Interior Trend / Past Imperfect / The New Global

I picked up a copy of The Shadow of the Silk Road as soon as it was published, because the idea of the Silk Road has intrigued me since high school history class. The book languished unread for a few years, there always seemed to be more pressing matters. This summer, I finally started reading about this part of the world, so unfamiliar that I kept my laptop turned on by my side so I could google images of the places in Colin Thubron's adventures. My imagination couldn't comprehend the exotic places he was writing about, despite his beautiful descriptions. As a visual person, I spent almost as much time with his hand drawn maps as I did reading, so that now I even know exactly where the Uighur unrest is taking place.

And yes, this does have something to do with interior trends. Following trends is about observing the convergence of ideas. Today, I received my new Garnet Hill catalog and discovered another traveler along the Silk Road - the textile merchant, John Robshaw. I can't believe I previously missed this lovely collection of textiles both made and inspired by the artisans and patterns of the Silk Road of both long ago and today.

Both men stay in "funny old hotels;" while Thubron brought back words, Robshaw brings back textiles and future design inspiration. His historically inspired hand-crafted imperfect textiles speak to those of us that are tired of computer generated perfection just like the Arts and Crafts era was a reaction to the first machine manufactured goods. He may just be the new and more authentic Ralph Lauren for our "less gilded age." Trends point strongly towards "the local" and "Buy American" for interiors, but for those who want more exotic looks, supporting artisans from around the world and helping them build lasting and sustainable craft enterprises is the NEW GLOBAL. This is John Robshaw's inspiration, product source and business model.

Both the media and the blogosphere absolutely adore the John Robshaw line, his influence will be felt in finishes as well as textiles - if only in the move towards less perfect, more hand-crafted looks.