Among designers, retailers and homeowners, there’s little consensus on where home decor and design are headed except that the watchword will be “ease.”
Whatever our personal style may look like — whether we embrace the past, with traditional furnishings and warm colors, or go sleek, functional and space-agey — a simple, beautiful space “is the design equivalent of comfort food” in tumultuous times, says Design Public’s head blogger, Becky Harris.
Some experts think we’ll want tailored, uncluttered living spaces — a refuge from the muddle of life outside. Others think we’ll find comfort in surrounding ourselves with the stuff of travel and memory. Monica Letourneau, Savannah College of Art and Design’s interior design chair, sees a middle ground, in which old family photos are used decoratively “but displayed in a clean, organized, contemporary format.”
Likewise, color mavens foresee a split personality. Gen Y, one of two influential demographics, prefers “the fantastical colors of the World Wide Web. Bright, escapist colors,” according to Dee Schlotter of Pittsburgh Paints. Consultant Barbara Schirmeister agrees, “Because color’s our most affordable pleasure, we’ll utilize it to enhance our mood. The new brights allow us to be excessive and indulgent in an acceptable way.”