the international authority on color and design trends in home furnishings
Spring has always been celebrated as a time of rebirth. For 2012, there will be an even greater sense of renewal. That’s because consumers will be regaining the optimism that was largely lost during years of economic turmoil. As the economy improves and their life-styles regain equilibrium, those consumers will be more willing to spend on seasonal gifts and décor. There are few more-inspiring undertakings than adding light and bright color, … [Read more...]
Housing starts are down, home resales have been languishing and home remodeling is seeing modest gains. In an environment like the one we're in now, isn't it imperative that your products and design choices are trend-right? Don't you want more confidence that your upcoming assortments have the colors consumers will want? Isn't it vital that you are really ready for 2012---the year that even the most pessimistic forecasters say will be the first … [Read more...]
Forecasting color trends isn't for the faint of heart. You can't simply see a color at retail or a trade show, get a sample and use that color to create your own product. Precisely forecasting any given trend-right color is a 360 degree process that includes: Analyzing macro, demographic and industry trends Putting those trends in a context of the trend curve (the bell curve that is a metaphor for the overall trend cycle: what's coming in; … [Read more...]
2010 promises to be a bumper-crop year for Falloween festivites! The National Retail Foundation is already reporting a significant hike in across-the-board spending for autumn and Halloween. As the biggest Falloween fan at The Trend Curve™, I set out with my intrepid photographer on October 8th to catch this current of spending spirit. What started out as a fall-leaf-colors tour eventually led to the local shores of the Mississippi River, … [Read more...]
The Outdoor_Indoor show-within-a-show at Maison & Objet is all about the furniture, lighting, pots and dividers consumers use to create outdoor environments. This year, many assortments exuded a sense of maturity and you can read all about this event in Trend Album™ What’s In Outdoors for 2012™. Forms were more practical and less experimental. Features expanded to meet the needs of consumers who are accustomed to the same comforts … [Read more...]
The addition of yet another building in the Maison & Objet trade fair allowed the integration of Meuble Paris, a furniture-based show that has run concurrently with Maison & Objet for years. So, while Maison & Objet was already considered one of the world’s premier trade fairs for home décor, it is even larger now. The result of this integration was a new rhythm to parts of the show that helped even ongoing products look fresh. There was … [Read more...]
Michelle Lamb was recently interviewed for a client who would be posting video on their website. We obtained permission to show these three short trend insights to you in this post. Hope you find them enlightening! … [Read more...]
As of last quarter (announced on June 22nd) Apple had sold 3 million iPads and analysts are predicting as many as 28 million will be sold in 2011. Since we watch technology trends closely---for their own sake as a way to deliver digitally to our customers as well as how these trends influence home furnishings and consumer behaviors---I thought I'd do a post specifically about reading our Trend Album™ reports on the iPad. The crispness and … [Read more...]
The William Yeoward stand at Maison & Objet was filled with delicious crystal accessories in an extensive range of colors. But among all the options, Mr. Yeoward sees three as most directional. He shared his trend-forward list with me on the trade-fair floor yesterday. The first color of note is slate, a mid-tone gray that Mr. Yeoward says is replacing chocolate. Next comes Tea, a rose-infused hue with enough sophistication to make it feel … [Read more...]
As a color professional you know that color affects purchases and that this knowledge is obvious to everyone...or is it? At The Trend Curve we find our clients and customers experiencing sales increases every single time they update their assortments by utilizing our color forecasts. The Kissmetrics folks have this fun infographic on their site you might find useful with colleagues as you help them understand why color is such a powerful … [Read more...]
