Speckle Mania
From terrazzo tiles to confetti-like patterns, there’s a kind of speckle-mania happening in interiors. This proliferation of small-scale graphic prints might be a reaction against big, bold maximalism, or an expression of how the 1980s and postmodern design are experiencing a revival. Whatever the intention, these designs are subtly playful, with a sense of movement derived from their scattered patterns.
Pictured above is ‘Coriandoli’, one of designer Luca Nichetto’s new fabrics for Rubelli: both have Venetian roots and Nichetto’s capsule collection, Carnevale, celebrates the city’s spirit during its most party-loving time of the year.
Nobilis has introduced several small-scale prints as part of its Manifesto collection. ‘Velours Fever’ (pictured above) is inspired by the splatter paintings of Jackson Pollock while ‘Millefiori’ is a jacquard animated by a pattern of small broken triangles, named after the Venetian glasswork technique in which colourful rods of glass are fused together then cut into flat sections.
Alcantara is a suede-like microfibre material, available at Altfield, that’s used in the automotive and fashion industries as well as interiors. ‘Tara’ (above left), was created by French product designer Inga Sempé, and features a digitally printed short lines that form subtle geometric patterns.
It carries some similarities with a new collection available at StudioTex: Up, by US brand HBF Textiles, is the work of designer Kelly Harris Smith, and includes ‘Upstart’ (above right). in designing the collection, Harris Smith was influenced by the unexpectedly interesting patterns found in the urban landscape, from brickwork to sewer grates, and ‘Upstart’ was inspired by streaks of rain on a window, with the droplets translated into a hit-and-miss pattern of truncated lines.
Terrazzo is the ultimate speckly surface and continues to be a major trend in flooring. Artisans of Devizes’ new ‘Piazza’ tile is a porcelain product that mimics the traditional technique of binding marble chips in cement; its large format ensures that it looks almost as seamless as the real thing.
Altfield, Second Floor, Centre Dome
Artisans of Devizes, Third Floor, Design Centre East
Nobilis, Ground Floor, South Dome
Rubelli, Ground Floor, Design Centre East
StudioTex, Third Floor, South Dome
