JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – After years of focusing on the Baby Boom generation, the home furnishings industry is targeting a new generation of buyers, Generation X. A number of furniture manufacturers are going after the 28- to 39-year-old demographic that is entering their prime furniture buying years.
“One of the top trends evident at the fall home furnishing market is appealing to Generation X buyers,” said Judith Sisler Johnston, president of Sisler Johnston Interior Design and ASID Allied Member. “Industry experts estimate that consumers purchase the most furniture between the ages of 34 and 44.”
Sisler Johnston recently attended The International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. Held twice a year, the event is a showcase of the best and brightest in the home furnishings industry.
Born between the years of 1965-1975, Generation X emerged in a culture dominated by and designed for Baby Boomers. Although initially called “slackers,” Generation X evolved into creative, independent, self-reliant and hard-working men and women who typically have a good work ethic, a strong sense of company loyalty (as long as it is reciprocal) and a desire for financial and emotional security. Sociologists have called Gen-Xers realistic and honest. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are about 47 million that make up Generation X.
“Generation X does not want their parents’ furniture,” Sisler Johnston said. “This group is seen as less traditional than their parents with a strong focus on their families before their work. They are not afraid of mixing furniture styles and they want their furniture to do more than look good. Multifunctional home furnishings have great appeal to this group of buyers.”
Contemporary furnishings with a comfortable modern style were evident in the lines introduced at this year’s market. These furnishings stand out for their understated elegance with clean lines and strong, tailored style. From form to function, today’s Gen-X buyer also wants furniture that is beautiful as well as practical for their living spaces. Decorative storage solution pieces, such as bookcases, shelf units, armoires, and entertainment centers, have great appeal.
“There is now a great availability of free-standing options for what used to be custom built-in furniture,” Sisler Johnston said. “In addition to a desire for storage space that is real and usable, people today move up and move around so often that I believe they are more reluctant to put their money into expensive customized built-ins for their homes if they can achieve the same result with a free-standing furniture system.”
In addition, as advancements in technology drive new products for both work and play, manufacturers continue to develop a variety of home furnishings designed to accommodate the innovations that have become an essential part of today’s lifestyle.
“There were numerous new introductions of entertainment systems designed for plasma and flat screen TVs,” Sisler Johnston said. “Even manufacturers of Juvenile furniture are designing kid spaces to accommodate their computers and game electronics.”
Despite the focus on trends at the semi-annual furniture market in High Point, Sisler Johnston says all buyers should seek the furnishings that work best in their life.
“My philosophy is that everyone has to temper these trends with wisdom and balance to suit his or her personal style,” Sisler Johnston said. “Buyers should consider furnishings that compliment their individual taste and lifestyle so that they will use and enjoy them in their home or workplace.”
Sisler Johnston Interior Design of Jacksonville creates award-winning interior designs for the real estate industry, hospitality industry, commercial, and residential clients. The company celebrates its 20 th anniversary in 2004.
The Sisler Johnston team of licensed, highly trained and gifted designers successfully creates living spaces from concept through realization throughout the United States. Judith Sisler Johnston combines experience, knowledge and professionalism to
help clients develop their vision while analyzing their design requirements. She has been recognized with more than 50 industry awards, including Aurora, Laurel and Excel awards. |
