Consider the lowly vending machine. Once nothing much more than a modest, self-service supplier of cigarettes, candy and soda pop, this iconic form of retail is getting new life. Developed in the late 1800s, vending was a common method of delivering stamps, postcards and writing paper in England. … [Read more...]
Christmas Redux: Letters To Santa
Letters to Santa is a sweet, child-like Christmas theme that The Trend Curve highlighted last in our 2012 color-and-trend forecast, ‘Tis The Season. For 2022, it is making a comeback. In fact, at Christmasworld in Frankfurt and at the Atlanta Gift Market, this theme was just emerging (we posted … [Read more...]
Toy Fair 2019 Trends
Trends spotted at the 2019 edition of New York Toy Fair included plenty of YouTube and video-game tie-ins. Also making a statement were collectibles at all price points (with music and sports themes on the rise), sparkly and squishy products galore, traditional touches such as DIY woodcrafts and … [Read more...]
New Christmas Critters
When you think of the animals most likely to show up in Christmas décor, deer, moose and squirrels are probably top-of-mind. But at the Christmasworld trade fair, things were changing. In the Loft trend area, for example, dogs were more prevalent than any other creature in the displays. In stand … [Read more...]
Hooked on Paris
Since wall hooks have been trending for about a year, it's easy to assume that all the creativity has been played out of this category. Don't believe it! Wall hooks remain key items, and they will continue to be on-trend for at least 18 months to come. At the Maison & Objet trade fair in … [Read more...]
Best Kitchen for Small Spaces
When great design, clever functionality and high utility converge in the kitchen, the result can turn heads. Get ready for some real head-turning. Kitch' T Concept, from Dsignedby, packs seating, cooking, refrigerating and storage into a compact unit that is made to be moved from one living space … [Read more...]
Fun and Games in Décor
Millennials are having a huge impact on every aspect of home décor. In The Trend Curve Colors™ 2017, we provided the details for a Millennial favorite called Analog. This trend focused on mixing retro-tech—typewriters, record players, film cameras and more—with today’s contemporary styles, creating … [Read more...]
Three Trends Consumers Will Want in 2017
I was just asked to contribute three trends for 2017 to a consumer-facing guide that wants to offer expert advice on what to buy this Holiday season. As they say in the vernacular, that's easier said than done! Because The Trend Curve forecasts color-and-design trends 18 - 24 months into the … [Read more...]
The Practical Side of Paper
Paper is today's on-trend material, and The Trend Curve forecasts that it will remain so for at least the next two years. Products ranging from book-paper birds and papier maché rabbits to tissue-paper blossoms and cardboard signs have been cropping up at trade shows for more than a … [Read more...]
The Next Big Thing: Martini Tables
It all started with the wildly successful television series Mad Men. It got everyone talking about the lifestyle of the 1960s-70s, the drinking culture of corporate executives and how consumers entertained at home. More importantly, it energized an interest in mid-century modern style that had … [Read more...]