Trend Forecast 2013

Sara Pepitone -- Interior Design, 1/1/2013 2:00:00 AM

A kitchen by Design Development using Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald. Photo courtesy Pantone.

Ask anyone in the design industry what to expect in 2013 and themes immediately appear: the blending of old and new, customization, experience, the influence of technology, light, and shades of green. We break it down into the following categories:

Trend Forecast 2013: Customization

Trend Forecast 2013: Construction

Trend Forecast 2013: Color

Trend Forecast 2013: Floor Plans

Trend Forecast 2013: Material

 
"During the trend meeting of Heimtextil it was clear that the emotional value of environments and design products is of growing importance," says Anne Marie Commandeur, designer and managing director of Stijlinstituuts Amsterdam. "Consumers are looking for solutions rather than stuff. Products have to add value to their life, and they are better informed and more critical then ever." Out with clutter. In with quality. "An urge for preciousness," as Commandeur sees it.
 
For product designer Andrea Ruggiero, "The miniaturization of technology will continue, redefining our living and working spaces." For example, he says, objects like books and CD's have largely been replaced by media devices that deliver content. "This trend will only accelerate. Concurrently, we are looking for other artifacts to fill the voids left by this dematerialization."
 
Of course we will only ever fill them with smarter, better, life-enhancing tools. Or simply employ "bold, saturated colors to define spaces and provide a visual point of view for interiors," as Barbara Haaksma, vice president of design and marketing for Milliken's global floor covering division explains. Haaksma says that's a real possibility as people overcome their fear of using color.
 
And we're also emboldened to merge materials and techniques of different ages. "There is freedom felt to play with historical parameters and combine them with contemporary materials and techniques," says Commandeur. "Combining arts, crafts and folklore with iconic design items has become a core concept for decorating private homes as well as contract business."