Housewarming: A Key Inspiration Driving Consumers

	Gemma Riberti, Senior Editor, Lifestyle and Interiors, WGSN, leads the WGSN TrendTalk: Houseware & Home Textiles 2017 Forecast
	Items that exemplify Ms Riberti’s interior design concept of “housewarming” on display at the Houseware Fair
	A full-house audience eagerly listens to the WGSN 2017 TrendTalk

22 April 2016 – Leading consumer, fashion and design trends forecasting company WGSN, led the “WGSN TrendTalk: Houseware & Home Textiles 2017 Forecast” seminar held on Wednesday (20 April) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The seminar was part of the HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair (20-23 April), which is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

Gemma Riberti, Senior Editor, Lifestyle and Interiors, for WGSN led the seminar. Ms Riberti oversees the interior design and product development directions for WGSN and has over 10 years of experience in the interiors and design research fields. During the seminar, she presented the concept of “housewarming” as the driving inspiration for the 2017 interior design trend of “grounded living”.

Returning to nature

Ms Riberti introduced the “homemade” theme “as a red thread and a driving concept” of 2017 consumer trends. She explained that housewarming is the key concept inspiring 2017 trends and that grounded living is “the translation of this influence into tangible designs” in the market. As people strive to “feel at home everywhere they go”, 2017 interior design trends will reflect a deeper connection to “nature, warmth and tactility”.

Creating comfort

While exploring the housewarming concept, Ms Riberti explained that “people want to feel at home wherever they are” and that “home is not just a place, it is really a feeling”, adding that this concept can be applied to retail, office and residential spaces. Ms Riberti said that the goal of housewarming design is to create a “welcoming haven” that you are happy to return to. Referencing Hong Kong’s dense population and small living space, Ms Riberti commented that people “need to be looking forward to coming home and not staying in the office beyond hours just because [they] feel more comfortable there.”

Focusing on the kitchen space as an example, Ms Riberti detailed numerous strategies and product trends that can increase the functionality and comfort of the “heart of the home”. Citing the importance of the kitchen as a gathering space and “creative hub”, she said that a developing design trend is multi-functionality and that “increased functionality of products is now blurring the boundaries between functions and areas.” She said that “multi-functional furniture is getting more innovative; it’s about different product integrities that blend as a result of our urban lifestyles.” She said it is crucial for these innovations to use the least amount of parts for maximum possibilities.

Ms Riberti also covered the importance of textiles and soft goods as a key housewarming strategy to make a home more welcoming and cosy. The tactility of textiles can be used to integrate hard goods, such as appliances and technology, seamlessly into the home. In light of these trends, brands and designers are responding “to how we want to be able to change the space so it fits our lifestyle instead of us adapting our lifestyle to fit the space” with products that cater to the shifting needs of the home.

At home in a volatile world

Ms Riberti also commented on how the impact of current geopolitical turmoil facing the world contributes to the importance of housewarming for interior design. As the world faces great migrations and displacements due to war and conflict, Ms Riberti emphasised the importance of a home as space that is “comfortable, cosy and beautiful”. She said that a home is a place “where you can protect yourself and the ones you love.” She stated that “the concept of security is very important for 2017” trends and that, in the face of uncertainty, the concept of home “becomes key, no matter how temporary.”

Evolution of grounded living

With consumers inspired by housewarming, Ms Riberti went on to explore grounded living; the “translation of housewarming into product design”. She explained that grounded living is the next step in the slow-living concept as it emphasises the need to reconnect to nature through authentic, natural experiences in the home.

In the field of kitchenware and cooking, Ms Riberti discussed the renewed attention to ingredients and field-to-plate attitude seen in restaurants influencing the home cooking trend. She explained that this focus on “making” and using the natural world is reflected in cookware and table setting products as they feature earthen materials such as stone and wood. Stoneware will be a key theme seen across kitchenware brands as consumers connect with products that mimic the tactility and heating capabilities of stone. She also explained that the tactile properties of wood are also in trend and that designs will feature untreated wood to display the beauty of natural grain.

Ms Riberti said that domestic craft designs will also be an important trend in the coming seasons for grounded living. Craft designs, such as lace, cross-stitch, embroidery, crochet and knitting patterns have a nostalgic and retro feel and can create a “very personal and lived in” look for the home.

The 31^st HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair and the seventh edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair, which end Saturday, feature a total of more than 2,400 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions showcasing the latest houseware, and home textiles and furnishing products.

Fair Website:

The HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair: http://www.hktdc.com/hkhousewarefair

The HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles &Furnishings Fair:  http://www.hktdc.com/hkhometextilesfair

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About the HKTDC

A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.