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WHAT’S
ahead in home design for the year 2008?
Hint:
Boomers are aging; energy is expensive; environmentalism
is essential; beige is boring; and luxury and glamour
never go out of style.
What to
make of all that?
We
polled a panel of experts including designer Richard Ott
and Nancy Zwiener, coowners of Hartford’s DesignSourceCT,
and Alice Brash, DesignSourceCT’s general sales manager;
Gale Steves, a nationally known home design writer and
consultant; Michelle Lamb, senior editor of The Trend
Curve, an industry forecaster; and experts at the
American Institute of Architects (AIA).
All
told, their top 10 predictions reflect these demographic
and cultural shifts and promise a smart, stylish, boldly
colored and very well-decorated new year. All the
accompanying pictures were taken at DesignSourceCT.
1.
Honey, I shrunk the house (and the furniture)
Supersize us no more. The aging of the boomer population
has something to do with this, says Zwiener; so do
high-energy costs and environmental concerns.
Individuals verging on retirement are seeking smaller
spaces and maintenance-free dwellings. They want a
lifestyle of less not more, and a routine that makes
room for traveling and fewer home chores. Sizes of homes
and furnishings are scaling down to match. Even that
traditional behemoth, the sectional sofa, is developing
a new sense of sleek proportion.
2. Form
follows function
Wherever
space is at a premium, high-performance furniture
counts. “Multifunctional pieces that offer hidden
storage, dual use or clever utility will become the
norm,” says Lamb. In the DesignSourceCT showroom,
Zwiener and Ott point to versatile cocktail ottomans
that perform double duty as tabletops or extra seating;
and furniture pieces designed to house pop-up
televisions, laptops and other electronics.
3.
“Green” houses
Energy
prices and environmental concerns are making their mark
on new home construction. “As the environment and
utility prices become more scrutinized, homeowners are
demanding more energy-efficient products and sustainable
designs,” says AIA chief economist Kermit Baker.
“Structural insulation panels, geothermal
heating/cooling systems, tankless water heaters and
green flooring products such as bamboo and cork are all
in high-consumer demand....An AIA poll revealed that 91
percent of registered voters said they would be willing
to pay $5,000 more for a house that would use less
energy and protect the Earth.”
4. Color
my world
Beige,
sage and noiseless neutrals are out. In is a full
spectrum of bold, warm color led by “orange,” says
Zwiener. From tangerine to terra cotta and Creamsicle to
copper, the 2008 palette is aflame. Cooling the heat are
Tiffany and robin’s egg blues, umpteen shades of
sophisticated gray and a bouquet of lovely lavenders.
While walls and fabrics are the traditional places to
splash color, the trend is increasingly sweeping our
floors. Vibrantly colored area rugs have displaced
neutral wall-to-wall carpeting and are being used as
starting points to recolor a room. “A big sea of white
is boring,” says Brash. Steves concurs. “[A floor]
represents 30 percent of the color of your room. Start
with a new rug and the rest is easy. A new rug can unify
a space, cover up stains or scratches on your hardwood,
and present a new personality for a tired room.”
SAY goodbye to the
over-scaled sectional. Positively svelte is this model
from Kravet.
5.
Reflect on glamour
Diametrically at odds with “green” and organic style is
the luxe look, which is making a swishy comeback.
Velvets, brocades, damasks, animal skins (real and
faux), glossy finishes and reflective surfaces are all
key to the style. No wonder mercury glass, mirrors and
metallic finishes are everywhere, adding glitter and
shine to our interior worlds. “By the end of 2008 your
readers will be seeing the advance of metallics in a way
so complete as to include not only the standard silver
[declining] and gold [advancing], but also rose gold,
copper, pewter and even a few colors,” says Lamb.
6.
What’s black-and-white and chic all over?
Another
component of the glamorous look is dramatic
black-and-white, and while it contradicts the move
toward bold color, it makes a striking statement all its
own. “Every time you see a trend, you find something to
refute it,” says Zwiener, who sees black-and-white
coming on strong “in accessories, tabletop, glassware,
plates and stemware.”
7.
Custom details
Piping
on pillows, embroidery on bedding and drapes, trim on
lampshades, custom finials and window treatments,
combination fabric treatments that mix fabric and
leather or wool and microsuede, luxurious bedding
sporting the family crest or a monogram, the uniqueness
of 2008 interiors is in the custom details.
8. When
I’m 64
Boomers
are aging, and they’re making sure their new homes are
properly equipped for the help they might need. Wider
hallways, fewer steps, and single-floor design all
promote greater accessibility, say experts at the AIA.
9.
Accessorize to economize
The
economy is slowing down, and lots of us are stretching
our dollars and will continue to in 2008. “If you cannot
manage redoing the whole room, then think creatively
with accessories to get a whole new look,” says Steves.
“New pillows and a throw can cover a multitude of sins
on the sofa. Clear off the clutter on your coffee table
and bring in a flat basket/tray for magazines or
newspapers.”
10. The
great outdoors
The
final frontier for decorators and builders remains the
backyard. The movement to bring the outdoors in and make
more use of the space outside keeps growing. An AIA Home
Trends survey says home sizes and lots have been
stabilizing in recent years, which leads to greater
attention to outdoor living space that includes upscale
landscaping, fireplaces, kitchens, courtyards, gazebos,
swimming pools and tennis courts. |
