Taste in style is an individual thing
Along with volleyball, track, swimming and gymnastics, many of the billion-plus viewers of London's summer Olympics have also caught frequent glimpses of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, affectionately known as William and Kate. And every time the camera has stopped on the famous royal couple, lively discussions have ensued about Kate's ensemble of the day, prompting immediate Google searches for her preferred jeans, shirts and dresses.
The industry of "Kate-watching" is thriving, and legions of fashionistas regularly attempt to define the future queen's personal style. But as these self-appointed pundits have learned, Kate's style is not one-dimensional, but is instead constantly evolving in response to new occasions and life events.
Home furnishings often take inspiration from the fashion industry, and perhaps the definition of style should as well. Like the Duchess' ever-expanding wardrobe, new collections at the summer Las Vegas Market reflected obvious trends - think vibrant color combinations, streamlined profiles and the occasional animal print - but it would be impossible to categorize the showroom offerings into an all-encompassing style definition. And that is actually what's best about the concept of style - it can be interpreted in endless ways.
In my new role here at Furniture/Today, I plan to regularly report on style and design trends as well as all things upholstery. I will share what I see in showrooms, factories and at furniture markets from all parts of the globe, and I'll pepper my writing with words like tangerine tango, Bauhaus and Baughman. But what I won't do is simplify the concept of style to a "like this, not that" definition.
Think about it this way - if you know that you look better in blue, should anyone really try to convince you to wear green? And if you love ornate woodwork or oversized recliners, should that be dismissed in favor of glass and chrome collections?
Sure, style is about color, texture and creative design, but it's also about comfort, fabric choice and functionality. There is no right or wrong answer, and like the Duchess of Cambridge, we are free to develop our own sense of style from the options we are given. It might be inspired by the work of famous furniture designers like Charles and Ray Eames or Finn Juhl, or it can come from an online product blog or seasonal retail catalog. Regardless of origination, style is an individual, evolutionary process that should always eschew "one-size-fits-all" mentality.
Winda commented:
Hudy,I was just in talking about bean bags and want to send you pireucts of my pine computer hutch and matching book cases. Please email me your contact info and I will email you the photos. Tell me what you think, I am not out to make anything other than find a good home and if there is something we can work out on consignment or other, I'd be happy to kick it around.
Dragana commented:
I love your style!!! I talked to you on the phone. I'm Amy Scott's frnied you did the pillows for me. Love, love, love the website!!! I'm gonna have you help me with my house sometime soon!
Dragana commented:
I love your style!!! I talked to you on the phone. I'm Amy Scott's frnied you did the pillows for me. Love, love, love the website!!! I'm gonna have you help me with my house sometime soon!
James commented:
Taste in style is definitely an individual thing as well as comfort. If you don't find 'comfort' in something, it's not worth it. Style should bring lightness to the heart. Personally, I like modern furniture so I go for those.
ascot chang commented:
kovacs never designed a lamp in his life,and design is valid today when its not copied from past but created fresh from ground up.Product development in todays furniture is spoken in mandarin in smokey rooms while looking at slides and magazines from other countries and saying ok .this one. make. copy and bring to market,design students are
relegated to silly contests for lower end hillbilly companies that promote borax as good design,bring back good designs,not copies.pinnacle awards are not given for good design ,instead its a club and when looking at past winners. you have to cringe. that people every year vote for this borax.
Cindy Hodnett commented:
Thank you for your comments -- I just returned from the Tupelo Furniture Market and am finally getting caught up!
I am actually planning to do a story on product development in the near future. And yes, I agree that Chippendale and Hepplewhite are also design classics; yours truly simply has a tremendous appreciation for the aesthetics of mid-century modern.
I am curious -- what is your own personal definition of good design?
Robert Mark commented:
Cindy I thought that bloggers answered people who commented on their blog. This is supposed to be a dialogue and not a monologue. Might we hear something more of substance from your new role?
Robert Mark commented:
Well Cindy, what I would like to see you write an article about is how using branding of famous clothing designers' names for furniture design has brought absolutely nothing new to the furniture industry other than retreads from grandmother's attic. And why is it that soap stars, unhealthy chefs, ex-models and dead personalities are being used to brand taste in style. It is about time this publication tackled why the industry is in such a downward spiral from lack of real product development. Those iconic mid-century modern designers you mentioned all created new products to create new marketswith many different approaches.
Taste may be individual, but why is it that good design always defines good taste and why is it that good design seems to live on to outlast its epoch? Adams, Hepplewhite and Chippendale are as valid today as Mies, Saarinen, Bertoia and Kovacs.
I have great hope that your blog will have more substance than that of the other bloggers.
ascot chang commented:
p from short lived replies in this area blog world where no one has a chance to really say what they think about this industry........
seems cant accept a compliment from the writer who wanted to congradulate you on knowing who milo was.....gone already
. furniture today has thin skin as you will see
