As the collective consciousness moves into a profound understanding of the self, design follows suit. Today’s movements extend beyond the ideas of personalization and are gravitating towards deeper expressions. ACIIID scours the horizon for objects, lighting, and materials to identify the directions that are shaping the landscape of interior design as we go deeper into our own concept of interiority.
The Way We Connect with Daily Objects
While the concept of “cuteness” has always been associated with superficial aesthetic qualities, it stems from our embodied desire for softness and innocence. Radical Cuteness delves into our need to tap into our inner child through empathy with more vibrant objects, evolving from the neutral characteristics of Neotenic Design. Supertoys Supertoys’ are inspired partly by the roundedness of Italian Radical design in the 60s paired with the connection of nostalgic experiences of childhood wonders and wanders.
Mas Creations explores the idea of reinventing mundane actions such as drinking by injecting their own personality through The Cups Collection. This line of handcrafted cups with holders are expressive in form, color, and texture that are very much aligned to the Mas Creation values of bright and joyful environments.
The future is kinetic with Noah Deledda’s Autohedron Chair. Appearing as a simple, cylindrical stool, this piece collapses into a parametric form once sat on.
The Way We Illuminate
How light affects static surfaces is a question that pushed Sabine Marcelis to conceptualize the VARMBLIXT Collection for Ikea. This range of reimagined daily objects turned into sculptural sources of illumination not only renders dynamism to stationary pieces but also transforms a high-street brand into a high-end one.
While interchanging light colors and solar-powered capabilities are now common features for lighting fixtures, Sunne takes it a step further. The Gradient Lamp not only harnesses the natural light from the sun, it also mimics the hues of the sun’s cycles.
Nebula Grande and Nebula Lamp. Images from Mirei Monticelli
Inspired by clouds of dust and gas, Filipina designer Mirei Monticelli’s Nebula Lamp offers various levels of flexibility through its soft and pliant structure made from banana-abaca fibers. The results are these ethereal fixtures that envelope people into a fairyland of form and illumination.
The Way we Interact with Surfaces
Waste products as finishing materials continue to become prevalent in sustainable design. Filipino solar designer Carvey Ehren Maguie developed a fluorescent material that can generate and transmute solar energy even on cloudy days utilizing crop waste.
White marble tops and various stone slabs. Images from Retrouvius
Retrouvius’ Reclamation and Design released a series of marble and stone slabs with asymmetrical cut edges that echo the qualities of historical ruins. Veering away from the typical straight and linear stone slabs, these pieces show that there is beauty in destruction.
Crafted in 92% hemp fiber and 8% textile polyester, Coexist’s Hemp Blanket is a safe and eco-friendly insulation panel with high efficacy for absorbing moisture for stone walls.
While macrotrends of Emotivations, Greentervention, Future (r) Evolution, and Reinventing Heritage will remain relevant in the succeeding years, we have also observed the amalgamation of two or three macrotrends. Such can be traced as macrotrends are also evolving as people are becoming more active in their pursuit of identity, change, and positivity.
