5 Trends Spotted at the Country Living Fair

With all the blog hops I participated in this week, I wasn’t able to post the rest of my experience at the Country Living Fair until today.   As my designer friend Vicki O’Dell and I walked around the exhibits, I couldn’t help but notice several things appearing in multiple booths throughout the fair.  Some I liked, some were not my taste, but there is no doubt there were trends to be seen.  Here are 5 themes I saw repeated:

Saturated Color

This hand-dyed wool roving is a great example of the beautiful color I saw throughout the show.  While the colors weren’t often the bold, bright colors I am usually drawn to, they were rich and saturated.  Everywhere I looked, there was beautiful color to be seen.  This particular roving was in the booth of Farmhouse 1807.  The sheep are hand-raised, the wool hand-dyed, and these beautiful scarves handmade.  How awesome is that!

Skeleton Keys

Skeleton keys seemed to pop up as decorations to several items, from decorative pieces to jewelry.   (Unfortunately, I didn’t write down the name of the booth that carried these cool little bottles).   Whether originals or replicas, they made great accents to the vintage-style art.

Silverware

Lots of silverware in the booths, but not much duplication in the types of offerings.  There were bracelets made of utensil fragments, and stamped garden markers.  Some pieces had been flattened, some cut, and some in their original forms.

This vendor, Junxstaposition, had a great variety of stamped spoon pendants. (Plus, that display made from an old lamp is fantastic!)  I found a piece stamped with the word “fearless” and scooped it up.  I’ve been trying to be more fearless lately, and thought this would be a great reminder.  I’m planning to make it into a keychain.

One of my favorite uses for these stamped utensils was this set of cheese markers.  I can just imagine a holiday party with these little stamped fork labels!

Severed Doll Parts

Yes, doll parts.  They were everywhere, in at least 5 booths we visited, maybe more.  Tiny doll limbs and heads as focal points in jewelry and art pieces, tags, and other designs.  No pictures, as this is one of those trends I find a teensy bit…er…unsettling.  🙂  They were popular though!

Painted Wood

Whether basic white or full of color, painted wood was everywhere.  Some of the wood came distressed by time and use, and others were restored and redistressed.  Either way, the look suggested that the pieces were comfortable, well-worn favorites.  I’ve added some painted wood furniture to my own home over the last year, and the fair gave me some great ideas for incorporating more into some of the smaller display areas.

Painted frames, side tables, and display pieces could be seen in many of the show booths.

If I could have thought of a spot inside or outside of my house that could have fit this little greenhouse made of reclaimed painted windows, it would have traveled home with me.  But with 3 children and a dog, my house is full.  Believe me, I tried to justify a space.  I REALLY tried.

And if I could somehow grow a money tree in my backyard, one of these doors would have come home with me too.  I’ve been looking for a wooden door to decorate my living room for what seems like forever.  But alas, the search continues on.

I’m looking forward to incorporating more of these trends (well, except for the dolls) into my own style soon.

Until next time…
C.