REPORT: It was a smashing year to be at a visitor at Decor + Design, Australia’s No.1 Interiors Trade Event.
2018 marked the biggest year ever for the show, with 350+ exhibitors taking part in both Decor + Design and its co-located event, the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF). This year marked 15 years of the iconic Melbourne show celebrating Australian design.
Decor + Design
Around 10,000 trade visitors flowed through the Melbourne Exhibition Centre over the four days of the event – interior designers, makers, decorators, retailers, buyers and architects from all over the country.
The exhibition was a feast for the senses, with many visitors commenting on the high quality of the exhibition and the obvious hard work and preparation which had gone into the displays.
Zillo + Hutch took out the Best Large Stand award in their maiden year, with a visually spectacular display of their chic, modern homewares. Cosentino impressed with their pared back aesthetic and integration of greenery, winning Best Small Stand.
The Zillo + Hutch team.
Meanwhile over in AIFF, crowd favourites LaForma took out Best Large Stand, while newbie An.ti.quate impressed with Best Small Stand on AIFF LOVES HOMEMADE.
AIFF Best Large Stand Winners, LaForma
AIFF Best Small Stand Winner, Antiquate
UK Trend Forecasters Scarlet Opus once again added a frisson of excitement to the show floor, with their popular Trend Tours showcasing exhibitors whose products reflected the directions forecast by Victoria Redshaw as part of her Macro Trends 2019 keynote seminar.
Always a highlight of the Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series, Victoria highlighted four key trends we’ll see coming through in 2019:
Clarity: A way to simplify and tune in after a period of intent content consumption. Calm and enriching, think Vegan leathers, soft materials and nurturing colours such as apricot-tinted peach and dusky rose.
Bio-Tech: Reflects the growing collaboration between science and tech. Addressing sustainability in an advanced way, it puts the emphasis on Closed Loop production and innovative recycled products. Think membrane-like surfaces and a vibrant colour palette such as crisp mint and watermelon.
Imperfect Beauty: Connects us through flawed wildness. Grounded but luxurious, this trend celebrates resilience and recovery. It embracing flaws such as the Japanese art of Kinsugi. Think unique and irregular products with thoughtful colours like honeyed gold and warm naturals.
Radical: The reverse reaction to the Clarity trend, Radical celebrates non-conformist designs, rejecting cohesive notions of schemes. Think bold colours like spiced orange and cocoa brown. Audacious and confident.
Once again, Scarlet Opus’ carefully curated Trends Hub featured a tactile display of materials from these four trends, where visitors could play with Vegan leathers, recycled glass tiles and extraordinary fabrics.
Victoria Redshaw at the Scarlet Opus Trend Hub.
The Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series also featured renowned interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, who flew in from LA to deliver the International Keynote. The sold-out session covered the incredible celebrity homes and luxe commercial and residential projects he has recently designed around the world. Martyn was a man in demand – signing books afterwards for two hours!
Other speakers in this year’s Seminar Theatre included David Flack, Miriam Fanning, Megan Morton, Charlotte Coote, Lisa Green and Robyn Holt.
2018 also marked the 15th year of VIVID, the competition for emerging designers and makers which takes place at the show. Six winners were chosen across categories by a panel of leading design figures.
We loved Thomas Yeend’s KILO lamp, which won the award for colour. Shaped as an ode to vintage dumbbell weights, the lamp features two hand-blown glass orbs that light up into joyful radiance.
Thomas Yeend, Winner, Colour – VIVID Design Competition
All told, turning 15 was a spectacular occasion for the show! Decor + Design will be back in 2019, 18 – 21 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Register now to stay updated on the program and receive updates on the latest news from the world of Australian design.