WE'VE HAD ECLECTIC, opulent, east-meets-west and minimalist. But if 'the look' of the new millennium is defined by leather recliners and large screen TVs, how will our homes be in 2020?
Home furnishings trend forecaster Michelle Lamb, of US consultancy The Trend Curve, says two evolutions will have the broadest impact one or two decades from now: the role of form in updating the eclectic environment, and a much higher level of personalisation.
'When the term eclectic first emerged in decorating at the end of the 1980s, it referred to that one unexpected piece placed in a room,' says Lamb. 'In time, eclectic came to mean mixing periods and styles in that room, and later, it meant mixing all of that in one piece.'
By the end of the 90s, Lamb says, eclectic style had moved beyond the level of an individual piece. It wasn't just periods and styles that were blended, but also materials, finishes and colours. 'The next update will be form,' she says.
Personalisation will mean more than monograms in the future, and a personalised home will reflect preferences that go beyond colour choice. Think personalised upholstery that sits with just the right amount of firmness; temperature and lighting preferences that follow you from room to room; colours that match your mood, provided by programmable 'smart' fabrics. This will be achieved by adapting the same anti-shoplifting technology now used to tag products in stores, Lamb says. In the home, the tags will transmit personal preferences to product receivers in each room.
Lamb also predicts the emergence of the so-called virtual experience room, a solitary place where one can visit new places, view art or even take risks through high-definition sound and imagery. The room will be dominated by an ultra- comfortable reclining chair or perhaps a bed in which the electronics are embedded. 'But this new virtual experience room doesn't take the place of the family room,' she says. 'There'll still be a room devoted to community entertainment and conversation.'
Homes may also have a wellness room - a spa era spin-off from the once-humble bathroom - fitted with whirlpool baths and monsoon showers, and all manner of high-end products. Lane Crawford's home and lifestyle department buyer Donna Chin Wai-ming says the trend towards pampering at home has already begun, with more customers seeking luxuries such as cashmere hot-water bottle covers, silk towels and $90,000 eiderdowns. 'It seems our customers don't mind paying the price (for luxury) as long as the products are good for them,' Chin says.
