The International Housewares Association (IHA) is sharing insights on global trends influencing the housewares industry, as set out by Kate Usher, trend consultant for UK-based forecaster Trend Bible. Kate was scheduled to speak about housewares trends in 2021 at The Inspired Home Show that was to be held in Chicago last month.
After the Show was cancelled amid concerns over Covid-19, Kate recorded a webinar with presentation highlights, available (along with many other fascinating resources) at TheInspiredHomeShow.com/education.
Looking to 2021, Kate identified four key trends or drivers of change. They are:
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Above: Glass jars for food storage and refilling will increase in popularity. Homebodies – Before the current pandemic, there had been a significant increase in the number of people socializsng and entertaining at home. JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), which celebrates life’s ordinary moments, is an increasingly popular antidote to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), which fueled being part of big social gatherings, travel and flashy experiences on social media for years. This will certainly continue post-crisis as people seek to reconnect with small groups of people in real life.
- Express Yourself – Many fashion brands are moving into the home interiors market, which means personalising your home is more accessible than ever before. “There’s a big shift from wanting to blend in to ‘look at me’,” says Kate. As a result, bolder colour is becoming increasingly popular for homes and housewares.
- Conscious Choices – Many consumers will continue to look for ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Glass jars will become even more popular as a durable storage option, but also for their ability to seal in food freshness and reduce food waste.
- Purified Home – The “Joy of Clean and Tidy” trend will only increase as consumers “seek to regain some control in their busy and chaotic lives,” says Kate. She predicts many will take preventative measures to improve indoor air quality and minimise toxicity through environmentally friendly textiles, surfaces and cleaning products.
When Trend Bible puts together “stories” for its seasonal trend books, the agency is careful to incorporate many different trends into each one. That way, if there is an unexpected shift in a trend due to an unforeseen circumstance, the over-arching vision remains strong. In her webinar, Kate previewed a story from Trend Bibles Spring/Summer 2021 Trend Book called “Urban Retreat.”
“As urbanisation continues across the globe, the role of cities and our place within them is being reconsidered,” she said. “This whole story is driven by a desire to create homes that create better ways of living in busy urban epicentres.”
This vision is driven by the urbanisation and sustainability mega-trends, as well as a growing interest in Latin America, brutalist architecture and veganism. Themes include sculpture, geometric patterns and images of nature in the city.
The colour palette is a warm, neutral one featuring earthy tones and cool greens along with a charcoal grey, brick red and deep green for contrast. Design elements may include plant-based materials like pineapple skin, corn husks and wood chips; Aztec-inspired patterns and motifs; blocky and primitive forms; woven sisal designs; architecture-inspired themes; and textures that echo volcanic ash and lava stone.
*For Kate’s insights on how the pandemic has caused shifts in consumer behaviour, click HERE.
* For Kate’s free webinar go to TheInspiredHomeShow.com/education.
A wide variety of additional education sessions – on topics including branding, e-commerce, smart home and sustainability – that would have taken place at the Show can also be accessed on this page.
* For more information about The Inspired Home Show’s displays, including The New Product Showcase, Trending Today, Inventors’ Corner and the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for product design, visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com.
*To learn about new products that were to be at the Show, visit the Show’s online directory, Housewares Connect 365 at Housewares.org/housewaresconnect365, and select “Featured New Products for Media & Buyers.”
Top: Trend Bible’s Kate Usher.
