Trend Watch at the Canadian Gift & Tableware Association Show

Our recent visit to the Toronto Canadian Gift and Tableware Association tradeshow brought to light a wide spectrum of innovative international trends. The CGTA Show is Canada's biggest and best gift show, displaying the most comprehensive selection of gifts, tableware, bed, bath, linens, decorative accessories and occassional furniture.

Amidst the hundreds of vendors and importers from around the world, one commonality remains when selecting your signature style preference - choose classic neutrals for your basic, larger pieces (ie. couches, chairs, dining furniture, flooring), and top off with hits of trendy accessories that can be replaced by season (ie. pillows, vases, decorative display pieces, occassional chairs).

Some of the trends that were large at the show:
- Overscaled patterns - Damask still lives, but also look for organic, leafy patterns to be bold.
- Global influences - French-country is fading, British-colonial is alive.
- Wood tones and all things 'green' - slightly lighter tones of wood like ash and elm, or white-washed natural wood. Organically produced fabrics, carpets and furniture were seen like never before.
-"Miami Vice" colours - as interior designer, TV celeb and producer Sarah Richardson mentioned in her trendwatch seminar, and vendor's booths consistently showed throughout the show, the return of pale colours like robbins egg blue, sky gray, lemon yellow, apricot and others we saw in the '80's, will be big in the upcoming seasons.

Whatever you choose, create balance and dimension in your home by mixing up from your favourite trends. Mix old and new. Create groupings to achieve eclectic modern. Most importantly, have fun with your place! It's your greatest reflection of yourself.