Exploring the view of some of the world’s leading designers about which material according to them will be strongly entertained and trendy in the next three years at the design scene, we summon a design trend research for you – which will be the future design material?
An although this completely unfair (and practically impossible) to restrict designers and artist from using a rich palette of materials that can bring softness and shine, natural emanation or industrial look, rich texture or minimalistic expression and all of that in the same time if you wish – the singularity of material is something very caching even vexing as an idea for exploration.
The trend and craftsmanship of some designers to work preferably with one particular material like Tom Dixon’s world famous work with brass can be a rich field for experimentation and creation. But even that is not set in stone – lately Tom Dixon shows interest in nanotechnologies and glass … so it’s not so much a preference to a material is more like – its qualities and what you can turn it to. But still what are the basic qualities that designers look for in one material?
Concern for the Future
The sustainability and eco-friendliness of the materials used in the design are not so much a preference is more like a norm these days, according to designer Stefan Diez: he speaks passionately for the durability and low-cost recycling of the metal and the textile materials, compared to plastic, for example. The dynamic and intriguing aging of metal (with its patina variations) wood (with its color changes) is juxtaposed to the scratched mess that a transparent plastic – for example, can turn into.
For other designers like Philippe Starck, the choice will go to plastic as a non-harming material. Recycled plastic according to his artistic arguments is much less harming the life and more eco-friendly than cutting a tree or skinning an animal for wood and leather. So experimenting with the rich variety of colors, textures and attainable shapes of the plastic, it can also be a way for the future if we keep in mind the advantages of the technology and the restriction in using petroleum products.
So sustainable, durable and… what about natural?
And here the opinion can be polarized. Stefan Diez shears that people are looking for natural products more and more in the recent years “Everyone is looking …. either for natural wood or oiled wood and if it’s varnished, then with a varnish that is nearly invisible. “ he says. But then introducing additional color to cotton textile or glass elements, or shine to polished concrete is an artistic expression with multiple applications in architecture and design and that will count for the future trends also.
The playfulness of the material is also very important.
So designers like Sebastian Herkner are fascinated with glass; with its fragileness and crystal structure that may be a challenge and a dynamic way to enrich its artistic expression at the same time. Same goes for Tom Dixon, who freely admits he like playing with all kind of materials and his attention is turned to glass lately.
And for the French Bouroullec brothers who are also strongly interested in glass and ceramic (but mainly glass) for their future projects.
We feel that glass with its rich and somewhat mysterious character, a wide range of applications and elegance of expression will be strongly included in the creation of beautiful decors for the next years.
So, in summoning we may say, that the material for the world leading designers today must be: challenging, durable, sustainable and adventurous. Experimentation with shapes and colors, introducing charm and elegance into a dynamic ambiance, enriching the aesthetic pleasure is achievable with any kind of materials – all you need is imagination and talent.
Luckily on our planet we are blessed with rich material palette and talented trend creators’, so we are sure that whatever the next three years bring in the design word and as a material trend, will be beautiful and creative. This post was based on Material Tendencies article by Architonic.
