Building on the intrigue of exotic places

World travel is having a significant influence on home design trends. Vacations are becoming more sophisticated, revolving around heritage, culture and history. Travelers are following in the footsteps of their ancestors or exploring exotic locations for a distinctive experience.

Excursions to distant lands reveal captivating architecture, furnishings and materials. When there is no opportunity to travel, escape fantasies are fueled by Internet connections. This exposure to a multicultural world is inspiring the consumer to be bold and try something new at home.

Western European design influences have been evident for years, and re-creating the mood of an English estate or a French country retreat remains popular. In addition to these fashion statements, we can look to emerging travel hot spots for new design ideas.

The American Society of Travel Agents says Italy surpassed Mexico last year as the most popular international travel destination. This is sure to rekindle interest in styles from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. Customers will be shopping for the feel of architectural grandeur seen in palazzos de aristocrazia. This translates into large-scale furniture that features three-dimensional carvings and frescoed finishes. One of these pieces instantly becomes the focal point of any room.

Spain is becoming the new Tuscany for travel. Separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains, Spanish and Portuguese style was heavily influenced by Moroccan and East Indian cultures. Today’s furniture features the complicated, geometricalshaped carvings of historic wood panels. The heavy proportions have more appeal when embellished with characteristic ironwork. This style brings even the most expansive space into livable scale.

In 2008, the Olympics will be held in Beijing. This is sure to reawaken interest in Oriental décor, which has been dormant for the past decade. This time around, don’t look for lacquered finishes. The appeal will be in a more primitive form featuring hand painting that replicates ancient artistry. Mandarin red and intricate latticework are features that make these pieces the perfect accent to a room.

With growing global awareness, consumers are interested in styles influenced by eccentric destinations. Exotic woods from Africa in organic forms will become popular as primitive accents in the home. Scandinavian-inspired furniture strikes the perfect balance between modern and traditional interiors for a clean, fresh look. Japan is contributing a serene simplicity with its linear, low-profile furniture.

Acknowledging the country of origin and informing the consumer is a sure way for a store to add value to its merchandise. Furniture vignettes can provide a mini escape, with well-placed maps and guidebooks that encourage conversation and create involvement. What better way to intrigue — and capture — your customers?

Your store can ride the next hot color wave

Color is the No. 1 way to attract your customer’s attention. The ability to recognize and display the next hot color trend can mean big business. Fortunately, research by key players in the color game is available to guide us.

Pantone, a global authority on color, issues forecasts for the home furnishing industry. Lisa Herbert, executive vice president, says a consortium of designers from around the world meet in Europe twice a year to share observations. “We absorb like a sponge, using their collective knowledge,” she said. “The resulting Pantone forecast is rich in diversity.”

The paint industry also prepares annual reports on color. This year, the Sherwin-Williams palette tells a cultural story. Their 2007 forecast seeks to reconcile our high-tech present with the allure of our handcrafted past.

After studying numerous color reports, I’ve grouped the most frequently recurring colors into a 2007 Color Key with four categories. Note that it’s not always a particular color, but the mood it achieves, that creates a recognizable trend.

Urban Sophisticates

A sea of white accented with a single color suggests chic formality and is driven by big-city dwellers. Often this palette includes metallic or luminescent finishes for added dimension.

Serenity Now

An understated, elegant spectrum of colors suggests a calmer pace. Spirituality and personal pampering inspire this palette. Flow is critical, with no jarring contrasts to disturb the peace.

Green and Grounded

The acceptance of sustainable design is behind this grouping. Natural and recycled materials often result in an earthy mix of comfort colors that will wrap you up like a cashmere blanket.

Global Escapes

Travel to distant lands is revealing exotic textiles in saturated, clean colors. Exposure to a multicultural world inspires us to be bold and take color risks.

Products are already available in tabletop, accessories and textiles that will provide some of the ingredients for color-based retail displays. Blending the new color trends with existing display furniture is easy if you remember a few simple guidelines:

• Introduce the most daring trend colors with paint as a backdrop for your merchandise. It’s a good value and easy to change when new trends surface.
• Large, long-term displays can be done in neutrals that will compliment the trends. When showing a stain finish, specify complimentary undertones. This year, that’s going to be a darker, browned-out stain.
• When ordering furniture, be sure to include colors that are on trend. You need to make a commitment in order to make an impression. Remember that a trend is not a fad. A trend has a shelf life of three to five years. It’s worth the investment.

Retailers are perfectly positioned to inform the consumer of the latest colors. Highlighting a trend, even if only in a vignette at the front of the store, attracts attention. Show customers that you can supply what they need to bring the new colors home.