Today, Sunday, is a work day this week. FutureHome™: 2010 & Beyond is in layout, so I am staying close by our graphic designer. FutureHome took me weeks to write, as it has since The Trend Curve first debuted the product in the middle 1990’s. That’s because FutureHome is the most comprehensive trend forecast I ever release. It’s so big, in fact, that I only tackle writing it every other year. And it’s an amazing bestseller.

For the newest version, I have written extensively about my color forecast for 2010, and my forecast for neutrals, too (think chameleon for the newest looks). I provided my view of materials shifts and the directives (like form and texture) that will impact home décor broadly. Then I wrote about the themes I feel have significance in 2010 and 2011, including the materials and motifs I believe in for each. I tackle contemporary styles, the new modern take on tradition, global looks, the updated appeal of country styles, looks for kids and even what's happening in the realm of outdoor décor. Finally, I selected just over 200 images, which makes this the biggest FutureHome ever.

Given today's uncertain economy, it is more important than ever to have expert advice on which colors, styles and motifs to invest your resources in. FutureHome is meant to provide that helping hand. It was written with the deliberate intention of minimizing risk while guiding manufacturers, retailers and importers in making the best possible assortment selections. We do this by tapping into more than 25 years of trend forecasting expertise to draw our conclusions about trends for the future. Customers who purchased FutureHome in the past have praisied its content and breadth, as well as its easy-to-use CD-ROM format. Many of them have bought each successive version of FutureHome, and are already waiting for the newest one to be released.

If you are a subscriber to The Trend Curve, you have already been emailed to inform you of special pre-order pricing and priority shipment on this trend forecast. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of that opportunity, you can email Janice to do so now, or to ask questions if you have them.

Subscribers will have their pre-orders shipped by January 15. Pricing will revert from the pre-order deal to our regular subscriber rate of $375 on the 16th. That’s when we will let the rest of the world know that FutureHome is ready to go (our subscriber family always knows first!)

If you are not a subscriber to The Trend Curve but would like to order FutureHome, you can still contact Janice, who will process your order on the 16th. Pricing for non-subscribers is $475. But if you subscribe to The Trend Curve when you order, you can enjoy the discounted rate reserved for our subscriber family and order for $375.

Everyone can watch for this product to be available in the Trend Store on our web site by January 16th.

I get emails and phone calls every week from journalists and students, asking to interview me about one décor topic or another. I never turn down a colleague, even if they are writing on a deadline that means I have to stop what I'm doing NOW and talk. But after the interviews, I typically forget about the conversation.

Today a friend reminded me about an interview I gave to our local newspaper, the Minneapolis Start Tribune. The writer only used a bit of what we talked about. Still, I enjoyed seeing that our conversation helped he with her piece. Here is a link to the article, which is about Victorian style.

My dinner party begins in a few hours. John Currie, Biz Borsch and Mary Sausen, all editorial correspondents for The Trend Curve, will be here. One of our topics will be the European markets at the beginning of 2009. I have heard that many publications are not planning to cover the home décor shows in January and February. The rise in the cost of travel is one reason. Declining advertising revenues are another, leaving some publications without the budget dollars for overseas travel, or even for paying other writers to cover the markets for them.

This is a time when I am glad that The Trend Curve does not rely on advertising to survive. We are strictly subscription based. This model has allowed us incredible edorial freedom over the 20 years we have been publishing. Now it is allowing us to be where our subscriber family needs us to be -- at worldwide markets.

The Trend Curve will Europe to cover the early-2009 shows. I'll begin at Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany the second week of January. Next up will be Maison & Objet in Paris, France in the mid-20's of the month, followed by Christmas World in Frankfurt, Germany. John Currie will be covering Maison & Objet and Christmas World with me. I'll squeeze in the Las Vegas Market (Mary Sausen will also be there) in February before I head to Frankfurt one last time for Ambiente.

Many people believe that these four European fairs that The Trend Curve will cover provide them with insights and information that will be used all year long. That's probably why our trend reports form these fair are so popular -- not just with people who are unable to attend the shows (and I know there will be many more this year), but also with those who have attended the fairs but want a trend expert to give them a more finely tuned perspective on what was there.

I'm glad we will be able to continue to provide our trend reporting and analysis. If you would like to pre-order any of our trend reports from these trade fairs, you can email Janice for prices and timing. Our trend reports are available on CD-ROM or on-demand digital download. Each trend report contains bullet-point observations, plus over 100 images to show you the trends.

I have heard through my colleagues that lots of editors are not going to the European trade fairs in January and February. I’m going. In the face of a weak economy, I still believe that innovation is best way to attract consumer attention. I’m going to find what innovation I can. I will be writing a full trend report from each of the early year European fairs (Heimtextil, Maison & Objet, Christmas World, Ambiente). If you would like to pre-order one of them, just email Janice to let her know you want to be the first to receive yours when they are available.

Ambiente is one of the trade fairs I will be attending. It is organized by Messe Frankfurt, and is the biggest consumer goods fair in the world. Every year the fair attracts about 140,000 trade visitors and 4,600 exhibitors from around the world to Frankfurt’s exhibition halls.

The team at Ambiente is already thinking about trends. Here are four themes they have established for 2009. Their common thread: forward-looking modernity. These trends will be on-show at Ambiente.

Feel grace
Cultured, subtle, tasteful, exquisite, genteel, high quality, decorative, sensual

"Feel grace" is the diva of the trends: graceful, faux-couture, feminine, the distinctive feature being luxurious chic, surprising material mixes and casual, self-evident classicism. The key shades prescribed for 2009 are pale colors. Pale grey, white and cream enter into a seductive liaison with pastel lilac and sea green. Seductive materials like gold, porcelain and crystal are accompanied by mother-of-pearl, silver, precious stones and high-grade wood with flawless surface finishes. High-sheen textiles, satin and velvet among them, flow like elegant evening dresses, emphasizing the modern touch. The decorative elements and ornamentation, which is even more refined than last year, let a hint of art deco and art nouveau style shine through. Animal drawings, lace looks, graphic elements, edge accentuation and pleated takes on haute couture, which underline the exquisiteness of this thoroughly self-assured style, are flirted with.



Stay essential
Minimalist, ornamental, strong, functional, contrast-rich, effective

Minimalist design, ornamental modernity and a combination of functionalism and decoration are the hallmark of this complex, high-statement trend. The functional design language, which is pared down to the essential, is expressed in clear, strong lines. Organic silhouettes, fluid optics and decorative elements lend it a feminine touch. High standards of material, workmanship and finish are characteristic of "stay essential". Roughened, modeling, decoratively interruptions, lace, high-contrast matte-gloss effects on textiles, leather, paper and porcelain underscore the extreme preoccupation with production and materials. Artificially aged metal and distinctive stone surfaces break up the functional perfectionism. In terms of color, the determining optical feature is understatement: the iridescent, milky cream color palette metamorphoses from grey to natural shades in cool to warm tones. More than anything else, a rich black sets impressive accents on creamy berry shades.



Enjoy calm
Calm, playful, imaginative, original, individual, fantasy-rich, lively, relaxed, unconventional

"Enjoy calm" is synonymous with a solidarity with nature, creativity and uncomplicated authenticity. The desire for simplicity and individual styling is expressed in an uninhibited approach featuring the most varied of materials: wood, paper, feathers, ceramics, plastic and jute. Anything goes and is combined randomly. Whimsically combining old and new produces a totally new kind of vintage, a mix of personalized street style, laid-back festival look and droll one-off pieces with collector potential. In addition to bringing values like sustainability and ecological soundness into the consumer environment, adopting an "alternative view” of the world also throws up some unexpected everyday designs. The joy of life and experimentation explodes in an energy-charged color palette: orange and the primary colors red and blue invade this nature-based style, which with its stripes, lines, checks and flowers, illustrative artwork, manual craftsmanship and multicolored effects is younger and more carefree in appearance than ever before.



Think romantic
Flowery, fruity, fanciful delicate, cheerful, delightful, captivating

One can dream! Of meadows, animals, the sun and sky, distant lands and good fortune closer to home. Informal joie de vivre and romanticism dances alongside countless floral interpretations and contemporarily interpreted souvenirs from the fifties and sixties. In this fanciful trend, everything is subtle, delicate and fresh in accentuation. Flowers and blossoms provide a source of inspiration, the materials are multi-layered and the standards of workmanship high. Subtle drawings and graphics on engraved glass, porcelain and materials symbolize a love of detail when it comes to design. Punched patterns, lace and insect motifs combined with enamel, paste and glass beading is extremely whimsical and feminine in effect, for both jewelry and home accessories. The colors are fresh, floral and pastel.

I spent an hour or so yesterday at Century College, a local school that has an interior design program. The director is a woman I worked with years ago when I answered the phone at Gabberts Furniture while I was going to school. All these years later we stay in touch because both of us are in the same business. I don't mean just home furnishings, I mean teaching. It's really a big part of what I do.

Any time I can, I spend time with students. I have done this in cities as diverse as San Francisco and Dublin. And yesterday, in White Bear Lake. This is my way of mentoring the next generation of creatives. I love the energy, the interest and the questions. At the end of my one-hour presentation yesterday I got not only questions about home interiors trends, but also questions about the kind of camera I use and what features make it work for me.

I love to be invited to present to students, so if anyone reading this is looking for a trend expert to address their students, you can email Janice Carlson about my fees and schedule. That goes for other kinds of seminars, too. I present to audiences anywhere from 10 - 30 times each year. Passing the word on about trend is high-up on the list of things I love to do!

I usually write about home décor, but as I was going through my images from 100% Design Tokyo, I came across this group of bicycle seats that made me stop and stare. The reason was the style and design. Applying trends from apparel and décor really made them feel new—and also took them into the realm of personalization.

The seats are from Morii Yoshiyuki. One seat features quilted comfort via stitched velvet embellished with small sequins. Both materials are on-trend for home furnishings. On another, a tooled leather seat with long suede fringe connects with new Country trends that are just emerging in apparel and on the watch list for 2009 in décor. The look evokes images of riding the range on two wheels instead of a horse. Metal studs edging a Black leather seat are a fit with reemerging Goth trends (watch for Victorian Goth). These embellishments terminate in a crescent of metal spikes in the front, making this counterculture bicycle seat one to take seriously. You'll see what I mean when you look at the picture below.

I spent two days at the end of last week in Denver. I was invited by BellaLu Home & Design to give trend seminars in their store. What a blast! I spoke to consumers in a special invitation-only evening event on Thursday. I spoke about trends for 2009 and 2010. On Friday morning I gave a different talk for interior designers, both on-staff and from the surrounding region. In this case, I began with 2010 and reached into my forecast for 2011.

The consumer group was wonderful, attentive and excited, but the interior design group was amazing. As my presentation to the designers began, it was snowing and cloudy outside. But true to Denver's ever-changing weather scene, the sun came out 20 minutes later. Reflecting on the newly fallen snow, the sunshine made the store so bright that it became impossible to see the images I had on the screen. Was that a problem? Not for a group of interior designers -- people who love to rearrange furniture! These people picked up the screen, moved the fabric rack that was holding the projector, reorganized the chairs and shifted the podium all without skipping a beat!

Everyone working together produced a positive energy that I wanted to bottle and take home. It was the same sort of energy that I felt from BellaLu Home & Design's staff the minute I walked in the door on Thursday. I loved how they greeted their customers as old friends, even when they had just met. It was good to see how intently their in-store interior designers listened as customers explained what they live with today and what they wanted to do within their home. And I was so impressed by their policy to not EVER say ANYTHING negative about a customer at any time and for any reason. That tone was set by the owner and she hired a team that believes in her customer service values. That makes being in BellaLu feel great. I selfishly hope I will be asked to come back again at some time, just so I can feel that great energy!

I was so pleased when yesterday’s mail arrived with an envelope from a colleague who had just traveled to China two weeks ago. She sent me a copy of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight magazine called Discovery. She marked page 94 in this October issue, which begins an interview I gave to one of their writers a month or so back about trends for interiors. The text comes in both English and Chinese. My photo is there, along with four other images that support the trends I highlighted for them.

Even though I give interviews to the media almost every week, I am still so pleased to be asked for my forecast. After 25 years of trend forecasting, it seems I always have something to say!
Another interview used in a published piece this week appeared in a publication closer to home. The Minneapolis Star Tribune is our local newspaper. They called to ask me about Purple a few weeks ago. I was one of a few people who shared their opinion for an article by Kim Palmer. Click this link to read the text.

We forecasted three Purples in The Trend Curve Colors™ 2009, and we are already seeing them emerging in assortments that are debuting this fall for that time period. But we have six Purples in The Trend Curve Colors™ 2010, so you know we really believe in this direction for color! You can view and purchase both of these forecasts on our web site. Just pull down the Trend Store menu at the top and select Color Forecasts.

The Trend Curve™ gets calls all the time asking when I am giving my next seminar. I am pleased to announce that my new seminar schedule is posted on this site. Just pull down the News & Talks tab above to see where I will be presenting in the near future.

The next event is one I am really looking forward to. On November 11 I will talk about home décor trends in San Francisco on behalf of the Interior Design Society (this group was the first of any in High Point to invite me to speak during the Furniture Market many years ago). I’ll be participating in a day-long session targeted to the interior design trade, but anyone can register and participate. The session will be held at the 600 Townsend Building downtown.

I will begin with an hour or so to talk about my color forecast for 2010. This forecast, called The Trend Curve Colors™ 2010, was released in September, but this is the first time I will be presenting the colors in a seminar (you can buy the color package at the Trend Store). I am very excited for this worldwide debut! Then I will talk about design details, updating the home-and-apparel connection and reviewing some of the most important style trends impacting interiors for 2009 and 2010.

After gaining so much knowledge, we’ll move to a hands-on workshop where participants in small groups will have a chance to concept a room setting or even a product using the color and trend details they have just heard. I have conducted workshops like this one in the past and they have always gotten rave reviews. I’m hoping this one will, too!
The afternoon will be spent on business topics—marketing and branding—that small businesses need to know to help them survive and thrive. Mary Sausen, a colleague, friend and contributor to The Trend Curve, is the presenter.

The seminar runs from 9 – 5. If you would like to join us in San Francisco, you can get more information and download a registration form from the Interior Design Society Events page. We all made a decision to keep the fee low and limit the number of participants small so we can maintain an intimate setting and answer every question, so if you are thinking of participating, please don’t wait too long to register. After the seminar, I’ll write in this blog again to let everyone know how things went.

Looking back on the High Point Furniture Market that I attended earlier this week, one of my favorite stops was at Baker. That’s because I met a charming man named Hutton Wilkinson who showed me a collection that I fell for at first sight.

Wilkinson spent an important part of his career working for and collaborating with the late design icon Tony Duquette, culminating in a business partnership in 1994. That relationship included purchasing part of Duquette’s business, along with the international trademarks to the Tony Duquette name.

Now creative director and president of Tony Duquette, Inc., Wilkinson has made a carefully selected collection of about 20 accent pieces from the Duquette archive available through Baker. Each item is delightful and each one has a story. Told by Hutton Wilkinson, those stories are as whimsical and perfectly crafted as the pieces themselves.

My press kits are all en route from High Point to Minneapolis, so I don’t have any professional images to share with you. I do have one that I took myself showing some of the amazing pieces in the collection. I am also including a picture of Hutton and I together in his space in the Baker showroom.

I’m sure you will notice that Wilkinson is holding a very large book. It is titled Tony Duquette, and he wrote along with Wendy Goodman (with a forward by Dominick Dunn). Wilkinson shared with me that this book is the number one seller in its class at Amazon. He paged though part of it with me and it is lovely. I have already ordered mine. Click here if you would like to order one, too.