At one point during my three days of walking the Las Vegas Convention Center and taking in the new products at the combined International Builders’ Show/Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, I was standing in the shuttle bus line with a few designers.
We chatted about the appliances and products that impressed us. Retractable screen doors, tilt-and-turn windows, refrigerators with inside-cavity door hinges, pull-down shelving, and custom counters made with two different textures and stainless steel were among the sights mentioned. We all saw booths where appliance manufacturers had tossed the trim kits to roll out refrigerators and wall ovens that can install flush with cabinets and counter edges. The new kitchen and bath layout, according to the conversation, is all about integrating movement with efficiency and getting rid of clutter.
Others in the bus queue shared that conference speakers predicted color popularity could be influenced this year by global attractions such as the Sochi Olympics or the World Cup in Brazil. One fellow said that the “in” look for kitchens and baths seemed to be “European.” Counters, cabinets, appliances, sinks, and layouts at many booths sported sleek minimalism with lots of black and gray.
Then Allison, a designer from Long Island, N.Y., said something about these design trends that even I could understand. Home designs tend to be trimmed down and simple during a bad economy, and we’re still in a very slow recovery, she said. During an economic boom, design is flashier and more ornate; color schemes tend to be bolder—remember mocha and jewel tones—and brighter.
“I can tell just by looking at the decor of a house or a room whether that space was designed when the economy was good or bad,” she told us.
So when I had a chance, I checked out magazine photos of houses, kitchens, and bathrooms from previous decades. “The Better Homes and Garden Decorating Book” and “House Beautiful” archives included a good number of rooms with futons, throw rugs, hanging plants, white hardboard cabinets, and antique white and pastel colors during 1981, when double-digit inflation and unemployment reigned. By 1988, well after Fed chief Paul Volcker whipped stagflation, colors turned bolder, even floral. Monster Hollywood dressing rooms appeared with large white light bulbs framing bathroom mirrors. Overhead pot racks and ways to incorporate storage into design were pervasive since we needed more room to accommodate all the stuff we were accumulating.
To my untrained eye, I could see decor swinging from simple to opulent and back again as the country moved in and out of recessions. But even as far back as the 1970s, amid the photo galleries of country, vintage, and Manhattan kitchens, was the “Finnish” or “modern” kitchen featuring the clean horizontal lines, maximum counter space, and minimal cabinets that were similar to layouts displayed at the show just a couple weeks ago. Like fashion, some home design ideas are just cyclical.