This Feb. 3, 2019 photo shows pieces by Tozai at the NY NOW Show in New York. Items with shell, mineral and metallic accents were steering trends at Tozai and elsewhere at the biannual trade fair. On Manhattan's west side early this month, buyers and designers of home and lifestyles products traded frosty winds for fresh ideas at the the show, which gives industry insiders an early look at what's new. This year, highlights ranged from dramatic home accessories to vintage-inspired furniture and textiles. (Kim Cook via AP)
This Feb. 3, 2019 photo shows pieces by Tozai at the NY NOW Show in New York. Items with shell, mineral and metallic accents were steering trends at Tozai and elsewhere at the biannual trade fair. On Manhattan's west side early this month, buyers and designers of home and lifestyles products traded frosty winds for fresh ideas at the the show, which gives industry insiders an early look at what's new. This year, highlights ranged from dramatic home accessories to vintage-inspired furniture and textiles. (Kim Cook via AP) Credit: Kim Cook

On Manhattan’s West Side early this month, buyers and designers of home and lifestyles products were happy to trade frosty winds for fresh ideas at the biannual NY NOW show.

The show gives industry insiders an early look at what’s new, with more than 2,300 exhibitors from across the globe. Some highlights:

Drama class

Luxe, elegant finishes and materials, and pieces with a dramatic scale or silhouette, reflected a trend we’ve been seeing in the pages of many home decor magazines.

Bungalow 5’s swanky booth featured a luxe, creamy palette stocked with soft upholstered furniture and an array of textures, including hammered-metal, gold-leafed animal sculptures, and tables and consoles dressed in papyrus, shagreen and grasscloth.

Miami-based Brazilian designer Roberta Schilling showed tables and buffets crafted of wood, lacquer, glass and titanium, oversize floor lamps with tripod bases and enormous wood veneer shades. Her unique lounge chairs included one made of undulating waves of plywood.

Kartell had Ferruccio Laviani’s neo-Baroque Kabuki lamp, a marvel of colored polymer molded into a faceted neo-Baroque fixture.

Equine motifs popped up in a few booths, but they were far from traditional horsey portraiture. These renditions had power and energy; among the best were at Tozai, where illustrations of wild, thundering herds decorated stools and artwork.

Dunes and Duchess, known for putting a playful spin on traditional New England-style pieces, showed candelabras in bright Kodachrome hues.

Robin Baron’s well-curated vignettes showed off luxe upholstered seating and lacquered casegoods in freshly trending coral and mustard yellow.

Several retailers showed tabletop accessories that played with scale; there were ceramic and metal sea urchins the size of cats, and interesting links of chain fashioned from driftwood or hammered iron.

Objects of nature

We’ve been watching geodes, crystals and marble find favor as objects d’art for a year or two. Now decor buyers are discovering other natural elements that make great display pieces.

Look for chunks of raw minerals like onyx carved into geometric form. Shattered glass, concrete, shell and petrified wood fragments are honed or left in their natural finish. Charred wood, teak roots, baskets made of tightly rolled paper, and chunky woolen knits all suggest artisanal stories that elevate the materials into art forms.