Aga Artka Interior Design, LLC

Who decides what's in

July 20th, 2009 8:42 am

I have always been intrigued by those whose job is to tell us, the public what to like, buy, wear in the upcoming season. It is not in my nature to follow crowds unquestionably or do as I’m told…just because… However, the science of trend forecasting got me so interested that I decided to dig deeper.

Another reason why I’m on this topic now more than ever is because I’ve been asked to help design a custom kitchen & bath showroom, which definitely added an extra load of pressure on me as a designer. I get to call the shots this time – I get to tell you, the public what you will like and eventually put into your homes.

A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to participate in a fantastic Color Trends & Forecasting seminar lead by Pantone’s top forecaster, Leatrice Eiseman. I have written a separate blog post on that event. What stroke me about the presentation was the complexity of the process and the challenge of being able to analyze the political, economical and sociological situation in the world, and draw conclusions which then become the reasoning behind new designs in the automotive industry, followed by fashion, accessories, and lastly, housewares and gifts.

COLOR TRENDS

“The housing crisis, ongoing war, historic election and economic downturn have combined to shape Americans’ color tastes. We’re searching for the color equivalent of mac and cheese: safe, traditional and comforting. But the pops of bright colors, from crimson to acid yellow, suggest that we’re ultimately hopeful about the future” writes Kelley Walters in an article for www.hgtv.com. As much as this trend is visible in Europe, it is taking it much longer to show in the states. American’s are not too fond of bright hues

KITCHEN & BATH TRENDS

Kitchens are the place of color. Being the heart of entertaining and social gathering, it is more than desired to bring a splash color in to prevent flat design scheme. Apricot, ginger or mustard yellows are very much popular. Mixing wood species and finishes brings interest and fun to the space. National Kitchen and Bath Association identified ten top design trends for this year including:

• stainless steel counter tops
• natural back splash materials
• tin ceilings
• polished, yes polished not brushed, chrome fixtures
• new applications for glass

For other kitchen and bath design trends, refer to the NKBA analysis here.

Having learned all this, what will I choose to incorporate into my showroom project? Time will show. Final project photographs to come this fall.