Tropical Design Trneds Unveiled at 2002'S First Major Market

Furniture World Magazine

Where can you find chandeliers featuring Swarovski crystal with 24 kara gold plating on one side of the aisle and hand-carved furniture with haute Tommy Bahama fabrics on the other? At the upcoming Fort Lauderdale Furniture and Decorative Accessory Market, organized by Aventura, Fla.-based Karel Exposition Management. Manufacturers, designers and retailers alike will able to get a good look at this year's hottest designs in furniture and accessories at the upcoming show, scheduled for February 16-18, 2002, at the Broward County Convention Center. Featuring more than 400 exhibit spaces occupied by a wide variety of manufacturers from around the world, the marketplace will display every aspect of the furniture and accessory trade today; providing a glimpse into the up and coming designs as dictated by industry trendsetters. The many exhibitors at the show included: • Pecaso Lighting - will be exhibiting two entire new series of crystal chandeliers. Sure to be this year's newest and hottest trend in lighting the Contour series of chandeliers features Swarovski crystal with 24 karat gold plating that has been baked in eight layers of lacquer to make it durable enough to withstand Florida's often damaging heat. The Saint Tropez series features iron finished with black copper and 24 percent leaded crystal, made exclusively for Pecaso Lighting in the Czech Republic; • Paragon Furniture Imports - the only distributors of contemporary furniture in the state of Florida. They will be introducing the new trend in modern furniture - an extension dining table in beech wood, imported from Italy, that features chrome legs, a silk-screen glass top and unique chrome dining chairs with different color leather seats; • Retro Interiors - will be exhibiting an entire line of custom-designed, turn-of-the-century, rare accessories with a vintage flair. From hard-to-find bronzes and porcelains to imported antique lamps and handmade rugs, this exhibitor will showcase a wide variety of unique accessories for the home. • Florida Manufacturing and Distributing Co. - will display its hand-carved furniture, another big trend in the furniture market today, according to Stan Ferber of the Miami, Fla.-based company. "We have a new line of hand-carved bedroom and dining room furniture. Combining these new hand-carved pieces with the popular Hemingway and Tommy Bahama fabrics creates a stunning new look for furniture today."