French Connection's new collection includes a Parquet Console Table (£395 available from French Connection) with a wrought iron frame. This comprises a contemporary take on the hairpin table leg, and matches a Berber-style Black and White Aztec Pattern rug, also from the autumn/winter 2018 collection (£250, also French Connection).
French Connection's new autumn/winter range for 2018 allows three key trends to truly shine. These trends are Berber, mixed materials and mixed metals.
BERBER
Having highlighted Berber as an interior trend in many issues of Warehouse Home, we featured Berber rugs (above) in Warehouse Home Issue Eight. It is therefore fantastic to see them flourish in French Connection's latest collection. Berber prints celebrate the weaving techniques and patterns of North Africa. The textural quality of Berber designs, particularly those in black and white, really suits warehouse homes and modern rustic or industrial inspired schemes. It is important to be brave when incorporating this trend. You might be tempted to place one rug or cushion in a space, but since Berber is fairly informal as 'modern rustic' look, Berber designs actually work really well in layers.
MIXED MATERIALS
It proves fruitful to work with different materials in an industrial space in order to create textural and visual interest. In a warehouse conversion, you might have raw concrete, exposed brickwork or old timbers, all of can be enhanced with a range of materials, from jute to ratan, heavy weaves to luxurious velvet. You can also cleverly use these materials as part of an industrial-inspired scheme. Jute is a fantastically robust material with a super tactile quality that lends itself really well to industrial schemes. Working with contrasting materials and textures to add visual interest, even in a relatively compact space: French Connection's blonde mango wood parquet table makes a clean contrast to the black wooden chair next to it - which has been painted black to create real drama.
MIXED METALS
What I have said about mixing materials applies to metals too. Wrought iron is a great contribution to any industrial scheme, as well as a fantastic tribute to an industrial past. Its bumpy texture also provides the opportunity to create interest in a space and adds instant charm when paired and contrasted with smooth, brushed metals, and the same with shaggy furnishings such as Berber rugs.
To complement an array of soft furnishings, French Connection has incorporated this brushed brass-look pendant light. It's perfect for an industrial bohemian look – and it's a great way to adding height to the scheme.
