, movability and dynamics of life
• Aature-inspired and ethnic-inspired colours and patterns. This includes warm textures and clean bold colours that echo rural aerial views
• Furniture and décor that is multifaceted with forms and shapes, demonstrating multi-functionality and flexibility

Overlapping with Nomadic Living are a host of ‘earth-inspired’ micro trends:

Mother Earth is a softer refined style that brings us closer to nature through more tactile textures and soft-earth colors, thus creating a homely and relaxed atmosphere. The worn and weathered is reborn alongside the new and modern through simple hues, earth dyes, natural textures and materials like cotton, wool and natural linens.

Traditonal skills are being transformed and further developed, contributing to The Rise of Contemporary Art and Craft that is sought after and speaks to our need for the tactile. Despite our overwhelmingly digital age, we instinctively acknowledge the power of touch. Ceramic is a hero in this, finding new creative ways to express itself as a valued material especially in the form of red brick and terracotta across vases and objet.

These earth-loving trends come naturally to all of us, speaking to our human hearts that long for a connection with the world. They allow the Hire Society team to throw our weight and creativity behind repurposing and reimagining the objects, furniture and décor around us with results that are easy on the eye and creatively challenging while reducing our impact on the planet.