The decorating trends for Christmasworld 2018, the world’s largest trade fair for festive and seasonal decorations, with 1,047 exhibitors from 43 countries, are a mix of turbulence, tranquillity, elegance, and humor. Childhood emotions are evoked with enticing ideas, luxurious imagination, and affectionate design.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Whether a lavishly set table, a strikingly dressed mantlepiece, an ornate wreath, or a decorated tree – all the upcoming Christmas decorating schemes are designed to attract attention and appeal to the beholder’s senses. Most importantly, there is a connection to Nature and the trend towards high-quality craftsmanship. But there is no single big trend, strong trend color, or important trend product. Instead, it is all about individuality. The broad product range is designed to give the celebration of love a completely personal touch. And we can all express this in different ways.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
The design experts from the bora.herke.palmisano design studio provided an orientation for future colors, shapes, and materials. Messe Frankfurt commissioned them to stage a Trend Show, structured around four trendsetting style collections. For the 2018/19 festive season, these are called ‘vivid heritage’, ‘balanced sobriety’, ‘eclectic gathering’, and ‘splendid history’. They make you want to try a new approach to tradition, feelings of belonging, and history; they play with combinations that are rich in contrast, and they create new and inspiring alternatives for festive holiday decorations. From the range of products on offer, everyone can and should be able to tell the Christmas story in a way that is tailored to their own clientele.
Festive Holiday Décor Scenario 1: a Colorfully Decorated Table with Unexpected Touches
‘Vivid heritage’ is all about a mix of patterns and folklore in yellow, petrol-blue, and red. Influences that are rich in tradition combine to make a lively style with a natural look. The variety of materials is like a richly decorated table with unexpected, humorous touches.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
There are life-sized blackfish here, which turn out to be candles, and iridescent sea creatures, such as crabs and oysters, which are perfect as tree decorations. In stark contrast, white glass baubles with blue and red folklore patterns and transparent baubles in a strong turquoise, yellow and red, are served on black ceramic plates and shiny, bright red underplates.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
The entire Christmas table is covered with differently glazed and inscribed ceramics, gift boxes with blue printed and batik patterning, and candles in intense solid colors with gentle grooved designs. In between all this, there are eye-catching elements: papier-maché rams and horses painted by Ukrainian artisans, and strings of lights in the shape of small lobsters. Above this, on the green Advent wreath, there are colorfully checked and bright yellow Christmas baubles with blue spots, hanging ornaments that look like ‘lebkuchen’, and stripy glass cones. The floral designs play with sumptuous, highly natural bouquets.
Festive Holiday Décor Scenario 2: Understated, with a Lot of White and a Firm Presence
‘Balanced sobriety’ is a consistently understated style in pure white, deep black, red gold, bordeaux-red and cool grey. The affinity with Japanese aesthetics is revealed in a calm, meditative atmosphere. The techniques and combination of materials are delicate, and they are reflected in white porcelain vases with surfaces resembling thin wood, and sculptural candleholders made of polished wood and brushed metal.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
The motifs and ornaments are exquisite and charming. The materials, on the other hand – chipboard, wire, and paper – could not be simpler. Incense smokers in completely minimal shapes are made of light wood; round and flat tree baubles are made from matt porcelain with a perforated pattern. Large Christmas tree balls with high-gloss silver or black surfaces, and marbled Christmas tree decorations in black and white radiate calm.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Artistically pleated, plaited, and folded baubles and stars made of matt white paper make an appearance as tree decorations. Aesthetically striking products catch the eye, like the cylinder-shaped black vase and the black metal Advent wreath with tinted candle glasses. Transparent glass baubles and cones dusted with white snow or painted with small white stars, create a light counterpart to them. In addition, decorative pieces such as spherical white vases with gilded rims, white glass baubles with shiny maple leaves, and tree-shaped gold candles are used. The floral decorations, as well, are minimalist, artistic, and unique.
Festive Holiday Décor Scenario 3: a Quirky Mix with a Shimmering Look
‘Eclectic gathering’ is presented in a way that is vibrant, full of energy, multifaceted and intensely colored, in shimmering lemon, pink, mandarin, azure, and rosé – enriched with gold and grounded with black. As in the fashion industry, different design styles are extravagantly and strikingly combined here.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
The design trend that started with cacti and succulents is now continued with underwater creatures and insects. It’s all wonderfully unexpected – with turquoise-painted and pearl-studded white baubles, insects and beetles on the Christmas tree, and sunglasses and ballet shoes on decorative greenery. At the same time, an arrangement with baubles in bright colors makes a very dynamic impression. Christmas baubles fluoresce and shimmer, they glimmer and glisten, and they reflect the light. There are some in neon colors, some in ombré-effect patterns, and some decorated with sequins and mother-of-pearl. But there are also ornaments shaped as iridescent birds with their wings spread, dragonflies dipped in gold, and glass jellyfish dusted with gold for hanging on the tree. There is a preference for shapes that are figurative, fanciful, and exaggerated.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
A pink parrot takes on the role of the stag on the mantelpiece, a jumping trout that of the squirrel gnawing on the Christmas tree. Porcelain dinosaurs and little glass pigs serve as candleholders. Christmas baubles turn into decorated eggs. In addition, jellyfish and stag beetles add unusual touches, tarts and macaroons provide originality and lace-effect baubles create a special look. It is an astounding feast for the imagination, with flower-filled glass baubles, and quirky Christmas motifs, such as flamingos and orchids. These are complemented by floral decorations with very simple blooms.
Festive Holiday Décor Scenario 4: Mystical Opulence in Elegant Blue and Green
‘Splendid history’ is the Christmas decorating theme that met with the most positive response at Christmasworld. A surge of green and dark blue shades whooshes into the Christmassy winter wonderland in colors originating from the oceans, precious stones, and minerals.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Warm gold makes an opulent scenario; silver creates elegant accents. The overall result is a mystical picture with a fascinating charm, which is elaborate in style, luxuriously arranged, and interpreted in a modern way. There are opulent baubles on the tree in aquamarine and aventurine shades of green. Their surfaces shine with metallic effects, relief work, and patinas inspired by Nature. Christmas decorations that are marbled, veined in gold, sprayed with glitter, and studded with pearls are very decorative.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Transparent glass decorations in the shape of crystals with a shimmering look and precious glass baubles with seemingly rusted metallic coatings create a mysterious and sumptuous effect. The elegant vintage style is applied to further festive decorations, bringing candles into focus. These can be marbled, or look as if they are cast in bronze, and come in circular, rectangular, and organic shapes. Gold bowls and ceramic dishes in the shape of large palm leaves are all part of this exalted style. Lavish flower vases with distinctive pine cone textures or a hammered look and transparent vases with gold-painted decoration or a mother-of-pearl surface are ready to take spectacular floral arrangements of exotic origin.
Macro Holiday Décor Trend: a Feast for the Senses, Inspired by the Natural World
Nature is the one big source of inspiration that applies to all four style collections. Natural elements make Christmas into a true feast for the senses. Natural materials and materials that look natural are mainly to be seen – above all wood, which is the material for decorative figures, trays, candleholders, lanterns, small pieces of furniture, and Christmas trees.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Shapes are also inspired by Nature: there are fir tree candles, stag candleholders, willow, twig and coniferous wreaths, and hanging decorations in the shape of animals and fir cones. Here we have woodland scenarios with deer, squirrels, and owls. Jungles unfurl with peacocks, parrots, monkeys, orchid blossoms, and palm leaves. Summer meadows come into bloom, with butterflies in flight and beetles and insects scurrying about.
Entire underwater worlds are created for Christmas, with jellyfish, corals, seashells, fish, crabs, and seahorses. Especially original for Christmas 2018 is the use of alpacas and llamas.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
In terms of colors, the trend towards natural themes can be seen in the dominance of blue and green tones. Patterns are inspired by Nature, including above all, fir trees, deer, twigs, snowflakes, stars, and feathers. Winter landscapes and animals in the snow are shown in a particularly affectionate way. Surfaces and structures lean towards Nature, with grainy, frosty, and bark-like textures.
It is also striking how Christmas decorations are increasingly trying to merge with floral arrangements – both real flowers and blossoms, green plants, twigs and succulents that highlight color worlds and moods, and imitation flowers and plants that are confusingly real in appearance. In addition, olfactory influences with natural nuances are increasingly finding their way into the world of Christmas, in the shape of candles, room sprays, and scent diffusers.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
And moving lights, cordlessly controlled by an App, bring the figures and objects to life. Warm golden light is visibly taking over from cold white light. Transparent Christmas baubles filled with light have the potential to be favorite pieces.
And as if that were not enough – Christmas decorations are also incorporating culinary treats now: ingredients like fruit and vegetables, lobsters and crabs, and goodies like tarts and macaroons will be decorating the tree in December 2018. The new ‘Christmas Delights’ product area at Christmasworld in Frankfurt, which was designed like a Christmas market, tickled the palette with sweet and savory delicacies, cold fruit teas, and hot mulled wine.
The Next Festive Scenario: for Easter, Pastels are Getting a Glittery Look
As with the Christmas product ranges, gold will also play an important part at Easter. But light pastel shades are in the number one spot. There is a demand for color to refresh product ranges. There are bunnies and eggs in light and cheerful colors with powdered gold motifs (from Gift Company). Personalized egg decorations with faces and smileys (from Inge-Glas Manufaktur) and black and white ones with funny sayings are conquering the Easter basket.
Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
Seashells and corals, citrus fruits and olives, and tile patterns (by Pernici) in pale shades of blue take us into summer. Pastel-colored candles, with or without silver glitter, which are also catching on for the Christmas season, are guaranteed to be popular all year round (from Wiedemann and Kaheku). The Christmasworld Trends provide further inspirations, which can be easily adapted for Easter, weddings, and birthdays.
Cover Photo: Christmasworld – Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – Pietro Sutera
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