From the children's birthday party to the living room: the balloon look is here
During my visit to Paris Design Week, I noticed that this trend is growing: balloon shapes are proving to be a versatile design element and are also convincing outside of parties.
Like balloons that could burst at any moment - that's how some of the furniture and home accessories I saw during my visit to Paris Design Week (PDW) looked. To my astonishment, I realised that instead of being feather-light and soft, they were all made of hard ceramic. Could this be the start of a new decorating trend? To answer that, let's take a look at my Paris trouvailles, which come from various designers.
"Blow Up": a cosy and soft ceramic collection
One example is the "Blow Up" collection from Home Studyo, which is handmade in Portugal. The Belgian brand creates playful ceramics that appear to be blown up at first glance.
The Home Studyo brand describes its philosophy as an attempt to fill the gap between exclusive, collectible design and impersonal mass production by creating handmade, affordable and everyday objects with a special twist.
"Takiya": Fusion of majlis comfort and café chic
The ceramic table "Takiya" provides fresh colours and an airy feeling in the room. It was created by designer Alia Mazrooei and brings together French café culture and the Majlis ambience of the Arab Emirates.
Source: Pia Seidel
"Fold": Artful illusion and everyday inspiration
The "Stuffed" candle holder set from Completedworks is part of a study into the illusion of materials. With the "Fold" collection, the jewellery and accessories brand comments on topics such as memory, society and consumption. Completedworks emphasises that it deliberately works with dramatic silhouettes, elegant folds, pleats and ruffles. Inspired by the way artists have used drapery to depict movement since the Renaissance - particularly in the sketches of Leonardo da Vinci - the British brand uses "Fold" to explore how fabrics are folded depending on people and their backgrounds.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
Our range also includes the odd piece that looks pompous and wacky. Such designs could take our interiors by storm as they capture the playful and cheerful aesthetic of balloons and featherweight objects without their negative environmental impact. Made from ceramic, they are durable works of art that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional. The coming months will show whether this interior trend really catches on.
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.