In the Spring 2008 edition of The Trend Forecaster, Jill Sands of S&S Consulting, identifies trends in home decor and the fashion industry in areas such as color, design and the environment. Some of the topics include:
According to Sands, there are two strong directions taking us forward to 2010: updated traditional and integration. Updated traditional, which has also been called vintage modern, is using the familiar in cleaner and simpler ways, such as contemporary takes on traditional designs and simplifying its architectural elements, patterns and shapes. “In a quest for a sense of calm, we’re moving away from the overly designed in order to create a meditative mood,” writes Sands in the newsletter. “Clean and simple has taken on a new definition. It no longer means plain or unadorned. It’s just cleaner and simpler. Less is more!”
The other big trend, integration, creates a personalized look that mirrors one’s lifestyle. According to Sands, people are creating settings for entire rooms that will remind them of their traveling adventures, with elements such as nature’s sustainable materials (leaves, trees, wood-grain), African patterns and animal hide prints (faux leopard, zebra, and giraffe), simplified Victorian florals, and Chinese and Asian design. “There is no one look,” writes Sands. “As we are a multi-cultural society our trend focus integrates multi-cultures to reflect our individualism.”
Another area Sands addresses in The Trend Forecaster is color. For Sands, the big color story trending to 2010 is color combinations. She points out that as more consumers are becoming color-savvy and wanting to experiment, there has been a change from a fear of color to a love of color. “The explosion of prints in fashion allows for greater freedom of expression in the merging of colors,” writes Sands. “The synergy of home decor and fashion segues this inventiveness of combinations to the home.”
For example, Sands identifies blues as ascending, with turquoise being directional for 2009. Vibrant blues such as periwinkle, cornflower and iris provide a sense of spirituality, while indigo, sapphire, and ocean blue are solid and deep. Yellows, ranging from golden hues to saturated saffron, display happiness and optimism in uncertain political and economic climates. Additionally, browns, with their earthy and elegant tones, are supplanting blacks in home decor.
An additional area Sands covers in The Trend Forecaster is texture. According to Sands, texture is the design word du jour, as it invites and gives permission to touch. Texture can be combining matte and luster finishes, three-dimensional (ruching, pleating, embroidery), natural wood grain, fish scales or leaves. Texture can also be blocking—a combination of textures or colors. “Blocking creates a divide; it stops the eye. A color, a pattern or a texture alone is no longer enough,” writes Sands. “They must be used in concert with one another to establish interest. Blocking creates a counterpoint.”
Other material and motif trends include romantic floral fabrics inspired by English country gardens (tulips, orchids, roses); authentic materials (metals, wood, clay) aged, oxidized, crackled, or speckled; and influence from organic forms such as birds and sea creatures.
Aside from color and design, Sands also identifies the trend of environmental friendliness. “There’s a growing awareness that we need to consume responsibly,” writes Sands. “There’s a shift in consciousness and Green is becoming a way of life. We’re seeing more eco-friendly fibers for both home and fashion…organic cotton, bamboo and silk-cotton blends.”
If you’d like to subscribe to The Trend Forecaster, e-mail Jill Sands at jillsands@comcast.net.