Father Christmas in pink?

The conclusion of the Tendence trade show in Frankfurt revealed key trends in household goods for the coming seasons - living rooms will be brighter, knitwear everywhere and Christmas non-traditionally colorful.

The Tendence trade show, held in Frankfurt August 27-31, was one of the biggest home design and furnishing exhibitions of the year. The organizers of the event published their final report on August 31 event outlining what they think will be the next big things in household consumption.

Some of the biggest trends to emerge from the event included the use of colorful, retro designs in the living room, the use of knitwear as a covering for vases and flower pots, and furniture with a casual used look.

Updated 'piggy banks' or saving boxes were also popular items as were heating pads shaped like animals and foot warmers.

Outside of the living room the most popular color for next season's household products was dark green.

However despite the somber scheme, Christmas is destined to be a colorful affair. Exhibitors at Tendence showcased Christmas tree decorations such as baubles, bows and tinsel in bright colors of orange, turquoise, pink and yellow. Figures of Father Christmas or Santa Claus also appeared dressed not in red but in coats of lilac and pink, however Rudolf remained brown.

Key trends in household products are also expected to emerge from The Autumn Fair held in Birmingham, UK. The event is expected to attract manufacturers of household products from around the world, and though open to industry professionals only, members of the public can view images of the products likely to be hitting the shelves in the coming months at www.autumnfair.com .