It\u2019s been a couple of weeks. And not to dwell<\/em> on it, but …<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let\u2019s just say we had an incredible time at this year\u2019s Dwell On Design<\/span><\/a> conference \u2014\u00a0such a good time, in fact, that we can\u2019t stop talking (and writing) about it. <\/span> The three-day form \/ function lovefest featured row upon row of design-forward merchandise booths, insightful seminars and thought-provoking panel discussions highlighting architects, landscape designers, marketers and more. <\/span><\/p>\n And then there was this chair<\/a> \u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n A design rockstar of a comfortable heated chair which two of our staff members might still be sitting in had we not bribed one away with a selection of cleverly illustrated design books for sale.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”3991″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Here are four more things we discovered at\u00a0this year\u2019s Dwell On Design conference:<\/span> [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][twentytwenty] Photos: Courtesy of Resource Furniture <\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Whether it was uttered during a panel regarding mixed-use urban architecture or exemplified in a talk on kitchen-design trends, the following sentiment was everywhere: <\/span>As urban environments grow in population and desirability, small spaces are becoming even more of a way of life<\/span><\/i>. <\/span> [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][image_with_animation image_url=”3996″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Photos: Courtesy of The Galley<\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”3992″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Photos: Courtesy of\u00a0Bruce Damonte and David Baker Architects<\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n An increase in urbanization begets the need to share more space with others, even in home environments. According to DOD panel expert Daniel Simons, principal at San Francisco-based David Baker Architects<\/a>, this trend is increasingly OK with today\u2019s home buyer. \u201cPeople have realized how wonderful urban life can be,\u201d says Simons. \u201cPeople in general, but especially Millennials, are becoming increasingly more comfortable in public and semi-private spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n As community life continues to intertwine with the new concept of a \u2018social life,\u2019 contemporary design is answering this call with beautifully orchestrated common areas in vertically designed spaces (think: condo and apartment dwellings).<\/p>\n Shared outdoor spaces in particular appeal to the new buyer\u2019s sense of taste, comfort and sophistication, says DOD panel speaker Gerdo Aquino, urban designer and landscape architect at Los Angeles-based SWA<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing the rural environment to the urban environment,\u201d Aquino says. He cited New York\u2019s Central Park, the Gardens of Babylon and other iconic outdoor spaces as inspiration for his firm\u2019s designs, which often feature lush, green environments, comfortable seating, living walls and wood accents in addition to hammocks, swings, paintings, graffiti art and even bean bags.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][image_with_animation image_url=”3993″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Photos: Courtesy of SWA<\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”4003″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The answer is d. <\/span> [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/_KN-5zmvjAo”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n In a seminar entitled \u201cUnderstanding The New Consumer,\u201d speaker <\/span>Mike Hetherman<\/span><\/a>, CEO of building-material distribution company, Wills, discussed an important (and recent) economic shift on the part of buyers. <\/span><\/p>\n In 2010, when the iPad was launched, many well-respected industry thinkers predicted its failure. The post-2008 price-sensitive consumer, they said, would have no appetite for an expensive and unnecessary new gadget. <\/span> [\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Did you go to Dwell on Design? What were your favorite moments? Drop us a line in the comments section or email sabra@wordpress-1173240-4329943.cloudwaysapps.com <\/span><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We went to America\u2019s largest design event. Here\u2019s what we came away with. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[25,27,71,98,79,57,28,78,56,73,75,77,49,76,72],"yoast_head":"\n
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\n<\/span><\/p>\n1<\/strong><\/span> Modular design is still winning.<\/h2>\n
\n![\"Dwell](\"https:\/\/ruhm.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/CLEI-Kitchen-Box-Plus-Giro\u0300-Oslo-divano-301.3_LARGE.jpg\")
![\"Dwell](\"https:\/\/ruhm.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/CLEI-Kitchen-Box-Plus-Giro\u0300-Oslo-divano-301.4-LARGE.jpg\")
\n[\/twentytwenty][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>Yet the new, discerning consumer still wants his or her tiny, coveted corner of the world to be impeccably designed. That means employing modular products that look as great as they work. Cases in point: This <\/span>kitchen system from The Galley<\/span><\/a>, which shape-shifts to offer various workstations in one; or, a classic Murphy Bed from <\/span>Resource Furniture<\/span><\/a>. (The design world still loves good \u2018ol Murph for good reason.) <\/span><\/p>\n2<\/strong><\/span> Shared Space is a Priority<\/h2>\n
3<\/strong><\/span> Plants are the new _______ [a. chotchke | b. room divider | c. point of interest | d. all of the above].<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/span>The humble-yet-powerful green design warrior is back with a visual vengeance, and we couldn\u2019t be happier about it. Not since the \u201870s has the houseplant been such a fixture on countertops, desktops and in otherwise cavernous living room corners (we\u2019re all now familiar with the infamous, temperamental <\/span>fiddle-leaf fig<\/span><\/a>, right? And its hot new cousin, the <\/span>Rubber Plant<\/span><\/a>?). Leafy lovelies graced many a display booth and hanging room divider at DOD this year, softening the industrial \u201ctradeshow\u201d feel of the place. Confirmed: \u201cPut a plant on it\u201d is the new \u201c<\/span>put a bird on it<\/span><\/a>.\u201d <\/span>
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\n<\/span>P.S.<\/span><\/i> Some of our parents are especially excited about the resurgence of Macrame hanging pots. (The \u201860s are back \u2026 again!) This vid shows you <\/span><\/i>how to make one<\/span><\/i><\/a> in under an hour.<\/span><\/i> We also love these contemporary desktop planter options from <\/span>West Elm<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n4<\/strong><\/span> For the new consumer, design trumps a deal.<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/span>What happened next stunned the naysayers: <\/span>Apple sold 300,000 ipads<\/span><\/a> in the first day of release. In 2015, <\/span>a report was released<\/span><\/a> that showed the iPad occupying just short of double the market share of its next-biggest competitor, Samsung. The reason for all this? \u00a0\u201cAt the height of the Great Recession, the priority was design,\u201d Hetherman said. Apparently, it still is. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>The takeaway: In challenging economic times, there\u2019s still a group of individuals willing to spend, as long as the product in question prioritizes form, functionality <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>beauty. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>(Side note: We were so energized by this group, often called the \u201cNeo Consumer,\u201d that we\u2019re endeavoring to write a whole post about them. Look for it next week.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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