M
arket season is upon us, and
we know what that means. It’s
time to ask the all-important
question as we visit showrooms:
“What’s new?” We know we can count on
seeing it: new vendors, new styles and, of
course, new products. New is important in
home furnishings as you need to resonate
with your customers and
offer the latest in innovation
and style—nightstands and
chairs with built-in chargers;
landscape lighting that can
be controlled with an app;
there is plenty we may not
have expected to see until
we see it.
These new pieces bring
admirers, sure—in the showroom, on the
retail floor, in a designer’s plans. New is
exciting and it offers a great way to freshen
up a room or make a statement: adding a
new paint color or pattern on the wall, a new
sofa in the latest textiles, a sculptural LED
chandelier in the dining room.
However, “new” shouldn’t be the only
focus. Have you determined how these
styles and products came to be, or how they
resonate with your customers? What’s the
style’s longevity? Furniture, lighting and even
decor are rarely throwaway purchases. Most
consumers are in for at least a while when
choosing these pieces. While they may want
to see what’s new, they also want to know
what will be relevant a year from now.
The savvy consumer will be looking
at tomorrow’s trends as well as
what’s hot today. There are HGTV
renovation shows, trend bloggers,
style spotters and Instagram
influencers they can connect with,all driving what they see as up-and-coming
in home design.
Beyond what’s new right now, maybe
we also need to be on top of what we can
expect to see in 2020 and 2021 as we peruse
showrooms during this summer’s markets. It’s
easy to be attracted by the new styles we see
today. Who doesn’t love a rich, deep green
velvet sofa with elegant
curves? But as upholstery
colors move to warmer
tones, such as golds, rusts
and browns, like we saw at
ITA Showtime, does that
green velvet hold up?
You need to ensure the
new you choose today
continues to work when the
next round becomes available. Style certainly
isn’t static, and trends can come and go in
the blink of an eye. The choices you lead your
customers to should have staying power or
be easily updated—morphing into the next
trend style at the change of a pillow!
From the manufacturer level to retailer and
designer, thinking ahead is essential in this
industry. Styles are always changing and, as
we know, some new trends and products can
miss the mark or grow old quickly.
So, as you make your way through the
showrooms of summer markets, while it’s
important to ask what’s new, it also
might be wise to follow up with,
“What’s next?” FLDfrom the editor
VOLUME 3. ISSUE 7WHAT’S NEXT?
The choices you lead
your customers to should
have staying power and
be easily updated.10 | JUL.19 http://www.furniturelightingdecor.com
VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHER
Diane Vojcanin | 847.391.
[email protected]
PUBLISHER
Susan A. Jones | 847.391.
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