Sears and Kmart reveal style and color trends 2010

Ever wonder how retail stores decide which new products to put on their shelves every year? For some, it involves both soul searches and global searches for ideas. In fact, there can be quite a science behind how a retailer chooses or develops their products.

I had a chance to meet the style and color trend team from Sears and Kmart recently to preview their trend projections for 2010. After extensive travel and discussion, the team puts their ideas down on paper… or boards, actually. Using visual images, they map out where they believe consumer sentiment will be in the next 1-2 years, then design new products around those sentiments. Their key ‘inspiration image’ is placed at the middle of the board, then add supporting objects are filled in around it, including the implied color palette (shown on the right).

Here’s a quick glimpse at what the Sears-Kmart team based their spring 2010 home fashion products on:

A Simpler Time draws on rural influences, the simple beauty of country skies and a connection to nature.  This organic trend includes natural, down-to-earth materials mixed with clear glass and simple shapes. 

Make Love Not War is a response to the darkness and uncertainty we feel in the world around us. Colors are bright and happy, but dulled down to reflect sober times. Muted army fatigue colors and patterns mix with a few bright, optimistic colors. Look for this trend in their Canon line.

Bohemian Romance shows a growing appreciation for international culture and a sort of throwback to the ethnic, hippy-inspired 1960s. Colors have a sun-drenched Moroccan feel and products feel boutique-unique and heavily detailed. Look for this trend in Sears’  Ty Pennington line.

New Century has a retro feel, using the early 1900s for inspiration. This nostalgic trend brings back the more romantically-styled Victorian patterns so popular before the modern movement hit Europe and America… and nothing was ever the same. Look for this trend in KMart’s Jaclyn Smith line.

A Simpler Time

Make love not war

Bohemian romance

New Century

this is how to do modern!

Check out this amazing (and typical!) Danish home that Oprah visited while in Copenhagen last October. The Danes are clearly at home with modern style! 

http://www.oprah.com/media/20091021-tows-stine-home-tour

The home was featured on today’s show, an episode devoted to looking at how other people around the world live. Oprah also visited homes in Dubai, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Istanbul… and discussed everything from home life to health care with home owners. View the entire episode at www.oprah.com.

pantone names 2010 color of the year

It might not quite be the new living room paint color you’ve been looking for. But it’s hard not to love this cool hue that, according to one of the most respected color authorities, will be pretty hot next year.

Turquoise, or color number 15-5519, was recently decreed 2010 color of the year by Pantone. Chosen for its blend of tranquil blue  and energizing green tones, turquoise is a popular hue in color therapy. It’s said to evoke soothing, serene emotions, while restoring vigor, zest, and motivation. Sounds good to me… we could use a little more of all that these days.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many—taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Pantone insists turquoise is a universally flattering color that blends warm and cool undertones…. and plays nice with neutrals, reds, deep blues, greens, and yellows, making it “exceptionally easy to translate to fashion and interiors”.

Can’t speak for fashion, but for interiors, I’m thinking toss pillows and small accents at best. At any rate, turqouise is awfully fun to look at.  I’m already feeling more serene…  and motivated!  Can’t decide if I should take a nap or go chop some firewood…

art deco furniture… for the 21st century

Destination by aspenhome

If you’ve ever been intrigued by old Hollywood glamour and the jazz age… that time when Veronica Lake, the silver screen and all things French moderne were shaping our tastes, hair and lifestyles…you’ll probably be just as intrigued by a new art-deco inspired dining room furniture collection (Destination by aspenhome) that’s set to hit retail furniture stores this fall. 

If you don’t catch your breath when you see this beauty, check your pulse. This dining room furniture captures what America first loved (and still loves) about French moderne.. that sultry interior design fashion movement that America fondly renamed art deco in the early 20th century.

If you’re already a fan of art deco furniture, you’ll recognize some signature details, including sultry curves, intricate inlays, polished wood finishes and elegant, narrow legs. But this dining room furniture throws in a few other details… just as French, to be sure. Check out the lacey swirl pattern around the corners of the  wall mirror, on the brass hardware, rosewood table inlays and removable rosewood panels behind glass on the china cabinet doors. More than  a hot new look in the market, this see-through tracery pattern shows traces of art nouveau – a slightly over-the-top, avante-garde French movement that preceded art deco. A few chic classic details are seen in the fluted pedestal table base, sling chairs and brass hardware. 

But as glam and red carpet-worthy as this dining room furniture looks, it shows what can happen over a century of real modern living. The dining table features two self storing leaves (no more stowing leaves in the hall closet, folks). But I have to say the sideboard / buffet cabinet will make home entertaining so easy you’ll be inviting the in-laws for dinner.  With more of us eating buffet style these days the sideboard features a handy, built-in AC outlet for appliances, a coffee maker or a warming tray. The marble countertop is ideal for hot plates (trivets not needed) and wiping up moisture or spills is a snap. Pullout storage shelves provide extra serving room, a removable storage bin for flatware or cutlery lets you set the table quickly and the hanging wine rack lets you store your wine glasses just like a swanky hotel bar.

Being a product of chic style, the Destination dining room will look great with  an understated paint color. With the rosewood furniture accents, you could choose a soft, barely-there color such as a champagne hue (Benjamin Moore #1158) or a cameo hue (Benjamin Moore #1172).  Or, for a more casual effect, a light cafe au lait hue (Benjamin Moore #1073/74) will simulate those chic, city coffee-shops you never want to leave. Look for art-deco furnishings, such as elegantly simple but glamorous wall sconces and chandeliers, artwork and sculptures with old Hollywood or early 20th century modern art themes.

Aspenhome is an innovative supplier of stylish furniture with a reputation for really clever storage ideas.  The Destination is available fall 2009. For retailers in your area carrying the group, contact aspenhome at  www.aspenhome.net.

orange rivaling beige as home fashion color in 2010

According to HomeWorld Monitor, an exclusive design trend forecast company for housewares and home fashions, the top home fashion colors by 2010 will be brown, grey, ivory/beige, green and… yes, orange.

Browns will continue to dominate, though their popularity will wane slightly. Greys have been surging recently, but are expected to be replaced by a growing interest in earthy, feel-good versions of greens and oranges.

The growth of green is hardly a surprise, a continuing favorite that reflects growing interest in both environmentally-friendly products and in a more tranquil, stressfree home. Green is also a great color to help us transition between outdoor and indoor spaces by bringing a bit of nature inside.

Top green hues in home furnishings are expected to be:
32% – viridian (earthy)
20% – yellow-green
14% – traditional (pine, moss)
14% – pastel

But the real story is orange. Orange has been evolving this past decade, from corals and fruit shades to warmer, richer pumpkins, dijons, ochers and coppers today. By 2010, they’re expected to be on par with gray, green and even stronger than ivory and beige.

Top orange hues in home furnishings are expected to be:
34% – ochre (earthy)
13% – red-orange
12% – sienna (earthy)
12% – orange juice
11% – pastel

style influences at home are diversifing

With eating out at restaurants still trending down, consumers are embracing entertaining at home as an appealing alternative.  Many are looking to take their style up a notch with more fashionable, functional products that add glamour and ambiance.

This growing interest in home entertaining is expected to influence not just styling for tabletop and dinnerware but larger home furnishing trends as well.

According to HomeWorld Monitor, home fashion trends are shifting from the popularity of contemporary design during the past decade to more interest in European, Americana and International styles. They identify the following trends expected to drive home fashion by 2010:

Contemporary: 51% in 2007 / 28% in 2010
European: 15% in 2007 / 29% in 2010
American: 14% in 2007 / 22% in 2010
Multi-Cultural: 11% in 2007 / 14% in 2010
Island: 9% in 2007 / 6% in 2010

Breaking down the information further, the key design influences expected to be seen the most by 2010 include:

EUROPEAN STYLES
French Country –  15%
English Country - 13%
French – 12%
Neoclassical – 11%
Baroque – 7%
Italian/Tuscan – 6%
Rococo – 6%

AMERICAN STYLES
American Country – 44%
Art Nouveau – 11%
New England Coastal – 11%
Federal – 8%
Victorian – 8%
Southwest – 5%

MULTI-CULTURAL STYLES
African – 27%
Chinese – 27%
Japanese – 14%
Global Bazaar - 14%
Middle Eastern – 9%
Indian – 7%

a contemporary trend you’ll see right through

The biggest trend at the recent 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York was pretty easy to see right through. 

It seems we’re not happy with plain walls and solid surfaces anymore. Today, the trend is to create intricate light and shadow patterns from cut-out patterns on a screen, lamp or entire wall, with the light behind it creating its own artwork (sort of like you used to do with your fingers to create animal figures on the wall). Something to fascinate us, I guess, since vacationing  at home isn’t as exciting as we’d hoped. At any rate,you can cut your budget for artwork (there’s good news in every trend).

At ICFF, you could buy the look by the roll from some suppliers, or just dabble with it on a lamp shade. But it was everywhere, in black, white and every netural tone inbetween.

If this swirly look reminds you of  Antonio Gaudy’s buildings in Spain – that art nouveau guru who seemed to have something against straight lines, you wouldn’t be wrong. In fact, the whole art nouveau trend comes through loud and clear in this sinsuous, swirl-prone trend… updated for the 21st century, of course. After bringing back those all-over, over-the-top baroque and rococo-inspired damask patterns the past few years, it appears we skipped ahead a few hundred years to the early 20th century to find fresh swirl inspiration for 2009.

The look wasn’t lost on those who didn’t have a wall or lamp shade to put it on. Looped and curvy lines even swirled their way onto candle holders and vases in snappy chrome and steel. (Photo: Black & Blum).

Kind of fun to look at, actually. Look for the trend in stores near you.

paint color preferences tied to changing times

A few things about color you may not have known… compliments of an interior paint color trend talk at Hearst (publisher of  House Beautiful magazine, one of my personal faves) during a WITHIT (Women In The Home Industry Today) event I attended in NYC.  

House Beautiful publisher Kate Smith (left) was joined by Kate Smith (right) of Sensational Color  (seriously, both Kate Smith’s) to give us their take on home fashion and color trends in home decorating.

So… did you know?

* beige… yes, beige, was the first fashion color (all you beige fans, take heart). Coco Channel first used it in the 1920s. Turns out, extra fabric from WWI had made this drab color readily available. Ms. Channel turned it into a high fashion hue with nude hose. Elegant beige and white combos followed.

* soft, comfort colors during the depression turned into jewel paint colors and home decorating schemes as spirits brightened later in the decade. In other words, stay tuned for color changes in the next few years as we come out of our own recession, depression… whatever you’re calling this thing we’re in.

* pastel colors of the 1940s were associated with luxury. Considered both feminine and high maintenance (too light to be practical for anyone but a team of maids and drycleaners), they carried a high brow panache.

* getting women back into the home during the 1950s took a heavy dose of fashionable, pretty color schemes in home furnishings. Marketers insisted that home was a great place to spend the day and did everything they could to promote the idea. 

* the word eclectic, one that defines the decade we’re currently in, was first heard in the 1960s (think hippies and beatniks)… and associated with free home decorating thoughts and rule-breaking style and color combinations.

* restaurants led the development of California style in the 1970s with decor and waiters both clad in plenty of beige and neutral tones. The look spread quickly to home decorating magazines.

* the colors of peas, corn and squash have inspired paint color and home decorating from the beginning of time. Or at least since the 1970s… when earthy greens, yellows and oranges covered even appliances (funny, we haven’t made that mistake again).  But other than the forgettable 70′s style (we wish), the look is actually less trendy than historic. Peas, corn and squash represent the colors of nature’s earth tones the whole world over and never really go out of style (think Tuscan style).

* If the 1980s were about cocooning, the 1990s were about turning that cocoon into an obsession with calm. Quiet, neutral paint colors and tranquil images in home decorating magazines fed our view of home as sanctuary and retreat. Adding spa-like comfort to our homes was needed… and deserved. Events like 911 added to that need.

* with more eclectic tastes in the 2000′s, browns and neutrals have blended with blues and greens… and dramatic, new definitions of style. Today’s looks combine fancy 18th C gilded mirrors with streamlined french beds and lighter pinks and greens. This Sex and the City glamour is new and fresh and women, especially Generation Y (20-somethings) are bringing back traditional style in their own way and mixing it up with modern.

* The biggest current paint color love affair is with complex neutrals. We’re all a whole lot more color sophisticated these days, and we want traces of other colors in our beige tones. The best paint colors are those that need two, three words… or even a phrase, to describe them.

Links to Kate Smith’s and Kate Smith’s (!) web sites:
www.housebeautiful.com
www.sensationalcolor.com

2009 design trends include more feminine looks

If the display windows at ABC Carpet & Home in Manhattan are any indication, we’re in for a softer, or at least more feminine view of home.

The trend-setting retailer is currently displaying a mix of  French rococo-like antiques, including romantic beds, dressing tables, a heavy layering of soft, varied textures and yes, a touch of pink…. illustrating  the 2009 design and color trend toward more feminine  looks.

Seems after a decade of attempting to pare back our clutter with more urban, contemporary looks, we’re once again in the mood for a little bit of clutter… Victorian style.

It begs the question (at least to me!) … could the current economy is driving the trend? Not so long ago, when things were humming and consumer spending levels were high,  “paring back” was at the top of our list. But with less ability to consume, will we see a growing trend toward layered, cluttered looks… supporting a desire to feel indulgent and luxurious, even in difficult times?

Quite probably… and a few color and design trends to watch for include softer shapes, antique-like furnishings with a few French curves, chandeliers, layered textures, more floral patterns and soft pink or coral-based colors.

What’s new about this look is the non-cutesy, hybrid mix of all these lady-like ideas with contemporary shapes, a white influence, painted finishes and quieter rather than the brighter patterns. This updated Victorian influence is a way of softening modern looks with a British-inspired coziness that even after more than a century, hasn’t lost its appeal.

contemporary design popular, but warming up

According to Home Furnishings Monitor™, a company that monitors style trends in home furnishings and house-wares, the American home is coming under the influence of a warmed-up contemporary.

At the beginning of the new Millennium, European styles accounted for 48% of home furnishing styles. Contemporary accounted for 21% and American styles 15%.

After 9/11 and throughout the first half of the decade, consumers re-evaluated their lives, choosing to pare back and simplify. Contemporary was the style of choice, climbing to 42% by 2007. European styles fell to 21% and American styles rose to 25%.

By 2010, contemporary is still expected to lead, accounting for 34% of sales. But American styles are expected to rank a close second at 27% and European styles a close third at 22%.

Contemporary is influencing other styles, but definitions of contemporary are changing. The trend is toward ‘cozy’ style influenced by warmer, cleaner American styles (cute is out, feminine is in), and warm European favorites. French country, Victorian and Art Nouveau styles are growing much faster than formal Regency and neo-classic styles.