Sometime ago, unless you were in the stationery business, where most suppliers conform to standard sizes—i.e., paper supplier sells paper with correct three-punch holes to fit the binder-manufacturer’s three-binder spoil—most industries (specifically the furniture and home building businesses) went along their merry way designing and building wares as they wished.

Alas, this era of free-reign in the world of design and manufacturing has changed in recent times, and will continue to do so for several surprisingly good and dynamic reasons.

Allow me to explain:

Let’s go back to the time when one would go shopping for living room seating and the choices were literally limited to complete sets, comprised of a sofa, loveseat and chair, not to be sold separately! Additionally, color selections were limited at best. (How many of you remember the days of the avocado fridge, brown-spotted nylon carpet and wall covering, as long as it was wood?)

Thankfully, with the advent of the Internet, in conjunction with a better awareness of matters concerning design by the general populous, a traditional cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach, no longer applies.

Many builders and furnishing manufacturers have taken heed, recognizing that not all tastes, room sizes and styles benefit all. Furthermore, these industries are keenly aware that increased competition from abroad requires them to collaborate in an effort to utilize one another’s domestic customers’ needs, and as a result, the wheels have been set in motion toward the following changes:

• There is now a better understanding in both the building trades and furnishings worlds of how to cater to a client who wants more for less (both in monetary value and size of home).
• The rise of mass retailers, such as IKEA, which can easily be broken down into two simple ideas: 1.) Give the client a variety of good solutions that can be tailor-made for them, and 2.) Clients understand that one size does not fit all and expect a variety of options to choose from because of it.

With this in mind, the formula certain to appeal to consumers today requires builders and furniture manufacturers to produce product in accordance with modern-day sensibilities (think budget-minded designs that don’t look cheap and encompass the modern-day consumers’ style and selection preferences).

In turn, the design industry as a whole must pay attention to where these two industries are heading in regard to methods of product design, development and production. Likewise, consumers need be aware that the interior decorating landscape is also changing its credence—and at a much more accelerated rate than just 20 years ago. For example, interior design and decorating trends, at one time, could and did last upwards of seven to ten years. Back then, trends had an opportunity to gain widespread appeal, ultimately forming staple categories that newcomers to the industry looked to as examples for what’s in-demand and desirable to consumers. Alas, the concept of a lasting trend in home design and decorating has since diminished to a lifecycle of two to three years in the spotlight at most.

You may at this point be asking yourself, “Just what does this mean for the design industry and its ability to survive into the future?” I, for one, have given that very question hours of thought and have concluded that we are simply going to have to be much more aware of how we design, why we design, what we design and perhaps most importantly, for whom we design in order to sustain our businesses throughout these changing times. As previously noted, consumers have adopted a far more individual attitude and approach with regard to their needs versus desires. It is a direct result of this emphasis on individuality that gets designers’ opinions rejected. Indeed, we often feel that we are no longer the expert in the field, because our customers have ample options and resources at their fingertips. We are now the last link in this food chain we call, “home improvement.”

In order to be effective, reliable and necessary in this industry, we need to keep ahead of the trends that will subsequently influence manufacturers and understand that builders, manufactures and designers need to unite as a group to create positive influences for our customers.

It wasn’t so long ago that American consumers had few choices when it came to architecture, furnishings and interior design. Nowadays, however, with new technologies available to them and their desire to have the very latest, consumers are more aware and demanding than ever. And they will hold all of these arenas to higher standards. Therefore, we must worker harder and continually challenge ourselves to jump higher over the bar that consumers have raised!

ABOUT JAMES CHARLES:

James Charles began his home furnishings career in the London office of Roche-Bobois in 1983, eventually designing interiors for the likes of Tina Turner and Sean Connery among others. In 1994, he launched his eponymous design business—James Charles Design—based in Southern California. The award-winning designer has also taught the art of contemporary design at the Interior Design Institute in Newport Beach and the Atlanta School of Design. He was also a contributor to the bestseller, The House Always Wins, a book on the design and decorating world.