Micro Trends - Home - Marble to Pearl? Copper to Brushed Gold?

It is currently Spring/Summer 2016, on the High Street so many home accessories shops are still selling copper and marble items. Surely this trend must have peaked by now surely. At work I had to do a Competitor Analysis Shop where I had to look at trends and products coming through and in November 2014 and I said to my buyer 'I think marble will be big next year'. Then a couple of months later I saw an article in Elle Decoration (my favourite home magazine) about marble. At the moment I would say it has only really been light, white and grey tones of marble that have been popular on the High Street though. Darker shades of marble seem to have been overlooked, also the matt texture for the marble has been favoured over gloss. So why marble? It is hard wearing, looks natural and fresh, perhaps what some would describe as an understated luxury.

(image from Architectural Digest via Pinterest)

In the 'blogging world' marble has been exhausted as a background for photographs. I am fed up of hearing the words 'flat lay' which is jargon for a photographic composition, of a bird's eye view angle of a display of items. Possibly because it makes a more interesting background to white or as I mentioned earlier adds a touch of understated luxury to the image. This has undoubtably influenced teens to embrace this trend of marble, buying ornaments, lamps, decorations, jewellery boxes etc.

Meanwhile adults are buying expensive marble items too, bigger items such as chairs, shelves, tables and light fittings were spotted at design festivals in 2014 and have filtered down to the high street. John Lewis have a big selection of marble items in store and online.

(Image taken from John Lewis website West Elm marble and wood table)

Now lets discuss copper or as some call it 'rose gold', that does sound more sophisticated than copper doesn't it? I will stick to copper. Copper always used to seem the least favoured out of the typical 3; gold, silver and bronze (copper). Now. however, in home wares consumers can't get enough of copper pieces or items with copper details. Have people simply just grown tired of gold and silver and was copper the laziest alternative? No that wouldn't be fair necessarily, lets give copper more credit when credit is due. So copper, why is it so popular? I have a few theories:

-A fresh metallic alternative that has more zing than gold and looks great against white and trendy with green (I am thinking more of a house plant in a copper pot).

-Is it a reflection of the economic climate, where the decadence of gold and excess seems to be too obvious?

-Is it the rustic trend, 'The Brookyln Loft' look where details such as copper pipes are embraced and turned into a statement rather than neatly boxing them away?

(image by Saffron Avenue via Pinterest)

My predictions for the next micro home wares trend that will be hitting the shelves soon: Pearl, iridescent mother of pearl . Not that much different to marble really, finer and lighter than marble, a subtle and gradual shift. But the iridescent quality will be big, and widely imitated with other other materials. I think brushed, textured gold will take over the copper style. Lets see shall we?

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