by studiotullia | Jan 30, 2022 | DESIGN & STYLING, DESIGN TRENDS, NEWS FROM THE STUDIO, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR
As someone whose been selling handmade designer goods online for over fifteen years, I’m used to researching trends, forecasted by countless “experts” for the upcoming year or season. While I don’t subscribe to the idea of having a totally trend-driven wardrobe or home, a touch of something reflective of our time always adds interest. It keep things from getting stale.
More marketing opportunities and online exposure for businesses comes from an awareness of current trends. Sometimes these predictions may fall flat and other times, take off.
You would be amazed just how much consumers are influenced by trends. More than you may realize.
- Design: Studio Giancarlo Valle
- Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson/OTTO
It has been one of my obsessions, partly from studying art history and design, to look at objects within their historical and stylistic context.
Societal patterns, as well as social, political, and cultural shifts inevitably impact design and fashion. And fashion is often ahead of interior design and more outrageous, so its especially fun to watch.
ETSY, one of the platforms I sell on, has a podcast for its vendors (approx. 4.4 million!), that discusses how to market handmade goods, what to sell in the upcoming seasons, and how to prepare for 2022, based largely on their 81.9 billion buyer searches.
I’ve been gearing up to coach newbie Etsy sellers in the new year so I’ve been researching Etsy quite a bit over the last several months. Here are some of their observations based on consumer buying and search patterns.
1. SHOPPERS ARE MORE INTENTIONAL THAN EVER
Consumers care more about who they are buying from; the brand behind the company, what they stand for, who they employ, where they get their raw materials and manufacture their goods. Social media is providing greater transparency and allowing for companies to tell their story.
What is Lagom?
‘Not too much, not too little. Lagom’
The translation of the Swedish concept of lagom is “enough, sufficient, adequate, just right.” While hygge is all about staying in with family (and potentially never changing out of your cashmere pajamas), getting cozy and chatting with friends in a coffee shop, basically taking the time to enjoy a moment of contentment (whatever the weather), lagom is all about moderation. Rather than seizing the moment (of hygge, if you will), it’s about living a frugal life with just enough possessions; everything functional and a life in balance. – Country&Townhouse
‘Lagom encourages us to create a happy life by choosing to live a balanced and fruitful existence.’
FROM THE ABOVE BOOK; Ten simple ways to de-clutter your home
- Create a de-clutter to-do list, crossing off each task as you complete it.
- Dedicate ten minutes each day to one task (baby steps, my friend).
- Go one room at a time and organize items into three boxes: keep, donate and throw away (never a ‘maybe’ box – speaking from experience!).
- Follow the ‘one in, one out’ rule – for everything you buy, one thing goes.
- Fill a bin bag a day with items you no longer need.
- Reduce the area where clutter can accumulate – dedicate a container for toiletries or a folder for paperwork. If new items don’t fit, then it’s time to re-think what’s in the area and get rid of something.
- Take out all the items in your wardrobe. Remove hangers and then put everything back in order of preference. Anything that doesn’t have a hanger goes.
- Create a memory box or use an accordion organizer for your kids’ drawings and other treasured items.
- Keep a basket or bag by the stairs or in a spot that accumulates clutter and slowly fill it with items. Once it’s full, sort through and put everything back where it belongs.
- Stick to the ‘one-touch rule’ for paperwork: sort it as soon as it arrives by recycling, or taking action.
Taken from Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life by Niki Brantmark
3. VINTAGE/UPCYCLING/RECYCLING/RE-USE
‘Upcycling, recycling and using sustainable materials where possible is the way to enjoy the home comforts you love, without taking too much from the planet.’
Tejo Remy Rag Chair for Droog Design, 1991 – 1st Dibs
Vintage sellers are having their moment
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSSA ROSENHECK, Domino
Joann Palmisiano, vintage skirt turned pilllow, Rock Your Rental
4. ABSTRACT SHAPES, WIGGLES &CURVES…moving beyond mid-century
5. CURVY, SCULPTURAL UPHOLSTERY
“A curved form is subconsciously read as safe, friendly and welcoming. With everyone feeling a bit precious I think those softer shapes and angles will still be a big trend in 2022 in furniture as well as architecture.” –Sarah Sherman Samuel
“More gracious and sensual shapes, curved edges and deep, luxuriant seats.” -Martyn Lawrence Bullard
Emerald green is a longstanding jewel tone that is always relevant.
ETSY has announced it as their color of the year!
Balance, harmony, nature
Pairs great with metallics
Image credit: Little Greene
What do you think? I think a lot of it is incredibly creative, colorful, hopeful, informed, fresh…should be fun to see what’s in store for 2022!
by studiotullia | Oct 12, 2018 | CURRENT PROMOTIONS, DESIGN TRENDS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
Hello Folks,
I’ve been revisiting black and white as well as moody, darker florals and grays lately. Black and white pairs with just about any color year round but resonates with me in the cooler months as colors deepen.
BLACK, WHITE & GRAY
I am pretty happy with the new palette below but planning to add some softer, textured notes and grays to the mix in the coming months.
The Bunny Hutch fabric by Hunt Slonem for Lee Jofa has been really popular as has the FAUNA (the black spots) by Kate Spade for Kravet. The other coordinates below work with everything and the iconic CHIANG MAI DRAGON in SMOKE is so fresh in this new color way even though its from the 20’s.
Here is how the pillow collection is looking. You may shop the full BLACK & WHITE COLLECTION with all custom sizes at my website.
Ready-mades and bargains are ready to ship right away and available at my ETSY STORE
This is another palette I came up with that adds more color and vintage wovens and needlepoint to the mix.
This pillow is a vintage Guatemalan woven pillow with embroidery. I only have a couple left.
Pendleton Woolens in various black and whites are always a beautiful addition.
How fun are these fringe-laden pillows made from Pendleton Mill scraps!
RESEARCH
I’ve been looking at some of these fabrics below – what do you think?
SONORA adds a sophisticated boho vibe and some gorgeous texture.
This is more a natural linen color that also adds warmth and great texture to the mix.
VENTO
And here are some of the darker patterns I am loving right now:
CHAMBRAY in CHARCOAL on linen
AURORA DAMASK on linen
BINARY EMBROIDERY
OWLISH in BLACK by Kate Spade
EXOTIC BUTTERFLY in BLACK by Joseph Frank
ANTELOPES in JADE by Paul Poiret from the 1930’s
ANTELOPES in COBALT 
FANTASY FOREST has a vintage vibe that is fun:
DESIGN INSPIRATION
And, Nobody does black and white sketches quite like ALBERT HADLEY:
I love this black and white print:
FERNS LINOCUT PRINT by MAGPRINT on ETSY:
And is she beautiful or what?
From House of Fabulous
I want the butterfly dress:
GIFT ITEMS
I’ve also been adding some gifty items like this pouch using THE BUG CHICKS LOTUS Fabric for $14 for the holidays
and this SHANGHAI PEACOCK fabric in a glasses case below for $24
And this Clutch purse in Chiang Mai Dragon for $24
I hope you are warming up to FALL and getting ready for all the festivities coming just around the corner. We are about to start decorating for Halloween and planning to do a Day of the Dead shrine this year. Ill share it with you on INSTAGRAM
While Spring/Summer are my favorites, I love Fall but I start to get down about the rain and lessening of light for the next several months in Portland. Thanks as always for reading and let me know your thoughts about the collection.
by studiotullia | Apr 28, 2018 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
WOODLAND MOTIF
I came across this Woodland Hush Pattern on ETSY last night and decided to go for it. I feel it is finally moving me in the right direction. It will be used on one wall behind the dresser as an ACCENT WALL. As much as I love a palm motif, the more I thought about it, it wasn’t a great fit for the Northwest. And I really had a number of other factors that made it difficult to achieve – costs, time frame, etc. The fact that it has a deer family featured that is a metaphor for ours: parents with twins, was nice, too. I found it while searching for an evergreen stencil and decided to use it for the accent wall behind the dresser.
This pattern is provided by:
and needs to be installed with a pattern roller
and a foam applicator:
I haven’t looked at a tutorial yet. One step at a time.
I still love this gorgeous palette by ABH INTERIORS
I also really love this wallpaper of swallow tails by JOHN DERIAN that I considered for awhile. What a pretty color palette.
WALL COLORS…
TREE STENCILS
This past weekend at the coast also provided some inspiration as I was studying sky colors and tree silhouettes.
And still thinking about adding a tall tree stencil or two, but will have to see how far I get after I finish painting the walls. It has to be done right and may be too much.
LIGHTING
I also selected the 9 LIGHT 2 TIER CHANDELIER by HEISS. I can’t seem to transfer an image of this off of their site so you have to go to this link above to see it.
It was a compromise. My husband wanted glass shades rather than fabric shades for the chandelier and after lots of searching finally found this one. It was a great price on sale at less than $400 including shipping. I think it is transitional enough to feel more modern yet still work in our 100 year old house. And the oil rubbed bronze it not too formal which suits our family.
UPHOLSTERY
I also think I am going to go with this leopard velvet on the chairs, because to me it is a durable neutral. I know there aren’t any leopards in the northwest and I know my husband will hate it, so lets see if I can get away with it…
So, I am painting this weekend and really hoping to finish. That’s where I’m at. Way behind and feeling a lot like this:
Be sure to check out the other GUEST PARTICIPANTS:
As well as the DESIGN STARS. We are getting down to the wire here folks.
Thanks for following along as always.
by studiotullia | Oct 2, 2011 | INTERIOR DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE
I used to work for Randolph & Hein, a posh showroom in San Francisco, about ten years ago. I really wanted to work there because they had Osborne & Little and Designer’s Guild fabric lines. Old time favorites. The quality, colors, style, and marketing of these iconic English companies was wonderful to sell and be around. Not to mention the trade shows in NY, London, etc where I got to meet Tricia Guild, Nina Campbell, Anthony Little. Such characters, great style, and so many gorgeous fabrics! I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time when fabrics were discontinued and fabric wings were being given away. One of these great silks ended up in my collection, that I ultimately used for a pillow in my store.
Just my luck, HGTV magazine chose to feature the pillow with the fabulous fabric that is not available anymore in their debut issue hitting newsstands on October 4th.
http://www.chron.com/life/article/HGTV-Magazine-debuts-Oct-4-2191560.php#photo-1629511
I have tried to track down this fabric, made several phonecalls, emails… to no avail.
Well, I have been revisiting Designer’s Guild’s latest offerings and per the usual, everything is fabulous.
I did happen to find some wonderful silk fabrics that might be appealing to a reader who likes the above pillow. What do you think?
I thought I would also share a few other fabulous shots from Designer’s Guild’s website:
Here is the link, if you want to see more:
http://www.designersguild.com/fabric-and-wallpaper-showroom/fabric/
Just a weekend at one of the chateaus where they have their photo shoots would make me a happy girl…
