Why fringe trimming is the hottest thing right now
I love Decorex. Much like 100% Design it has a good mix of well established brands and emerging designers, and it is all in one place, no running around from floor to floor and venue to venue. They also have a fantastic champagne bar, and a great press room. So it is always one of the shows I make every effort to visit.
A lot of familiar faces this year as well as some great new brands - but all of this in a different blog post. Right now, we're going to talk about the hottest trend for your living room. Bullion fringe sofas, stools and armchairs and lamps with serious fringe issues (but they're good issues).
What is Bullion fringe?
Our friends over at Wikipedia (I keep telling people, I am not an expert, I learn as I go along or make it up) say that it's a "twisted yarn which generally contains threads of silver or gold.
The name derives from bullion hose, which had a twisted element at the top that resembled this type of fringe. Modern bullion fringe varies widely in texture and width, but generally is only 3 to 9 inches (7.6 to 22.9 cm) in length".
Phew, I expected something more complicated.
Generally, it's a type of trimming, along with pom pom trimming, tassel fringe and your thin fringe trimming. It's just longer and wider. Kind like the plane carrier of fringes. And it is everywhere you look (if you know where to look, that is).
Where did I see fringe at Decorex?
To kick things off, brand of the moment Blackpop, an independent British label made up of Design Director Maxine Hall and Studio Director Paula Moss decided to totally punk up this pouffa (because it's not a pouf and it's not a sofa) with a neon pink and black fringe.
Photos: Jenny Kakoudakis Seasons in Colour
The double coloured fringe is reminiscent of Jeffrey Bilhuber's work (who by the way cannot dress a home without fringe! See further below).
Blackpop's deeply patterned upholstery fabrics work so well on this boudoir piece (which by the way was nicely firm I could actually get up again, besides being so tired!). On the other side, orange and black bullion fringe kept things interesting.
And did you know that during this year's Decorex, Blackpop worked alongside Curiousa & Curiousa and Royal Crown Derby to style the entrance cafe at the show, forming the Derbyshire Collective (bingo, they are all based in Derby)?
Boudoir style
My next stop was at the House of Hackney boudoir - a style that so well fits in with their aesthetic. Think boudoir and yes, HoH comes to mind. So I came along to have a look at their lamps. HoH make these in two sizes, but when you add the base and the shade, my eyes started watering from the price (£828-918). So I wanted to check the quality and actual size.
The lamps are indeed substantial in size. They really are statement lights; you cannot put these babies in a corner. They demand a grand space to feel 'in place' and would work equally well individually in a room rather than only as a pair (e.g. framing a sofa).
So there I am eyeing the lamps as I approach when my eyes start playing games on me. Or do they?
No, no games at all. The fringe has moved from the lamps to the Limerence chairs, salon type chairs that we can picture Daisy Lowe perusing in her free time because she is that kind of girl. It is finished in decorative studding, luxurious bullion fringing and brass wheeled feet (which you cannot really see, but I believe them).
Right, to pull a look like that (the wallpaper, the velvets, the fringe, the cheetahs the pineapples...) you need to be someone with a VERY eclectic taste. For the rest of us, just pair these beauties with a plain velvet sofa and you're done.
* While writing this post, I am also researching bullion fringe shopping venues, as a new sofa is coming in next week, and I don't know, I could, potentially dress it? *
Above: The 'Loddiges' chair in indigo. Below: the 'Castonbury' chair in pink quartz, £2995.
I took a right turn somewhere and I came across LAYERED, a Swedish interior brand offering high quality rugs and furniture. All collections are created with very distinctive designs, based on movements in contemporary culture, yet with different looks. Inspired by art forms within fashion, photography and architecture they have a vision to create timeless pieces for modern and elegant homes.
I would highly recommend you have a look at their website. Not only are their products bang on trend (petrol blue and pink velvet sofas anyone? See their Palmdale sofa) they also have a French Pouf in Burnt Rose and Smoky Grey, with - you guessed it - fringe. With a diameter of 50cm and a height of 42cm, this is a proper seat at the same height as a regular chair/sofa.
Above: Photo by Jenny Kakoudakis for Seasons in Colour; Below: LAYERED
Another one from abroad was Portuguese Munna, which you can find at stand D39 together Ginger & Jagger (also from Portugal). If bullion fringe is not scaring you, why not take a step further with all over fringe style. Step aside Jonathan Adler, there's a new kid in town.
Above: Photos by Jenny Kakoudakis for Seasons in Colour
Finally, I saw a gloriously long fringe on the newly launched Curiousa & Curiousa Tiger Lily lamps (and remember where I talked about them before here?). That, I did not expect - mostly because it had never crossed my mind that you can apply fringe on glass! But there you have it.
Curiousa Studio say:
"This striking piece celebrates far eastern and Asian influences on British tastes and culture. Mixed with a splash of art deco opulence, the Tiger Lily is a striking yet elegant light that injects an intoxicating blend of luxury, colour and decadence into any space.
Named after the flower native to China, Japan and Korea, the Tiger Lily chandelier embodies the same exquisite, opulent luxury".
Who else is big on fringe (and they should know a thing or two about interiors!). I did mention Jonathan Adler, right?
Fashion mogul Tory Burch has not one but two sofas covered in fringe in her New York office (photography by William Waldron for Architectural Digest). Does this look old fashioned to you? I didn't think so.
Jeffrey Bilhuber's work has been seen on Architectural Digest regularly. You would think that fringe is like a signature in his designs. They're not complete unless he 'signs' them.
Interior Design practice Marks & Frantz are better known for styling Sex and The City, The Movie and The Devil Wears Prada. When a growing family called on them for a gut renovation and interior design of their upper east side classic six apartment, they delivered family-friendly interior design while maintaining a classic elegance and colour rich interiors.
To fringe or not to fringe?
The verdict is out. We love fringe and cannot wait to see more of it in homes in the coming years.
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about travel. She launched the award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she loves traveling around the world.
Read about her travel recommendations here.
