Special Report: Design Trends 2009
This January, there is a tremendous relief as the calendar turns into a new year: many of us are happy to say goodbye to 2008, as it ends with the continuing global economic collapse, which has everyone — designers and decorators included — worrying about the coming year.
The picture may not be a bleak as some think. One thing is certain: in difficult economic times, two seemingly opposing things will happen: one, people will spend less money, and two, people will spend more time in their homes. Without the cash to spend on evenings out, there will be more attention paid to staying at home and enjoying the pleasures to be found in one’s own living room.
And that’s good news for designers. In hard times, people will want to turn inward, investing in sprucing up their homes rather than spending their money on tickets to the theater and dinners out.
The economy will likely also effect two other areas important for designers to consider: “green” design, and staging one’s home for sale, according to Nora Ramsdell, a graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design who runs her own design business in Virginia.
“I think we will see a rise of more eclectic and organic designs,” she said of the current economic crisis. “Clients will need more advice about mixing and matching what we have with what we find and making it work.”
Ramsdell also thinks the trend of people being more realistic will also mean emphasizing the green movement. “Down-to-earth styles might take an organic shape inspired by eco-friendly awareness,” she said.
Janet Ramin, Sheffield Student Advisor, sees even more specifics in the trend of green design, which may be something to look into for designers wanting to boost their business in these tough times.
As we know, the housing market has taken a big hit this fall, and homeowners who had been planning to sell last year are nervously pacing the living room, wondering what they can do to increase the chances they can sell, especially if they don’t have the disposable income to spend on a new bath or kitchen.
But we’ve seen in recent years that the complete bath or kitchen makeover isn’t necessarily the best way to prepare for a quick sale. Often, a home buyer, looking at a bath or kitchen that needs a complete overhaul, will see potential rather than disaster. And many buyers will prefer getting a lower sale price and being able to put together the bath or kitchen they really want, rather than accepting a recent renovation done in the taste of the seller.
In addition, often the quick design-for-sale of kitchen and bath are done on the cheap. The sellers, no matter how well-intentioned or design-savvy, are unlikely to really pour a lot of money into a renovation if they know they’re just doing it for the sale.
Instead, if the room in question is in livable condition, there are smaller, less expensive, and less permanent changes that can be made. A new shower curtain and liner, matching towels and bathmat, and a quick paint job can make a bathroom suddenly much more acceptable. Often, using neutrals gives the cleanest look, and allows the buyers to imagine what colors they would use.
In the kitchen, simply tidying up the countertops, putting away the stray electrical appliances, and investing in matching dishtowels and some bright new mixing bowls or a set of matching canisters can give a tired-looking kitchen a lift. Replacing the usual clutter with a bowl filled with bright, fresh fruit can also go a long way, and costs next to nothing.
In the rest of the house, the single most important thing to do is simply cutting down on the clutter. Your client doesn’t need to go out and paint the whole interior, or invest in new furniture. It can be as easy as straightening the books on the bookshelves, taking down distracting photos and knick-knacks, and finding a hiding place for the bills and circulars that collect near the front door. Unity is also key in making a home look its best — getting rid of the old mis-matched sofa cushions or buying an inexpensive area rug that picks up the sofa and wall colors can make a world of difference.
But the bad economic situation may also mean that clients, instead of trying to sell their homes, will be investing in making their homes more of what they want, but on a smaller scale.
Nora Ramsdell has several ideas for how to do this. If the living room furniture is looking world-weary, bear in mind that reupholstering a sofa or chair can be just as expensive as buying new. But if a piece really cries out for new fabric, choose something in a solid or a small print, which will save money on yardage because the matching will be easier. If you really love a particular complex pattern, you can use it on smaller pieces or even just on throw pillows.
One of the services Ramsdell provides is in helping the client break down the work into stages, so that after each stage, the work can be suspended without leaving the room looking half-finished. That way, if the clients need to take a break from the job of redecorating — for financial or other reasons — Ramsdell will be able to leave the work at a good point.
For the clients who are taking the plunge and re-decorating, Ramsdell sees more “restrained shades” becoming popular, such as violets, grays, and neutrals. But these are brightened with a surprising color entering the palette — orange, which Ramsdell says is “a yummy color,” and one which certainly lifts the mood of a room.
The economic picture may also mean that style-watchers who are eager to see what the new president and his family will do with the White House will have to wait to see many changes. For one thing, major décor changes have to be approved by Congress, and the history of the White House has to be maintained.
In addition, Janet Ramin points out that the economy will likely dictate restraint in any decorating.
“They will not go to an overhaul because this will send the wrong message to the country, given the poor economy,” she said.
Many designers are looking forward to a more modern look in the personal quarters of the First Family, Ramin said. “There really hasn’t been a truly modern room in the White House; they tend to be traditional. I would like to see one really belong in the 21st century, and make it environmentally green.”
Ramsdell agreed.“Modern art and design would be a reflection of where we are and where we’re going. I would suggest continuing going eco-friendly, embracing the digital era and incorporating the girls’ fun energy and visions for their personal rooms,” she said.
Even though decorating clients may not have as much to spend in 2009, it’s clear that homeowners will be staying put, and that we’ll all be spending more time at home. This means a particular but eager group of clients for decorators to serve, and will press decorators to come up with innovative ways to help their clients make their homes gorgeous without breaking the bank.
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