5 Trends from 5 Industry Pros
Gifts & Decorative Accessories asked five industry experts what they see as the upcoming trends for 2010.
Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 11/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
Mary Carol Garrity
Retailer • Nell Hill's in Kansas City, MO, and Atchison, KS;Garrity's Encore, Atchison, KS
1. Color: I see two colors trying to break loose — shades in the orange family, like salmon, are coming on strong. I'm hearing my customers say that orange is their favorite color. Also navy — especially paired with white or cream. People are asking for that more now. I have a paint line now and navy has been selling really well.
2. Home Entertaining: People are entertaining more in their homes and they are looking for dishes and glassware to enhance their entertaining pieces.
3. Clean Traditional: It's a much more edited look. I think customers want to freshen up their traditional. People are still layering, but not as heavily.
4. Black and white: This color combination will still be hot. It sells well and it's easy to live with. We are also seeing apple greens.
5. Textured Textiles: Soft textured looks are gaining popularity in textiles. Fabrics that look rough and nubby, but are actually soft.
Jorge Perez
PR Director & National Spokesperson, Waterford, WedgwoodandRoyal Doulton
1. Color: I see bolder and brighter colors and patterns coming back big next year, particularly red. Consumers are more confident than ever and taking more risks when it comes to fashion for the home. I see many brands starting to step out of their color and pattern comfort zones and trying newer bolder color ideas.
2. Home Entertaining: With the economy not bouncing back as quickly as we'd like, I see entertaining at home increasing. Well priced home accessories like decorative pillows, frames, lighting and candlesticks will do best in 2010. In the home products category, I predict that multi-functionality and ease-of-use will play a bigger role in decision-making than in the past. Our consumers are getting smarter than ever and starting to ask themselves, "What else can I do with this?" Because of this, I see companies reaching out to consumers with more info on the benefits and the permission to use the item in many different ways.
3. Mismatched: Mismatched will be the new match. At the table, I see the rules being thrown out and individuality and a keen sense of style will be taking over. But there's no missing manners! While not the same as the Past Posted ones, I see them coming back on new terms. It's about time!
4. Going Casual: Casualization of lifestyles will continue to grow and therefore, I see long term purchases like crystal and china going for a more relaxed look and dishwasher safe will be more important than ever. Having said that, dinner time at home is making a resurgence, but not quite the same way we did it. It will be much more casual and less fussy. It will also be a much shorter time spent at the table. I see dining rooms returning in new home building models. This means good news for the furniture business. We will also be giving up our larger open spaces for more intimate, easier to decorate condensed rooms. That means that the china and crystal will follow. People are realizing more and more that life is way too short not to use the good stuff.
5. Green: Green will mean much more next year to consumers and I see manufacturers racing to conform. [Everything from] recycled packaging to more efficient manufacturing techniques is what the young new consumers will be looking for. Fine bone china and porcelain will gain market share as consumers realize more and more that it lasts a lifetime.
Michelle Lamb
Founder & Chairman • Marketing Directions Inc.
Editorial Director • The Trend Curve
1. Coral: It comes from the pink and orange side. Because it isn't pink and it isn't orange which were both very popular but have now run their course. Coral is softer and easy to live with. It evokes flowers and maybe even coral from the sea.
2. Blues: Lots and lots of blues. They will have a special place in 2010. Blues with warmth in them, so a little bit of yellow in them. We believe we'll see blues with a red cast in them for 2011, but we'll see the first hints in 2010.
3. Wild Flower Garden: Really cheerful, innocence and optimism. We've been tracking a return to pattern and a return to floral and it will be fully realized in 2010.
4. Green: We won't get away from eco and we don't want to. Refined tendencies — will be joined with the ongoing rusting ones so we'll have an eco trend that also embraces luxe. Natural elements with luster, jewelry quality detailing. We call it Natural History.
5. Bohemian Rhapsody: This is the global trend, some call it ethnic, and it has folkloric tendencies, including Eastern European handicrafts, Russian matryoshka, Uzbek embroideries. This is the antithesis of Asian zen and minimalism. Patchwork, colored, layered, that kind of thing.
Rick Janecek
Head Designer, Global Views
1. Color: Gray is the new neutral gaining popularity. Chocolate brown has been the dominant neutral for several years. There are so many shades of gray that it becomes a great background for any other color. True orange is the hot trend color. For years it has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the color wheel. It got no respect. It was associated with cheap and inexpensive. In brighter shades orange is hip. Tone the shade down it works perfectly in a traditional setting. Orange possesses the warmth of red and cheeriness of yellow.
2. Color: Lighter toned woods are gaining in popularity. Lighter wood can make a very traditional piece look fresh and new. Darker toned woods are becoming less red. The dark woods are more flat brown. Gray tone woods are also becoming more important.
3. Finishes: The Shabby Chic look has been replaced. In its place are finishes that are more restrained. Heavy faux and aged finishes look old and dated.
4. Style: New designs will be simpler and cleaner incorporating classic lines and proportions. Whether the room is Modern, Traditional or an eclectic mix, the aesthetics will be more refined. Both modern and traditional rooms will rely on proportion rather than excessive ornamentation.
5. Accessorizing: The Pendulum swung from too many accessories in the 1990's to very few in the early 2000's. Accessories are more popular again. Since people are going out less and entertaining friends at home more attention is being paid to the interior. Everyone is watching their money closer. People feel more comfortable buying a new accessory or accent furniture piece rather than a room of furniture. The accessories are being chosen more thoughtfully and carefully than in the past. People are more discerning. They want value and quality, not cheap and plentiful.
Paul Thompson
Vice President Creative, OneCoast
1. Luxe for Less: The upside of an upside-down economy is a reassessment of the nature and necessity of luxury. While the "bling" life still swings for the jet set, comfort and style are driven by affordability more than ever. Savvy merchandisers are driving moderately priced goods that borrow core elements of desirable chic to discerning, cost-conscious shoppers. Throws and blankets of bamboo, cotton and fleece are as beautiful and luxuriously comfy as their cashmere cousins. Faux fur defies the human eye and redefines everything from bedding to clothing. Jewelry, purses, and other accessories, on the rise for a while now in the gift category, reflect an ongoing demand for "functional luxuries" that extend and enhance a wardrobe. Luxuries in apparel and home furnishings are now more numerous and more affordable than ever before.
2. Recycle Revolution: Recycled materials and other vintage finds bring a touch of the past to new interiors. J. Crew stepped out in this direction when they purchased the landmark Tribeca Liquor Store in Manhattan. Preserving the original exteriors and most of the interiors, the creative team loaded in the merchandise and set a new standard for hip homage to vintage cool while saving money on remodeling.
3. Mad for Plaid: Plaids are always big for fall fashions and I think we'll see this trend carry over into spring and summer of 2010. Fashion week here in New York saw lots of designers taking traditional weaves and colors to sophisticated collections.
4. Custom Concept: Banana Republic recently launched the first in a line of new store concepts at Fashion Show Las Vegas. Featuring a collection of boutiques-within-a-boutique, each focuses on a different fashion opportunity in Sin City: lunch, cocktails, work and more. Fitting-room checkout and a professional stylist round out the custom in this customer experience, and add a celebrity touch that's quintessentially Vegas.
5. Setting the Scene: Now more than ever, creating an environment begins with the walls that define it. Just about any backdrop is possible now that technological advancements in the past few years push the innovative envelope of surface treatments. Oversized graphics usually executed with fabric or wallpaper are now done with a selection of paints that come in as many textures as colors. Vinyl and paper decals imitate stenciling, add energy and flair to mod settings, and are often used as an unexpected stage for traditional furnishings.
We would love your feedback!
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