The tactility of living

This year is bringing an aesthetic that is very aligned with the New Zealand way – one focused on natural tones alluding to relaxed comfort.

It’s these trends that Collage’s Mark Pheloung saw at the Salone del Mobile in Milan this April, and the same aesthetic that they will shortly be bringing to the New Zealand market.

“It’s a really mellow concept; subtlety of tone with a natural bent,” Mark says. “Browns and earthy tones and shades of grey feature, and mixtures of both of them. There is a real blurring of the lines, which creates the feeling of comfort and softness.”

Combining metallics in pewter and titanium tones is a twist on the rose gold and copper we saw a lot of in previous years and creates a new, muted vernacular. “The metallics have quite a three-dimensional character, which is visually soft.”

Wood is also in favour, with very natural timbers central to many designs. “We’re seeing deeper tones than we have recently though, with heat-treated oak being used to create almost charcoal tones in the timber without the use of stains.”

Corten and antiqued bronze are also in favour, with a focus on a mixing of mediums and colour tonations.

“Texturally, there is a lot of variation in the fabrics being used, but the palette retains the very natural hues,” Mark says. “What I did notice was the combining of materials - leather and fabric in the same piece or metal, wood and marble in the same collection of tables.”

Deep green and inky blue hues are on trend in line with the natural aesthetic, and together with timber and metallics create striking designs.

Italian furniture manufacturers Bonaldo highlighted the concept du jour with their cutting-edge designs and unique pieces.“Their ‘Art’  table is a standout piece, which enhances the geometric trend in its shape and has customisable leg inserts that match the table top surface.. There is an amazing variety of colours to choose from so with this piece you can create and order from the 65 different variations in colour, size and extension.”

The other standout display in Milan, Mark says, was by fellow Italian furniture manufacturers Saporini, who specialise in luxurious handmade leather lounge suites. Their pieces evoked a truly soft feel with the deep greens and inky blue tones combined with a luxury of material, design and craftsmanship to deliver individual pieces that excel both in tactility and comfort.

Collage is the exclusive New Zealand distributor of both Bonaldo and Saporini; their 2018 collections will be available on our shores later in the year.

Importing more than 150 containers of furniture every year, with a strong focus on European-design, Collage is a family-owned business that aims to provide quality, comfort and unique designs to the New Zealand market.

Visit Collage on ArchiPro here to see the latest  designs.