But while home accents lead online home furnishing sales, sales of a few furniture categories are growing.  To date, though, they’re wood casegoods rather than upholstery… and bedroom furniture rather than mattresses. It’s no surprise that most of us want to test out the comfort of a sofa or mattress in a store.

So does age make a difference in what’s bought online? Yes, a little. But it seems more based on what types of furniture different age groups need than how willing they are to buy online!

* Home accents are purchased by all age groups equally.
* Generation Y (20-something) buys more bedroom and TV furniture.
* Generation X (30-40-something) buys more kids furniture and desks.
* Baby boomers buy more TV furniture, desks and second bedrooms.

Here’s the breakdown of home furnishing products were bought online last year (with percent of online ‘home furnishing’ buyers who bought them):

Bed linens (66%)
Wall décor (50%)
Area rugs (39%)
Lamps (34%)
Occasional tables (13%)
TV furniture (13%)
Desks (11%)
Youth / other adult (10%)
Master bedroom (8%)
Casual dining (8%)
Outdoor dining set (8%)
Dining room storage (6%)
Stationary chair (6%)
Stationary sofas (5%)
Mattress / boxspring (4%)
Dining room table (4%)
Reclining chairs (2%)

Internet sales are expected to grow to $174B by 2011, a 24% increase over 2008. Furniture and bedding represent about 3.5% of that number, or about $6.1B.

(Source: Furniture/Today)

Boxspring and mattress… average spend was $699 (queen size), though 15% of us spent over $1,000.

Master bedroom (bed, dresser, mirror, night stand)… average spend was $1,199, though 42% of us spent over $1,500.

Youth bedroom… average spend was $499, though 18% of us spent over $1,000.

Formal dining room (table, chairs & storage cabinet)… average spend wass $1,599, though 45% of us spent over $2,000.

Casual dining room (kitchen table & chairs)… average spend was $699, though 31% of us spent over $1,000.

Fabric sofa… average spend was $799, though 24% of us spent over $1,100. Fabric sofa with motion mechanism… average spend was $899.

Leather sofa… average spend wass $1,199, though 18% spent over $2,000. Leather sofa with motion mechanism… average spend is $1,299.

TV / wall unit… average spend wass $599, though 23% spent over $1,000.

Coffee table… average spend was $299, though 16% spent over $600.

Desk… average spend wass $699, though 9% spent over $1,500.

Source: Furniture/Today, Store Performance Report, 2009.

For home decorating ideas, or to download our FREE magazine, visit www.roomplanners.com

With growing talk recently about universal design (designing for the less able-bodied as a good way to design for everyone), builders have begun to add basic universal design features to their new seniors communities… including levers rather than door knobs, wider doors and halls (for wheelchair access) and a full bath on the main floor.  But some of those features, it seems, are lost on consumers who want some other features a little more.

Surveyed baby boomers ranked non-slip floors, larger medicine cabinets (!), lower kitchen cabinets and emergency call buttons as more relevant, most of which are not widely available in new homes.

On other issues, however, builders and consumers are on the same page. Consumers ranked  nearness to community resources like shopping and medical services, single story-homes and high-speed Interent access as big priorities for their later years.

Survey by National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute. August ’09, Qualified Remodeler.

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

I call them mini-miracles… 10 inexpensive organization tools that will  help you retrieve and return things to and from the same place, every time. They won’t just help you get organized quickly; they’ll dramatically conserve space, time, money, energy and eliminate the stress of losing things.

Too good to be true? Try any one or all of these modern miracles (… actually some of them have been around for awhile; there’s probably a reason for that!) to help you clean up clutter this year!

1. Hooks…. they’re so simple, but many modern designers of the 20^th century thought it would be better to put everything away behind closed doors. It’s time to rethink that! Hooks aren’t just the most under-utilized storage tool… they’re also the cheapest and quickest way to clean up clutter. Attach hooks by the back or front door, along a hallway, above a bench in an entry hall or bedroom, or on the side of a cabinet to make clean-up fast and keep clutter off the floor!

2. Carry bins…portable bins not only organize items but create some temporary storage solutions that can be moved to where they’re used Fixed storage, like drawers in chests and dressers are great for things that are used in one place. But portable storage bins are so handy, you’ll wonder why you didn’t have a whole collection of them in your life before now. They let you work in different locations around the house, or clean up in seconds.

The key is to find portable bins with handles… and to make sure they’re big enough to hold enough stuff, but not so big that they’re too heavy or bulky to carry. If they look good enough, you can even keep them in the open, stored under coffee tables or on a bookshelf. So what you use carry bins for? A few ideas:

• create a carry bin for your mail. Dump magazines and letters inside until you have time to get to it.
• create a carry bin for clutter… from books to toys to whatever else covers your tables and floor. When you need to clean up your dining room table or living room quickly, throw everything inside.  Instant clean room!
• create a carry bin for your car. A narrow one is best—fill it with maps, tissue box, ice scraper and everything else that otherwise floats around the car.
• create a carry bin for your child. Keep toys, current books and homework. You can transport homework from room to room.

 3. Shelf dividers… home builders must have gotten together one day and all decided that a long shelf above every closet rod was a really good idea. Sadly, long shelves can be a source of  organizational chaos unless managed. Adding vertical dividers along that long shelf can help you store clothes, purses without everything toppling over.

4. Plastic storage bins… they’re waterproof, see-through and help you find things easily. If you’ve ever had water damage, you’ll know how quickly a little moisture or water can ruin the things you love, use or value most. Large, plastic bins keep out mold, water, humidity. Use them to store holiday decorations, keepsakes, valuable documents, odd parts. Because they’re see-through, finding things is a snap. Because they’ve got lids, you can stack ‘em high. The larger you buy them, though, the more padded the handles should be. If storing small things, you can label contents on the lid or front, but as much as possible, keep the same types of things in a single bin.

5. Rod dividers… a long row of coats, suits, dressers and pants can quickly create a new wardrobe that may or may not make the best-dressed list. If you’ve changed your intended wardrobe because the sought-after shirt was nowhere to be found, it may be time for a closet strategy. Even without a fancy custom closet system, creating a system for your clothing will help a lot. Try storing your clothing by color—from white through yellow, orange, red, blue, purple, green, brown to black. Or sort by function—shirts, skirts, pants and dresses.

6. Under-bed storage… maybe it’s because we associate it with dust or monsters, but all that storage under your bed is just waiting to be useful. Even if you don’t need the extra storage  space, under-bed storage is a great place to put things you don’t want to see or think about…. or things you do. Many beds come with built-in storage drawers. But if an under-bed storage drawers aren’t in your immediate future, there are plenty of narrow, flat boxes (some even on wheels) that can be slid under the boxspring. Storing long rolls of wrapping paper, paperwork, off-season clothing is all great. But what about shoes! Want to stop crawling around on the closet floor to find matching Jimmy Choo’s? Store your shoes in a shallow box on wheels—it’s easy to see and finding matching pairs… and to remember how many pairs you own!

7. Drawer dividers… junk drawers came by their name honestly. Any drawer that stores small things is fated to become a chaotic mix of key chains linked to paper clips… and pencils and erasers living separated lives. Drawer dividers have come a long way and can be customized to any drawer size. As a rule of thumb… the smaller the items stored in a drawer, the more drawer dividers are needed. Drawer dividers in night stands lets you find your reading glasses, flashlights, pens and medication in the dark. Dividers in dresser drawers make finding and sorting ties, socks, scarves and jewelry a whole lot easier! And large drawers also benefit from some division. Dividing a wide drawer into two or three sections lets you create order and make sure things don’t all meld together.

8. Labels… the simple act of labeling where things should go dramatically increases the odds that things will be put away in the right place. Knowing exactly where things are stored alerts everyone to both where things can be found and where they should be put away. Professional label–makers make very pretty labels, but you can also hand write on plain paper labels. There’s no end to what you can label—from the inside edge of dresser drawers, shelves and cabinets to bins and boxes.

9. Wall shelves… bookshelves aren’t just for books anymore. Wall shelves can store bottles, bins and even clothing. Using empty wall space, even above counters,  is one of the most efficient places to find extra space.

10. Storage coffee tables… a coffee table with storage drawers or a shelf to hold storage bins lets you create a home for remote controls and all manner of things that clutter your living room. You can even double your living room as a home office, mail center or library… while never being far away from the family… or TV!

1. Think zones, not rooms. Most of us organize our home by room… dishes in the kitchen, clothes in the bedroom, toiletries in the bathroom. The problem with this 30,000-foot view of our home is that, in reality, each room is a microcosm of activities, not just a single one. Instead, think about the ‘key activities’ that happen in your home… getting dressed, paying bills, packing a suitcase. Then consider how you could create a zone around each activity, with related things kept together, where they’re used.

For example, you could create a dressing zone in your bedroom by keeping makeup, hair dryer, jewelry, scarves, etc. together in one place, or one piece of furniture, with a power bar attached to the back or insider of a dresser. Or you could create a party zone drawer in your china cabinet to store candles, napkins and placemats. Or a beverage zone in your china cabinet to store wine and cocktail supplies together with wine glasses. Or a home office zone drawer to store stamps, stationary and office supplies and recharge portable electronics Creating zones—whether on a shelf or inside a drawer or storage bin saves us time and energy, not to mention money (re-buying things we already own but can’t find!). Zones ensure things are always in their place and placed where they’re used.

2. Open up storage space. One of the quickest ways to make more space inside overstuffed closets and drawers is to move off-season things… or things yu’re not using to an alternate location. That doesn’t have to mean giving them away.  Invest in a portable wardrobe rack (under $30) that you can store in a basement, attic. Or store off-season clothing or shoes in under-bed storage boxes or stackable storage bins.

2. Give yourself time to let go of things. Most of us have a hard time letting go of things; even things we haven’t used in years. After all, we might just need them… or worse, we’ll miss them! The truth is, we probably won’t do either. But still, letting go is difficult. So why not give yourself a buffer – a transition zone. Remove the things you haven’t used or worn in more than 2 years. Take a photo of items with special memories and store them in boxes or large plastic bag. Label the contents and store it someplace out of the way – in a garage, basement or attic. If you still haven’t used or missed the items you’ve stored after a set time limit,  just drop off the box or bag at a good-will store. Or call a charitable organization to pick it up.

4. Decide to help someone else. It’s never been a better time to give things away. Thinking about how much your things will be appreciated by people in need is its own motivation to part with things you’re not using. Making a difference in someone else’s life is one of life’s biggest rewards. It’s also a great lesson to teach kids. Letting go of old or extra toys is easier and even exciting for kids when they realize they’re bringing happiness to another child!

Martha Stewart's Miramir at Home Depot. 5-pce outdoor dining set, $524

Look for Martha Stewart-branded products in Home Depot stores this month.

The new partnership, announced in September, 2009, will include outdoor furniture, paint, storage, lighting and cleaning products… and bring together the country’s largest home hardware chain (that’s eager to attract more women) with one of the top celebrity brands (that already does).

Martha Stewart’s ten year marriage with Kmart will end this month. A decade after the joint venture to offer consumers housewares, decorative accessories, RTA furniture, lighting and outdoor furniture under the Martha Stewart Everyday  brand, the companies are parting ways. At their zenith, revenues were a billion dollars, MSLO executives say. in 2008, Martha Stewart Living reported that 43% of its merchandising revenue came from the Kmart line.

Stewart’s outdoor living products will be the first category to launch at Home Depot in January, with home organization following in February and paint in March. Executives say at least one dining set will sell for under $400. Organizational products will include a one-track closet system and a 9-cube storage unit. The 280-color line of Martha Stewart paint colors will replace the Ralph Lauren paint brand. Cleaning products will also be available, including 10 under Home Depot’s ”Eco-options” line.

Home Depot is the nation’s largest home improvement retailer, with 2,241 stores in the U.S. and Canada

Martha Stewart has additional home-based licensing partnerships with Macy’s (bedding, food preparation, dining and entertaining lines), Wedgewood (fine china), Bernhardt (furniture), Murrary Feiss (lighting), Flor (floor design), Safavieh (rugs) and 1-800 flowers (flowers and gifts). The company claims 1.4M  followers on Twitter.

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.

Since shopping for a new mattresses isn’t the easiest thing you’ll ever do…   some consumer feedback might be helpful. Here’s what we know!

Innerspring mattresses and innerspring core with specialty foam are the most common mattresses currently being slept on. Here’s the breakdown of how many consumers are sleeping on which type of mattresses:

Innerspring – 59%
Innerspring core with specialty foam – 23%
Memory foam – 8%
Air mattress – 5%
Latex foam mattress – 3%

Air bed mattresses and memory foam mattresses ranked highest among consumers for an “excellent” or “good” night’s sleep. When asked about the quality of night’s sleep they were getting:

74% sleeping on AIR BED mattresses said excellent (37%) or good (37%)
71% sleeping on MEMORY FOAM mattresses said excellent (34%) or good (37%)
67% sleeping on LATEX mattresses said excellent (32%) or good (35%)
56% sleeping on INNERSPRING W/ SPECIAL FOAM mattresses said excellent (15%) or good (41%)
36% sleeping on INNERSPRING mattresses said excellent (6%) or good (30%).

The age of a mattress is directly related to the quality of sleep. When those who claimed an “excellent” or “good” quality of sleep were asked when they’d purchased their mattress:

60% said in 2008 
58% said between 2005 and 2007
44% said between 2002 and 2004
38% said between 2001 and 2000
29% said in 1999 or earlier

Memory foam mattresses are slightly preferred by younger consumers. Of those ranking memory foam mattresses as the ”most comfortable” mattress:

46% were under age 35
45% were age 35-44
30% were age 45-54
26% were age 55-64
30% were age 65 or older

Innerspring mattresses with a specialty foam are preferred my middle age consumers. Of those ranking innerspring mattresses with specialty foam as the “most comfortabe” mattress:

35% were under 35
32% were age 35-44
41% were age 45-54
40% were age 55-64
35% were age 65 or older 

Bottom line… mattress preferences are very personal, and it’s important to take the time you need to choose the right one. But you do tend to get what you pay for. Mattress engineering has come a long way the past 5-10 years and spending a little more money on a quality mattress can make a big difference to your quality of life, not just sleep!