Design Trends for 2016: the 21st Century Revival of Arts and Crafts style?
Last night, I was happy to be in attendance for Colormix 2016, Sherwin-Williams' forecast of the colors and trends that will lead the design world in the next year. It was very interesting to see that what's old is new again, and that a return to simplicity, authenticity, and artisanship is driving design right now.
Here are some of the highlights that I found most interesting from last night:
A Return to Artisan Craftsmanship:
This, to me, is the most significant trend of the past few years. It truly re-iterates that trends are cyclical, and that what's old is new again! In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the industrial revolution's focus on machinery and mechanized processes led to the mass production of consumer items. This was the pattern of consumer goods, and therefore design, for many decades: 'big box' stores and cookie-cutter identical items.
Recently, that tide has begun to shift. The Maker Movement, a return to artisan craftsmanship and an emphasis on handmade (versus mass made) has started to permeate the design world and appears set to continue. Individual buyers are seeking out items that are unique, handmade, and customizable, over formulaic decor ripped from the pages of a catalog.
This, to me, is the 21st century's version of the Arts & Crafts movement -- and no, by Arts & Crafts, I am not talking about the pipe cleaner and Playdoh crafts that your kids bring home from preschool!
More popularly known as Craftsman here in the United States, the Arts & Crafts style emphasized the need for handmade, natural materials in design. As a result, many of the homes built during this period are characterized by their use of wood, earth toned palettes, and organic lines including trees, sunbursts, and cloudlifts.
In the current context, the Maker Movement -- independent inventors, designers, and tinkerers -- is a blossoming of individual or small-team creatives that are plying their trade, often through the use of social media and online marketplaces, as well as farmers' markets and craft markets. Brooklyn, NY, is considered by many to be Ground Zero of this movement, and with good reason: http://flavorwire.com/347544/the-makers-leading-brooklyns-artisanal-movement/
Larger retailers have been listening to the growing demand for artisanal craftsmanship, and have partnered with artisans lately -- such as West Elm in their Handcrafted Collection: http://www.westelm.com/shop/collaborations/all-handcrafted/. Beyond giving the individual artisans a leg-up in marketing to a vast audience, these partnerships allow the larger retailers to keep their collections current, innovative, and on the forefront of design.
A Resurgence in Communal Living: this trend is two-pronged:
1. Multi-Generational: Many families are now seeking housing and innovative floor plans to accommodate multiple generations living together. Aging-in-place considerations, the growing costs of healthcase, and the logistical challenges inherent in caring for the elderly, particularly when families are spread across the country, have driven a demand for housing that allows for multiple generations to live under one roof.
2. Urban Co-Housing: Others seeking out communal housing, particularly in an urban environment, include empty-nesters, downsizing after their children have left home, and young professionals, questing to re-find their sense of community.
In 2016, both of these elements will push architects, developers and designers to revisit their notions of what constitutes a family home, and to be truly innovative in making spaces work for more than a single, nuclear family.
It was an inspiring night, and one that felt comforting in its' implications -- as though the positivism of the past is, in some ways, making a comeback, and through that, we might just find ourselves feeling a new sense of community and connection with those around us.
Next time: the colors, textures, and finishes that are set to shape 2016. Stay tuned!
