Five New Generation Materials in the Upscale Market

A creative imagination is a key ingredient in timeless, luxury designs. Clients are often seeking surprises in design, like furniture as art. A good interior designer will look for the newest and most advanced products and materials to incorporate into projects to make the unexpected happen. Today there are some truly innovative changes with materials, their use and application, which are impacting the luxury market. Herewith, a few of these exciting new materials and finishes that have been popping up.

1. The world of available leathers is expanding. Today, there are new stitched and bonded salmon skin leathers in an array of colors and other fish skins coming out of a company in Iceland called Arctic. Think about the use of ostrich feet leather, or salmon skin products. These are expertly made and shipped from a new company in Dallas, Texas called Heritage Leatherworks.

2. “Ombre,” from the French word to shade, is a hip international hair coloring process and a technique found in some fabrics for hand-dyed designer clothing, offering a soft color gradation of a single tone or shading from dark to light. That effect is now happening in furniture finishes. Take a look at the new patented “ombre” finish group from J Robert Scott. It is truly beautiful and unique.

3. The design world is also seeing newly minted applications of "bling" and shine—in other words, metallics in everything from rugs to fabrics to wallpapers to to concrete. How about wallpaper with sequins from JAB fabrics? Look for wall coverings, or a translucent metal textile woven on looms, for wall and furniture. For metallics incorporated expertly into rugs, check out the Rodeo Collection, a division of Stark Carpet. Many of the custom Rodeo carpets and rug products are still USA made.

4. Innovation is also happening in new product drapery fabrics that offer backing with solar protection from the Swiss company Creation Baumann with stainless steel mesh. With a product such as this, you can cover the windows with one layer of elegant drapery that still offers heat and sun protection.

5. This is amazing: There is now wallpaper that can be applied with magnets. It’s a non-glue application and is removable. That would certainly be useful and create less mess during installation and offer easy changeability.

This movement for exploration into new materials developed from new technology, sometimes using traditional materials, is strong. There are many more new generation developments that will impact the luxury market in lighting, glass, wood, coatings and lightweight everything. New materials and their finishing technology are opening up doors for designers to create the truly unique interior.