Merchandise Monday: There’s No Place like Home
The 2013 International Home and Housewares show took place March 2-5 right here in Chicago, and Hinda was on the showroom floor checking out the latest and greatest of what the industry has to offer!
A lot is happening this year in the realms of Kitchen, Home Décor, Floor Care and Outdoor Living. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite room – the kitchen. Eye-popping color is all the rage this year, so why not replace your black, white and stainless steel with bright orange, fuchsia and blue! Everything from stand mixers to pots and pans to servingware is available in brights – and why not?
The Kitchen Chic category is also trending toward the more economical side, with an increased interest appearing in healthy living, bringing your lunch to work, making your own baby food and brewing your coffee at home. Travel beverage and food containers are popular for saving and freezing leftovers and byo-ing your meals – a great way to save a few bucks!
Top emerging trends in the Home Décor category include recycling and refurbishing instead of going out and buying new – and Pantone®’s fabulous palettes are making it easy to match colors and create new looks for items you already have in your home! This year, Pantone is throwing pops of bright color into its earthy-toned palettes to help you spruce up a room or your whole house without spending hours searching for and testing paint.
Texture is also a big factor in the latest Home Décor trends. For example, wicker and shiny white ceramic add another dimension to a brightly painted kitchen hutch; bright throw pillows make a splash on your old comfy couch or easy chair; and waffle-weave crystal for serving or as decorative pieces are hot! Also, look for reflective materials, green and recycled items and simple, bright white lighting.
While we’re on the subject of revamping your home, why not go the extra mile with a little spring cleaning? Floor care is trending right now, with bare floor steam cleaning still a popular way to get the job done. The latest floor cleaners are appearing lightweight, cordless and compact, which makes them easy to use and carry around the house for all your floors. Robotic floor and window cleaners are also emerging in this category, as well as air purifiers and humidifiers. Breathe easy in your newly redecorated home this spring!
And now that spring is on its way, we can finally talk about hanging out outside! Outdoor Living was another emerging trend at the show this year. Look for ways to create beautiful, useful spaces that extend your home living space, perhaps with the addition of a deck, patio, hot tub, pool or outdoor kitchen. Bringing the indoors outside is popular as people are spending more time entertaining at home. Patio furniture and outdoor lighting are becoming more aesthetically pleasing as opposed to just functional.
Stay tuned to Hinda Blog for more tradeshow, trends and merch updates via our weekly column, Merchandise Monday!