Home decor continues to be a huge market and designers are always trying to come up with the new “next best thing”.  Some innovative ideas are floating around out there and I thought it might be fun to see what may start showing up in your local home decor store.

 

 

These accent tables are made of Corian and have small holes punched through the sides allowing the sides to embroidered.  Yes, embroidered with actual thread, using the pattern pre-punched in the Corian.  Functional, long-lasting and definitely unusual, a table like this could be the statement piece you’re looking for.

Green Designs

The Dami collection of furniture is made from wood waste and with non-toxic adhesives for a very green result.  The open gridwork makes for a dramatic, lightweight, and contemporary design.

This bedroom set, dining, and storage units are all made of sturdy cardboard.

 

Paper Stone recycled paper products were used to build these stylish and sturdy kitchen cabinets, countertop and even sink.  The faucets have been lowered so that a sliding cutting board can totally cover the sink and the cabinetry hardly looks like a kitchen.

 

The desk base is built of reclaimed railroad ties.

 

What’s Old is New Again

This French designer is inspired by the shapes of vintage luggage and wanted to recapture the feeling of traveling on an ocean liner in the 20′s.

 

 

Ceramic and wood make a stylish pairing in these accent pieces with a distinct retro feeling.  Add a splash of color and mix up the finishes in your room for a fresh new look.

This retro looking fridge is in limited production and covered in denim that’s been treated for easy cleaning.

Modern Creativity

 

 

I love the versatility of these bookcases that can be used vertically or horizontally.

Classy and extremely cool, this desk speaks to executive decisions waiting to be made.  Just hope you don’t need a lot of storage.

Designed to create privacy for a student or person needing a little separation from the surroundings, this rocking chair invites dedicated studying.  Or does it seem a little claustrophobic?

Efficient and Multi-Use

A beautifully designed table that folds up to take almost zero storage space.  I think this would be the perfect table when you’re having a party….bring it out of the back of the closet where it sits unobtrusively and you have instant space for four more!

 

There are a lot of ways to use this powerful little piece of furniture.  It would be ideal for a student or anyone with a small living space (NYC anyone?) because it serves many purposes but with a small footprint.

This is a great, unusual storage piece that those of you who are a little handy might be able to accomplish with a little DIY know-how.

 

This is another chair designed with a student in mind – or really, anyone who sits for long periods of time and wants the comfort of a head support for the occasional break.

 Lighting and More

 

 

Lights are made from salvaged cardboard, use non-toxic adhesives and are hand made so that each mix of corrugation is unique.

Creative metal lamps are totally whimsical and would be a great conversation piece.  Break up a traditional, subdued room with one of these and you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood.  Or, they’ll think you’re a little odd.

These modern chairs are built of polythene for lightweight indoor/outdoor use.

I love pieces like this and the table above that fold up to almost nothing, making them SO easy to store.  This looks like a great invention!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of the new designs “out there” in designer land and maybe even spotted something that might work in your home.  Most of these pieces are likely quite expensive, but the idea of using a very colorful or unusually shaped piece of furniture in an otherwise calm, ordinary room is brilliant.  It will jazz up the room, make your heart go pitty pat every time you walk in the room, and pull you out of your design stagnation.  Go for it!  Look for something dramatic and unexpected at thrift stores, little local galleries, or Craig’s List.  Happy shopping.

If you’d like some help figuring out where to use such a creative piece of furniture or how to breathe a little fresh life into your rooms, Cindy and I continue to offer design consultations.  We can help either with a single dilemma (i.e., room arrangement or finishes selection or window treatments, etc.) or a complete consultation addressing everything in the room.  Check out the details here or email us at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com.