Michael J. Berens

Michael J. Berens is a freelance researcher and writer with more than 30 years of experience in association communication and management. He can be reached at mjberensresearch@gmail.com.

Articles by Michael J. Berens

• Design for mental wellness

  Tuesday, December 15, 2020

  Decades of case studies and research studies have demonstrated ways that interior design can improve mental healthcare environments. Design interventions such as altering space layouts, improving lighting and daylighting, modifying colors, and introducing natural elements have been found to reduce anxiety and aggression in some mental health patients, leading to more constructive therapies, less violence and less need for medications to control behavior, among other benefits. A natural next step is to employ similar interventions to support and improve mental wellness in order to prevent the onset of mental distress or illness.

• Outlook for remodeling industry in 2021 still fuzzy

  Wednesday, December 09, 2020

  As previous indicators predicted, demand for professional remodeling services rebounded in the third quarter of the year. After experiencing negative growth in the first half of the year, the industry is now poised to end the year in the black with a modest increase in growth over last year. Whether it can sustain that positive growth next year, however, is at present uncertain. Remodelers are optimistic but are facing headwinds that could cause demand to slow.

• Luxury homebuyers changing faces, places

  Thursday, December 03, 2020

  More than any other factor in recent years, the coronavirus has changed how we live and where we choose to live. Up until this year, demographers have puzzled over why there was so little movement among the population. Now, individuals and families are relocating in large numbers and to places that a year ago would not have been top of mind. Especially in the case of higher-income households, this is causing profound shifts in the makeup of communities and the distribution of wealth.

• High demand for homes is depleting inventories

  Tuesday, December 01, 2020

  Prospective homebuyers are facing a dwindling pool of choices as the supply of properties for sale has hit an all-time low. Sales activity remains brisk, with most homes selling in less than a month. Yet despite advantages for sellers, including historically low interest rates and escalating values, fewer owners are putting their homes on the market, and builders have not been able to keep up with the demand for new homes. The combination of low inventories and higher prices likely will cause the pace of sales to slacken in the coming months.

• How design is aiming to bring hotel guests back

  Wednesday, November 18, 2020

  Hospitality and travel arguably have been the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Beset by fears of contagion, travel restrictions and mandated closures, hotels rushed to put strict health and safety protocols in place and revamp spaces to accommodate social distancing, hoping to revive custom, with only partial success. Now, as they look ahead to next year and the promise that the virus will be brought under control, hoteliers are exploring what more they can do to lure travelers back to their properties.

• Remodelers bullish as demand resurges

  Thursday, November 12, 2020

  Remodelers entered the final quarter of the year riding a wave of strong demand for home renovation projects. With no end to the coronavirus pandemic in sight, homeowners are continuing to upgrade and alter their living spaces to accommodate the changes to their lifestyles resulting from home confinement and the need to work and be schooled from home. Rising home values and low interest rates are helping to sustain the trend and carry it through to the end of the year.

• Interior designers foresee softer demand at year’s end

  Wednesday, November 04, 2020

  Continuing the upward trend that began toward the end of the second quarter, interior design activity rebounded to close to 2019 levels in the third quarter. Billings were up nearly twice what they had been in the spring, with demand for residential remodeling and design services leading the way. As the quarter came to a close, though, firms experienced a slowdown in new inquiries and committed projects, a signal that business may taper off slightly in the final months of the year.

• Untethered affluents fueling booming home sales

  Wednesday, October 28, 2020

  Back in the spring when the housing market plummeted practically overnight, no one expected that homes would be flying off the shelf in September. Although the boom in home sales that began last May has slowed in recent months, demand still far exceeds supply, with the majority of homes last month selling in less than 30 days. For the most part, those homes are being bought by affluent homeowners who, no longer bound to their office commutes and urban lifestyles, are snapping up single-family suburban homes, vacation homes and luxury homes.

• Improving senior care by mimicking natural light cycles with LED technology

  Wednesday, October 21, 2020

  Numerous studies have identified the need for better lighting conditions in senior care facilities. Residents often have too little exposure to natural light during the day and are subjected to leaks from artificial lighting during the night. This can lead to a range of health problems, from erratic sleep patterns to impaired cognition to listlessness and depression. Recent developments in LED technology may provide a solution by creating interior lighting conditions that change throughout the day and night, mimicking the natural light cycle to which the body is attuned.

• Better days ahead for remodelers

  Friday, October 16, 2020

  The homebound nature of American life since March has produced a boom in the home improvement industry, especially in product sales. For remodelers and designers, however, it has been a mixed blessing. While demand for professional services has rebounded in recent months from the historic lows in early spring, it has been dampened by the large number of homeowners choosing to undertake home improvement projects themselves. That trend is expected to change in the months ahead as homeowners shift their attention from smaller, simpler repairs to more substantial renovations requiring more expertise.

• Confinement is changing our attitudes toward our homes

  Wednesday, October 07, 2020

  Familiarity has not bred contempt for our living spaces, but it has set us thinking about what kind of homes we want now that we are spending more time in them. Recent surveys of consumers and home professionals show that after months of confinement homeowners have redesign on their mind. In part, they are motivated by the changes in home life resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The trend toward greater concern for wellness and more contact with nature has increased as well.

• Shrinking inventories rein in booming home sales

  Wednesday, September 30, 2020

  Home sales in August eased back to a more normal pace after hitting record-setting levels in June and July. So far, the market has recovered quickly from the spring slump caused by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and is now well ahead of last year’s gains. High demand, however, has significantly cut into the short supply of homes for sale, producing a drag on the market that is likely to linger throughout the remainder of the year.

• Hospitality embraces co-working to entice a new kind of business client

  Wednesday, September 23, 2020

  Along with bars and restaurants, hotels have been one of the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic. With fewer international and business travelers, they’ve had to pivot and market themselves in different ways to try to attract the local population to avail themselves of their services. Recently, in a move to increase revenues and entice guests, a number of hotels have announced that they have added co-working spaces and packages for individuals and groups, whether they choose to come for a few hours or stay longer.

• Remodeling activity rebounds, but for how long?

  Wednesday, September 16, 2020

  Even though a large portion of homeowners are undertaking do-it-yourself home repair and improvement projects, demand for professional remodeling services rebounded in the second quarter. Business conditions appeared to be improving further in the first half of the third quarter as well. Come the fourth quarter, however, business may very well begin to taper off, initiating a downward trend that will stretch into the middle of next year and possibly longer.

• Urban exodus revives luxury home sales

  Wednesday, September 09, 2020

  Not all the news about the coronavirus pandemic is bad news. After slowing to a crawl in April and May, sales of luxury single-family homes rebounded in late June and July as affluent urbanites fled from congested cities and the confines of their high-end condos to seek out safer, more open spaces. In some more desirable areas, sales more than doubled or tripled over the same time last year.

• Home sales soar, and so do prices

  Wednesday, August 26, 2020

  The homebuying spree that began in June continued into July, fueled by a shift toward larger, suburban homes and low mortgage rates. However, although improved somewhat, inventory of homes for sale remained low. That combination of low supply and high demand increased competition for the homes that were available, pushing up the cost of purchasing a home to record levels.

• Designers addressing workplace challenges on two fronts

  Wednesday, August 19, 2020

  As businesses gradually reopen, some workers are reluctant to return to the office, and for those who do, workspaces have to be modified to encourage social distancing and ensure the physical environment is as sanitary as possible. Designers are being called on to adapt the work environment to the new normal on two fronts, in commercial spaces and at home.

• Homeowners doing more improvements with less

  Wednesday, August 12, 2020

  Home renovation and improvement activity has surged in recent months as owners confined to home have responded to the urge to undertake needed repairs or make their living environment more pleasant. Due to concerns about health, finances or the unavailability of renovation specialists, many of these homeowners have chosen to do the work themselves. In some sectors, though, remodelers also are experiencing increased demand.

• Shifting conditions present challenges for designers

  Wednesday, August 05, 2020

  At the beginning of the third quarter, as many states began to relax restrictions, business appeared to be picking up for interior designers in some sectors and regions of the country. With the recent resurgence in outbreaks of the coronavirus nationwide, however, activity has pulled back somewhat in recent weeks. In addition, delays in manufacturing and purchasing, along with a shortage of skilled tradespeople, have added to designers' challenges.

• Delayed buying season pushes home sales to record levels

  Tuesday, July 28, 2020

  Pent-up demand from months of home confinement combined with record-low mortgage interest rates created a surge in home buying in June. Sales of new and existing homes reached some of their highest levels ever and were up in every region of the country. Industry experts differ, though, on whether this is a sign of the market’s recovery or just a temporary boost before activity tapers off again.

• Pandemic accelerates next-generation design in senior living

  Wednesday, July 22, 2020

  Because COVID-19 spreads so rapidly, often undetected, and is disproportionately fatal in the case of elderly patients, the pandemic has exposed underlying vulnerabilities in the current design and operation of senior living facilities. This has some in the sector, including architects and designers, developing new models of what senior living might look like in the near future.

• Remodelers hopeful resurgence in business will continue

  Friday, July 17, 2020

  Renewed homeowner interest in undertaking home renovation projects has boosted remodelers' optimism that demand for their services will rebound in the third quarter. Activity began to improve in the latter part of the second quarter as some states started opening up businesses and relaxing stay-at-home orders. But with some cities and states reinstating closures and lockdowns due to renewed outbreaks of COVID-19, the outlook at present is more uncertain.

• Home design priorities changing as owners age in place

  Wednesday, July 08, 2020

  With the largest percentage of homeownership and length of stay, as well as home asset value, the 55-plus market continues to drive demand for home design, remodeling and renovation services. Older homeowners are more likely to hire a professional when undertaking design and renovation projects, and they tend to spend more on average per project. With many choosing to remain in their current home, they are shifting their attention from redesign to renovations that will support their future needs.

• Homebuyers head to the ‘burbs

  Wednesday, June 24, 2020

  New home sales soared in May, pushing year-over-year sales figures back into the black. Low interest rates, a shortage of existing homes for sale, and early steps to revive economic activity helped to fuel the demand for new homes. So did what appears to be a growing pandemic-driven trend, a migration from cities to the suburbs. After two months of declining sales, purchases of new homes vaulted 16.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Demand drove prices back up as well.

• Tracking how we view interior design

  Wednesday, June 17, 2020

  Walk into a room and the mind immediately begins to note its characteristics. As the eyes scan the objects before them, they register the quality of light, color, texture, contrast, arrangement, what is familiar and what is unfamiliar. In a matter of seconds, the brain processes all that information and generates an emotional reaction to the space. What happens in those few seconds, where do the eyes go, and how might our understanding of that process help improve the way spaces are designed in the future?

• Homebound homeowners pursue remodeling projects

  Wednesday, June 10, 2020

  Like other sectors of the housing industry, remodeling services have experienced a substantial drop in demand as a result of health and safety concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, being confined to home has given homeowners plenty of time to think about improvements they’d like to make. Now with parts of the country beginning to open up, remodelers in some areas are seeing an increase in inquiries and project scheduling, suggesting activity may resume fairly quickly once conditions allow.

• Luxury home market poised for quick rebound

  Wednesday, June 03, 2020

  As with other sectors of the housing market, sales of luxury homes in the U.S. plunged in late March and April as most of the country came under stay-at-home orders. Domestic clientele decided to hold back, and with many other affluent countries facing similar restrictions, including bans on air travel, the pool of international buyers and investors soon evaporated. Sellers quickly began to pull their properties off the market, further reducing opportunities for sales. In recent weeks activity has begun to revive, however, and industry insiders anticipate that sales will start to rebound by early summer.

• Health concerns are reshaping the housing landscape

  Wednesday, May 27, 2020

  As expected, home sales plummeted in April, the first full month during which much of the nation was under orders to remain indoors. Nonetheless, in some parts of the country buyer demand continued to outstrip supply, and prices increased due to inventory shortages. Without question, the health crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for social interaction are having a significant impact on real estate markets and communities.

• VR goes to work in interior design

  Wednesday, May 20, 2020

  Confronted with the need to maintain social distancing and minimize direct contact with clients, many design firms have turned to visualization tools such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) during the past few months as means of increasing engagement with clients and facilitating virtual design planning and decision-making. This is likely to be merely the first step towards tapping the considerable potential these of technologies.

• Early indicators signal mixed recovery for remodelers

  Wednesday, May 13, 2020

  When the economy begins to regain momentum, will demand for remodeling services bounce back? Or, will homeowners proceed more cautiously for some months, waiting to see if conditions improve and the housing market stabilizes? Industry analysts in recent weeks have proposed both scenarios. At present, a third scenario seems more likely, that some homeowners will want to move ahead with projects right away, while others will choose to wait.

• Interior designers drawn to top metro areas

  Wednesday, May 06, 2020

  For the second year in a row, during a 12-month period from May 2018 to May 2019, the numbers of employed interior designers shifted dramatically toward the nation's top metro areas. Demand for designers, as indicated by a substantial rise in hiring, seems to have made it possible for some designers to relocate to more desirable positions and/or locations. Even though interior design employment has grown every year since 2015, some states have experienced notable declines in employed designers.

• Sellers pull back as housing market tumbles

  Wednesday, April 29, 2020

  In spite of rising home values, sellers began pulling their homes off the market during the last two weeks of March as the health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic began shutting down the economy. Consequently, sales for the month plummeted, and already tight inventories declined even further. Homebuying activity has not stopped altogether but is expected to slow substantially throughout the spring.

• What happens when the hospitality sector reopens?

  Wednesday, April 22, 2020

  Just before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry nearly to a halt, U.S. hotel construction hit an all-time high in March. Other projects were queueing up in the pipeline. Now, as with so many industries at present, the future of those projects as well as of hospitality in general remains in doubt. Once travel restrictions begin to loosen up, will guests come back, which ones, and how soon are questions both travel and hospitality analysts are trying to answer.

• Remodeling activity tapers off amidst economic standstill

  Wednesday, April 15, 2020

  Concerns for health and safety as well as the economic uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have brought about an abrupt reversal in remodeling activity in the past month. Several recent industry surveys show that between 70 to 90% of firms engaged in remodeling and renovation have seen a substantial decline in new business inquiries along with increasing numbers of client requests for project delays or cancellations. Nonetheless, many are hopeful business will return when living and working conditions improve.

• Interior design employment growth highest in 5 years, per most recent data

  Wednesday, April 08, 2020

  Since 2015, when the industry rebounded from the Great Recession, the number of employed interior designers has been gradually increasing each year. In the 12-month period from May 2018 to May 2019, however, the number of interior designers added to the employment rolls grew by nearly 6% — the largest increase since 2015. Employment for interior designers in 2019 was the highest it has ever been, with more of them working in A&D firms rather than in other industry-related positions.

• Housing recovery slips away, again

  Wednesday, March 25, 2020

  Given the ups and downs of recent years, any prognosis about the state of the U.S. housing market is risky. Still, emerging data from the month of February suggests that the industry may have experienced the beginning of an upward trend going into spring, traditionally the busiest homebuying season of the year. Now, however, the oft-predicted recovery yet again will have to wait a while longer — perhaps much longer — as the country wrestles with the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Downsizing comes to senior living

  Wednesday, March 18, 2020

  More is more has been the trend in senior living for many years — more variety, more choice, more activities, more open spaces, more gathering places. That trend is poised to reverse itself in the coming decade, believe some industry experts. Developments in technology and construction will make smaller spaces more attractive to aging baby boomers looking for a place to spend their later years.

• New remodeling forecasts revised upward

  Tuesday, March 10, 2020

  Demand for remodeling services maintained momentum in the fourth quarter of 2019, with remodelers reporting average revenue gains a few notches above industry projections. That momentum is expected to carry over into the first half of this year, fueled by the recent uptick in activity in the housing market. Although industry experts still foresee mainly moderate growth for 2020, they have revised their long-range forecasts slightly higher than those of the previous quarter.

• Designers upbeat as remodeling boom continues

  Wednesday, March 04, 2020

  With market conditions trending in their favor, residential interior designers are looking forward to another profitable year. Reluctant to give up their current homes, homeowners planning to stay in place for the long haul are choosing to spend instead on improvements and updates. Although industry forecasts predict remodeling and renovation activity will slow during the second half of the year, at present surveys show a sizable majority of homeowners have plans to undertake home improvement projects in the coming months.

• New home sales soar while inventories plummet

  Wednesday, February 26, 2020

  If you can’t buy 'em, build 'em. With inventories of existing homes for sale at their lowest levels in years, would-be homebuyers are turning to the new home market in droves. New housing starts and permit requests have increased by double digits compared to a year ago, and sales of new homes in January were up substantially following three months of decline. Whether this is the beginning of trend or just a temporary bump remains to be seen.

• The brain on nature:  The why behind biophilic design

  Tuesday, February 18, 2020

  Natural environments and the presence of nature in built environments have been found to produce beneficial effects on occupants. Those findings have given rise to the growing use of biophilic design strategies, which seek to improve occupant health and well-being through the incorporation of nature views and natural elements into interior environments. Now, scientists are learning more about how and why we respond to natural stimuli in certain ways — research that can help designers to refine their application of biophilia to have greater impact.

• Remodelers ride a wave of consumer optimism

  Wednesday, February 12, 2020

  Consumers have a lot to be happy about. Job growth is strong, household incomes are increasing, inflation and interest rates are low, and the economy keeps chugging along, defying warnings of bubbles bursting and an impending recession. That optimism has been good for remodelers, who are benefitting from consumers’ willingness to spend and invest in their homes. Spending on home improvement surged in the month of December, according to recent reports.

• Single women homebuyers are a growing market niche

  Wednesday, February 05, 2020

  Women have long been the primary client — or in the case of couples, the primary decision-maker — for residential interior design services. Due to some recent demographic trends, a new subgroup of potential women clients is emerging — the single homebuyer. As might be expected, these homeowners have different priorities for what they want in a home and how they want it to function. Although overall women still earn substantially less than men, as a group they are making inroads into higher-paying, traditionally male-dominated fields.

• Creeping prices keep lid on home sales

  Tuesday, January 28, 2020

  Low mortgage rates helped drive home sales in December. At the same time, shrinking inventories combined with increased demand to push home prices higher. That left some buyers, especially those at entry level, with fewer or no options, holding down the number of potential sales. Nevertheless, analysts are optimistic that market conditions will remain positive in 2020. Sales of existing homes rebounded from a 1.7% drop in November, climbing 3.6% month-over-month in December. Much of that gain came from condo and co-op sales, which soared 10.7% for the month.

• Feeling the way to better acoustics

  Wednesday, January 22, 2020

  Dozens, if not hundreds, of studies have demonstrated the negative impact noise has on occupants. Yet, even with advances in materials and technology, noise continues to be a major challenge to designing today’s interior environments. Perhaps the solution lies deeper than controlling for noise. It may have to do with how we respond emotionally to the sounds around us. Much of the controversy concerning noise in interior environments has followed from the widespread adoption of open-plan and active space layouts.

• Remodeling activity holding steady for now

  Thursday, January 16, 2020

  Early indications suggest that, as it has for the previous two quarters, growth in remodeling activity remained more or less flat in the fourth quarter of 2019. Current projections show that trend will continue for much of the coming year. Remodelers, however, are more optimistic, pointing to current project backlogs and a recent uptick in project inquiries. The outlook for remodeling business in 2020 varies depending on what part of the market one is looking at.

• What designers should know about buying habits for home furnishings

  Wednesday, January 08, 2020

  What people put in their homes says a lot about who they are and what their homes mean to them. And how people shop for what they put in their homes says a lot about what they value and how they decide what will go into their homes. For designers seeking to market their services to homeowners, understanding their buying habits can provide insights into how they are likely to go about choosing an interior designer.

• Builders, buyers optimistic about housing market

  Tuesday, December 17, 2019

  Renewed activity in home sales along with low interest rates and a more positive forecast for the economy in the year ahead have boosted builder and buyer confidence in the housing market. While price increases and a shortage of inventory have hamstrung purchases of existing homes, sales of new homes have been increasing. That trend is likely to continue into 2020 as builders continue to respond to pressures to build more affordable homes.

• What lies ahead for remodelers?

  Wednesday, December 11, 2019

  As remodelers prepare to say goodbye to the century's second decade, they may be feeling a bit ambivalent about their future prospects. All in all, the last half of the present decade has been pretty good for remodelers, with annual growth figures hovering around 5 to 7% or better. Recent indicators suggest that trend is winding down. The good news is demand for remodeling services should remain solid, but revenue growth in the next couple of years will likely be more modest.

• Luxury homebuyers are shifting locales

  Wednesday, December 04, 2019

  The market for luxury homes regained its footing in the third quarter — the first positive quarter of growth this year. Sales of second and vacation homes also are rising. Unexpectedly, activity was greatest in so-called secondary markets, notably areas that are experiencing migrations of more affluent homeowners and real estate investors. These trends should help to widen the sphere of opportunities for interior designers seeking to acquire more high-end clients.

• Housing inventories drop as sales heat up

  Monday, November 25, 2019

  The seesaw ride that is the U.S. housing market appears to have no end in sight. After dipping in September, home sales rebounded in October. At the same time, however, inventory levels fell to their lowest point in the year, causing prices to rise by their highest percentage increase in the year. With mortgage rates fluctuating and the winter months just around the corner, sales are likely to stagger in the final months of the year.

• In hotel design, business skills can give you an edge

  Tuesday, November 19, 2019

  Hoteling today is all about creating memorable guest experiences. In recent years, hotel operators have turned to designers to create awe-inspiring, welcoming and soothing interiors to help distinguish their properties from those of their competitors. At the end of the day, though, hotels are businesses, and designers who can help cut or control costs and deliver an Instagrammable interior are likely to find favor with clients.

• Remodelers lower expectations but anticipate growth

  Wednesday, November 13, 2019

  Remodeling activity in the third quarter eased slightly. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) stated its Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 55 (indicating modest growth) for the third quarter, the same reading as for the second quarter. Remodelers reported slight declines in client traffic and in demand for both major and minor additions or alterations. Nonetheless, remodelers remain optimistic that business will rebound in the fourth quarter and they will finish the year on a positive note. Less certain is what will happen next year.

• Mixed expectations for interior design businesses at year’s end

  Wednesday, November 06, 2019

  Interior design activity in the third quarter of the year was by and large mixed, with some sectors and some regions faring better than others. That trend is expected to continue throughout the fourth quarter, based on recent surveys of designer sentiment. Rising costs of products and materials, along with growing uncertainty about the health of the economy, have put a damper on client demand for new projects and larger projects. On the whole, residential firms experienced only a modest decline in activity during the summer.

• Home sales lose momentum despite falling prices

  Wednesday, October 30, 2019

  Housing activity in September softened across the board and across the country. Low mortgage rates and reductions in home prices were not enough to offset a shortage of more affordable properties. Sales of both new and existing homes slid from the previous month. New home starts and completions dropped substantially. While inventory of existing homes remained stable, those at lower price points were harder to find.

• Is it time to put ‘senior living’ out to pasture?

  Wednesday, October 16, 2019

  Back in the day, when you reached a certain age and had no one to care for you, you’d be sent to the "old folks’ home" to live out your remaining years. Then, "retirement villages" came along, replacing the stigma of the old folks’ home. Over time, these age-restricted communities have evolved into today’s "senior living" model, offering a wide range of activities, support services, and a continuum of elder care, often in a residential-like setting. Several reports released this year suggest, however, that the concept of "senior living" may have run its course, too.

• New insights into millennials’ remodeling preferences

  Tuesday, October 08, 2019

  With more and more millennials becoming homebuyers and sellers, we are learning more about what they are looking for in a home and the changes they are making to the homes they buy. While they do demonstrate some preferences that distinguish them from older homeowners, in other cases their current behavior appears to be more influenced by life stage than by cohort values. About half of all millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are in their 30s. In the decade ahead, more and more of them will be approaching the threshold age at which many are buying homes.

• Uncovering a smart-home tech disconnect

  Wednesday, October 02, 2019

  Smart homes are undoubtedly the wave of the future. Yet, despite the hype in recent years around the plethora of smart devices available for the home, homeowners have been slow to embrace smart-home living wholeheartedly. At the moment, they appear to be more interested in supporting the tech they have already than in adding more tech to their lives. A kitchen technology awareness survey of interior designers and consumers conducted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) in 2018 revealed a considerable disconnect between what technologies consumers said appealed to them and what designers’ perceived their clients wanted.

• Lower interest rates boost home sales, prices

  Wednesday, September 25, 2019

  Bucking the more common seesaw pattern of recent years, home sales in August rose for the second month in a row, buoyed by a decline in mortgage interest rates. Both new and existing homes posted gains, reaffirming analysts’ indications that there is a high level of pent-up demand for homes, but that many prospective buyers have been deterred by tight inventories and high prices. Sales levels had been lagging behind those of 2018 during the first half of the year but now are up 2.6% from the same period last year.

• Remodeling activity to ease, then dip in 2020

  Wednesday, September 18, 2019

  Contrary to earlier forecasts, demand for residential remodeling services increased during the second quarter of 2019. Industry experts have adjusted their growth projections for the year upward. At the same time, however, they now foresee a steeper decline in growth for the year ahead. Mark Boud, chief economist at Metrostudy, noted that continued weak home sales and construction rates were expected to continue into 2020, resulting in “some loss of remodeling activity."

• Fixing the bugs in activity-based work environments

  Wednesday, September 11, 2019

  Companies with high concentrations of knowledge workers have been gravitating toward activity-based work (ABW) environments in recent years to address employees’ complaints about the shortcomings of open-plan office spaces. Although employee response has been generally favorable, recent research indicates that ABWs can present their own set of problems if not carefully designed. In lieu of a single, dedicated office or cubicle, ABWs offer employees a wide variety of space types in which to work, each designed to support different types of work and interpersonal activities.

• Interior design’s widening impact on healthcare outcomes

  Wednesday, September 04, 2019

  One of the biggest successes in interior design in recent years has been the recognition that the design of healthcare interiors can have a significant impact on patient experience and, consequently, health outcomes. For more than two decades, research and case studies have documented various ways in which patient-centered improvements to the interior environment can make positive contributions to patients’ physiological and psychological health. Over time, the list has grown as investigators, building on previous research, have explored patients’ responses in a variety of healthcare settings more deeply.

• Housing market revived with more affordability in July

  Wednesday, August 28, 2019

  It was Christmas in July for the housing market. Mortgage rates fell to near-historic lows following an interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve. Existing home prices continued to level off. Homebuilders made some headway toward replenishing inventories. As the purchase of a home became somewhat more affordable, buyer sentiment rose and so did sales.

• Designing intelligent interactive environments

  Wednesday, August 21, 2019

  Integrating interactive technologies into interior environments is becoming increasingly common. So, too, is the use of interactive robots in nonindustrial settings. What if you could combine the two to create an interior space that is itself an intelligent, interactive agent? That’s the goal of a project being developed at Cornell University’s Architectural Robotics Lab.

• Homeowners opting for repairs over remodels

  Wednesday, August 14, 2019

  By some measures, the home improvement industry is bustling. More homeowners are taking on more projects and spending more on those projects. That has helped to sustain growth in remodeling services this year, but not as much as one might expect. Recent industry reports indicate that a large portion of homeowner spending is being directed toward repairs and routine maintenance rather than remodeling and renovation.

• Smaller and new are the prevailing trends in luxury homes

  Tuesday, August 06, 2019

  Changing customer lifestyles and preferences are realigning the market for luxury homes. Sales are declining in some areas long considered to be havens for the wealthy and are rising in desirable suburbs and city centers. As younger, affluent buyers and relocating baby boomers opt for simplicity and convenience over opulence, the demand for smaller and new, move-in-ready homes is growing.

• For well-being, natural is almost as good as nature

  Wednesday, July 31, 2019

  Numerous research studies have shown that people experiencing stress, fatigue, trauma, and recovery from illness respond positively to natural settings, natural elements (such as indoor plants and water features), and views of nature. But what of nature imagery or patterns similar to those found in nature? Does exposure to sensory stimuli that remind us of being in a natural setting produce a similar effect? Several recent studies indicate that they do.

• New home sales rebound as resales dip

  Wednesday, July 24, 2019

  In a pattern all-too-familiar to builders and realtors, housing market activity flipped again in June, with the scales tilting up for new homes and down for resale homes. Sales of new homes surged in June following two consecutive months of dismal declines. On the other side of the market, tight inventories and rising prices put a dent in sales of existing homes, which similarly had trended upward in May after two previous months of negative growth. Despite mortgage rates remaining relatively low, affordability and availability continue to be the primary factors influencing consumers’ willingness to purchase a home.

• Remodeling activity expected to slow in third quarter

  Thursday, July 18, 2019

  Having held relatively steady during the first half of the year, growth in home remodeling and renovation activity is expected to decrease somewhat in the months ahead. Fewer existing home sales and supply-side challenges such as a lack of skilled labor and rising costs have lowered demand for new projects. Unless those conditions improve, analysts say, the long-range forecast predicts a significant reduction in annual growth in 2020.

• Interior design activity trends positively in spring

  Thursday, July 11, 2019

  Coming off a slow start at the beginning of the year, interior design business activity surged in early spring. At present, activity is trending above that of last year, although modestly. Designers overall are optimistic conditions will remain positive going into the third quarter of the year. After three months of negative growth, the American Society of Interior Designers’ Interior Design Billings Index (IDBI) spiked more than 14 points in March, to 60.4.

• Falling mortgage rates lift home sales

  Wednesday, June 26, 2019

  Prospective homebuyers took advantage of a drop in mortgage rates in May to scoop up available inventory. Entry-level and lower-income buyers were especially eager to lock in a purchase in anticipation that lower rates will cause home prices to creep upwards again. It was only the second time this year that sales of existing homes increased month-over-month. New home sales, on the other hand, plummeted for the second month in a row.

• Adapting hotel design for bleisure travel

  Wednesday, June 19, 2019

  One the biggest trends in the hospitality industry today, bleisure travel has hotels vying with one another to lure travelers to their properties as destination locations suitable for combined business and relaxation activities. As is often the case in hospitality, they are adapting a hotel’s design as well as its operations to provide the atmosphere and amenities bleisure travelers are seeking. With demanding travel and work schedules, more and more of today’s business travelers, seeking to adjust their work-life balance, are extending their stays to engage in leisure and wellness activities.

• Pace of remodeling stays brisk, spending softens

  Wednesday, June 12, 2019

  Remodeling activity in the first three months of this year exceeded that of the previous quarter, continuing an upward growth trend. Industry projections and homeowner surveys indicate demand for services should remain steady throughout the remainder of the year. However, annual growth is expected to be more modest than in recent years, and homeowners plan to cut back spending on some projects. For the 28th quarter in a row, MetroStudy’s Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) posted positive growth in the first quarter of 2019, up 0.7% from the previous quarter and 4.1% over the first quarter of 2018.

• Human-centered design is the secret sauce for open-plan success

  Wednesday, June 05, 2019

  Open-plan workspaces have been given quite a thrashing in recent years. The more ubiquitous they become, the more employees and critics complain about how awful they are to work in. What makes the difference? Designers will not be surprised to learn that, according to recent research, the major factor is the quality of the interior design. Drawing on what is now an extensive body of research, most workspaces now are designed to promote certain kinds of employee behaviors found to be linked to important business goals, such as more rapid innovation and increased productivity.

• Rising prices dampen home sales

  Wednesday, May 29, 2019

  Declining mortgage rates and increased inventory of lower-priced homes sent prospective buyers — especially first-time, entry-level buyers — flocking into the housing market in March. But as those homes were snatched up and the average selling price again began to rise, demand receded. Month-over-month sales of both new and existing homes dipped in April, as did consumer sentiment that now is a good time to buy a home.

• More sellers than buyers for luxury homes

  Monday, May 13, 2019

  Sales of luxury homes have been falling since the beginning of the year. In most areas of the country, the number of luxury homes for sale has increased while selling prices have declined. Among higher-end properties, demand has especially dropped off as tax changes and fluctuations in the stock market have made luxury home purchases less desirable. Many luxury homes were put up for sale following the tax reform changes that took effect as of Jan. 1 this year.

• Opposing trends will hold remodeling growth in check

  Monday, May 06, 2019

  Recent first quarter industry reports show signs that the pace of remodeling services growth has begun to taper off. While forecasters do not expect demand to slip into negative territory for the foreseeable future, they do project that, contrary to the robust increases remodelers experienced in 2017 and 2018, growth over the next several years will be more modest. In part, this is because conflicting market forces will constrain demand. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), year-over-year growth in residential remodeling spending fell from a high of 19% in 2017 to almost half that, 10%, in 2018.

• Interior designers consolidating in fewer states

  Wednesday, May 01, 2019

  Between 2017 and 2018, large numbers of interior designers changed locations, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Half of all states reported fewer employed interior designers in May 2018 than in May 2017. Many of the designers appear to have migrated to a handful of states with some of the highest concentrations of designers in the country. Employment figures for interior designers always fluctuate among states from year to year. However, in the past few years, the number of states losing designers has been gradually increasing.

• Housing still searching for the sweet spot

  Wednesday, April 24, 2019

  Housing activity flip-flopped in March, with sales of existing homes plunging while the market for new homes heated up. Declining home prices and mortgage rates helped to lure buyers, especially at the lower end of the price scale, but there was not enough low-priced inventory to go around, stifling sales. Even with a strong economy and more favorable borrowing conditions, the industry is still struggling to find the right mix of inventory and affordability to help it reach escape velocity from the ongoing cycle of alternating months of positive and negative growth.

• Workplaces that work — finding synergy between people and place

  Wednesday, April 17, 2019

  Do great workplaces make better workers, or do great workers make the most of their workplaces? It sounds like a chicken-or-egg question, but in practice, the answer is more complex. New research suggests that what makes workplaces work well is finding the appropriate synergy between the occupants and the environment. According to Gensler's U.S. Workplace Survey 2019, what people want most from their workplace is a great experience. What makes for a great experience, Gensler's researchers found, are not lots of extracurricular amenities and hip socializing spaces but a flexible environment that supports the various ways employees need to work.

• Pace of remodeling activity expected to pick up after slow start to 2019

  Thursday, April 11, 2019

  Coming off a strong period of sustained growth, demand for remodeling services softened somewhat in the first quarter of the year. Although growth remained positive, industry professionals reported lower levels of business activity and shortened periods of project backlogs compared with the previous quarter. Nonetheless, remodelers are optimistic that better business conditions in the second quarter will revive demand. Early forecasts had predicted that industry growth in 2019 would remain positive but at a more modest pace than in the past several years.

• Interior designer hiring slows, salaries rise

  Tuesday, April 02, 2019

  After several years of substantial gains, beginning in 2015, the pace of interior designer hiring has slowed. According to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, between May 2017 and May 2018, tthe U.S. labor force added only 1,000 new interior designer jobs. That's an increase of less than 2%, and only about a third of the number of positions added between May 2016 and May 2017. Given anecdotal reports of firms in recent years having difficulty hiring needed talent, this slowdown may be an indication that the profession is nearing full employment, rather than a declining demand for designers.

• More affordability lifts home sales

  Wednesday, March 27, 2019

  As the cost of buying a home has begun to come down, home sales have begun to go up. The economics are not complicated, but they do speak to the tension between price and what buyers are able to pay that has constrained the housing market for the past year. For the moment, the factors behind that tension appear to be easing somewhat, which should encourage more buyers to enter the market in the coming months. After two months of declines, sales of existing homes catapulted 11.8 percent in February over January’s figures. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said it was the largest month-over-month gain since December 2015.

• Baby boomers are changing the senior living paradigm

  Wednesday, March 20, 2019

  Having spent a lifetime demanding and indulging their independence, members of the baby boom generation are showing no signs of letting up as they prepare for their next life-stage. Now in their early 70s, leading-edge boomers are looking ahead to how they want to spend their later years. One thing most of them don't want is to wind up like their parents or grandparents in an isolated senior care facility. They are pressing builders and developers to give them more options to remain connected to their communities.

• Remodelers expect healthy gains, forecasters project modest growth

  Tuesday, March 12, 2019

  Will 2019 be another busy year for remodelers, or will demand begin to taper off? Data from recent industry studies provide somewhat contrasting views, with remodelers expressing confidence about their business prospects and industry economists foreseeing much more modest growth for the year. One point on which they both agree is that market and demographic trends will sustain positive demand for remodeling services for several years to come.

• Does DIY harm interior designers?

  Wednesday, March 06, 2019

  There's plenty of good news in the 2019 Houzz State of the Industry report. Among all the statistics provided in the report, though, one data point in particular caught my eye. When asked about their business challenges in 2018, 21 percent of interior designers — far more than any other group of professionals — cited "Increased popularity of DIY." In fact, it tied for No. 4 among a list of 14 possible business challenges. That made me wonder, are interior designers disproportionately disadvantaged by DIY consumers?

• Housing’s delicate balance

  Wednesday, February 27, 2019

  With home sales continuing to fall, things don’t look good at the moment for the housing industry. Nonetheless, builders and realtors remain optimistic that the tide is beginning to turn in their favor. A number of factors, such as declining mortgage rates and home prices, rising inventories of homes for sale, and strong consumer confidence in the economy, may lure more buyers into the market this spring. Much depends, however, on whether the economy begins to slow down, as some experts predict, and whether current homeowners view this as an optimal time to sell.

• The future of hotel designing

  Wednesday, February 20, 2019

  No one knows what trends will shape hotel design a decade from now. One thing seems certain, though. Hotel interiors will interact with guests in new ways and offer environments that will cater not only to their desire for rest and relaxation but also to their overall health and well-being. They will do this by combining the latest technological innovations and biological science with centuries-old traditions of providing excellent service and guest care.

• Aging homes will keep remodelers busy

  Wednesday, February 13, 2019

  It's not just homeowners but also their homes that are aging in place. As the pace of new home construction has slowed, America’s existing housing stock is getting older and older. The majority of these homes are more than 30 years old, and a sizable portion are more than 50 years old. To meet the demands of today's building codes and younger buyers, these homes eventually will need to be updated and renovated, which should provide a steady pipeline of projects for remodelers for some time to come. According to a study conducted by remodeling cost website Fixr.com, a majority of U.S. states had homes with a median age of 35 to 39 years in 2018.

• Design demand drops amid economic uncertainty

  Wednesday, February 06, 2019

  Recent indicators show architecture and design firms experienced a slowdown in activity during the latter part of the fourth quarter of 2018. Unstable business conditions due to concern about the pace of economic growth in 2019 and turbulence in the stock market in the months of November and December were the main reasons given for the downward trend. Firms reported clients were postponing, delaying or canceling projects as they awaited clearer signals on which direction the economy might move in the next year or two. New contracts and client inquiries also were down from the previous quarter.

• Home sales plummet in December

  Wednesday, January 23, 2019

  A bad year for housing got even worse in December as sales of existing homes plunged to their lowest level in over three years. Annual existing home sales ended the year down nearly 11 percent. Due to the government shutdown, official figures on sales of new homes are not yet available, but some industry sources project those, too, fell in December. Following two months of modest growth, existing home sales (by volume) tumbled 6.4 percent in December, compared to November, hitting their lowest point since September 2015. Although December traditionally is a slow month for home sales, that was nearly twice the size of last year’s month-over-month decline.

• Ironing out the wrinkles in activity-based workplaces

  Thursday, January 17, 2019

  Snowballing complaints about the deficiencies and annoyances of open-plan office spaces have pushed employers and designers to experiment with alternative workplace solutions. One model gaining in popularity is the activity-based workplace, which provides a greater variety of spaces to accommodate different types of tasks and work styles. While this approach has received favorable acceptance from employees, recent studies show additional factors need to be considered in order for these spaces to live up to their promised performance.

• Remodeling market sending mixed signals as 2019 begins

  Thursday, January 10, 2019

  Will 2019 be another banner year for remodeling and renovation, or will firms begin to experience a softening in demand? As the new year gets underway, the answer seems to be that it depends on which part of the market you are looking at. Early indicators point to ongoing demand but a decrease in the size and value of projects. Results from the just-released Q1 2019 Houzz Renovation Barometer show "a mixed degree of caution about market conditions among contractors, architects and designers," states Houzz principal economist Nino Sitchinava.

• Housing pressures cool luxury home market

  Wednesday, January 02, 2019

  Many of the same factors that are dampening the housing market overall finally caught up with the luxury home sector during the second half of 2018. Prices and inventories have begun to drop, and sales have slowed. Luxury properties were being snapped up at a near-record rate in the second quarter. While that brisk pace actually accelerated somewhat in the third quarter, the total volume of sales declined, according to Redfin’s latest luxury home report.

• Will the single-family home market find relief in 2019?

  Wednesday, December 19, 2018

  Housing starts and sales of existing homes rose for the second month in a row in November, thanks to demand for multifamily properties. The single-family market, though, remained more or less flat, stymied by high prices and the rise in mortgage rates, and is on track for negative annual growth this year. Yet, already there are signs that prices are softening in some areas, and it’s possible mortgage rates will recede if the economy begins to slow down next year, as expected. Will that be enough to put the single-family market back in the black?

• The evolving design of coworking spaces

  Wednesday, December 12, 2018

  One of the fastest-growing areas of commercial real estate is coworking spaces. They have become increasingly popular with freelancers, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals and paraprofessionals, whose numbers have expanded considerably post-recession, as well as with business travelers, who use them as hoteling spaces. As the number of users has grown, so has their diversity and their diverse business needs. Today’s coworking space providers are having to respond to the same types of demands for better working environments as are companies everywhere.

• Remodelers brace for deceleration

  Wednesday, December 05, 2018

  The good news for remodelers, according to recent forecasts, is that demand is expected to continue to grow over the next three years. The not-so-good news is that growth will be slower than it has been for the past three years. Although many remodelers remain optimistic conditions will improve in the months ahead, some already are anticipating a decline in the fourth quarter of this year. Recently released data confirms the trend reported last month that remodeling activity remained strong in the third quarter of this year.

• Inventory boost lifts home sales

  Wednesday, November 28, 2018

  More buyers looked favorably on the housing market in October, encouraged by a greater number of homes for sale, continued slowing in home prices, and a temporary decline in mortgage rates. Existing home sales posted their first month-over-month positive growth in six months. New home sales, on the other hand, plummeted to their lowest point in over three-and-a-half years, even as inventories increased and prices dropped. Riding the same downward trajectory, construction of new homes also declined for the second month in a row.

• Biophilic hotel design is going mainstream

  Tuesday, November 20, 2018

  Beachfront properties, mountain lake resorts, luxury forest cabins, jungle hideaways, atrium lobbies — the hospitality industry has long known the value of attracting visitors with views of nature. Recently, though, more hotels and hotel designers have been employing principles of biophilia to enhance guests’ connection to nature within their properties. What once seemed just an extension of eco-design is fast becoming a must-have feature to compete for the custom of discerning travelers.

• Remodeling growth levels out but remains strong

  Wednesday, November 14, 2018

  For the past several quarters, the remodeling industry has experienced exceptional growth. That trend may have run its course, though. Industry indicators reveal activity during the third quarter of this year remained relatively flat. Experts project that demand is likely to remain strong, but that the rate of growth will taper off in 2019. According to the latest BuildFax Housing Health Report, data from the past three months indicate the pace of remodeling is leveling out after several years of steep increases.

• Home sales weaken as buyers back off

  Tuesday, November 13, 2018

  Increased inventory and declining prices were not enough to seal the deal for some prospective homebuyers in September. Sales of both new and existing homes were down from August’s rather lackluster performance. Although demand remains high, concerns about rising mortgage rates and a shortage of entry-level properties kept buyers at bay. After a modest gain in August, sales of new single-family homes dropped 5.5 percent in September, the lowest month-over-month decline since December 2016, and were down 13.2 percent from the same period last year.

• Using design to curb aggression

  Thursday, November 08, 2018

  Within the past five years, American society has become increasingly angry, belligerent and aggressive. It may be due to the intense stress of daily life, to fallout from the last recession, to income or racial inequality, to political and regional polarization, to the nature of much popular entertainment, to the fractured news media, to the no-holds barred invective popular on social media — or due to all of them. Whatever the reasons, as a society we need to look for ways to alleviate and prevent aggression, especially in public spaces. Research shows design can help.

• Making housing more affordable

  Wednesday, October 24, 2018

  Historically, a robust housing industry has been a bellwether of a booming economy. At present, however, the economy is at its strongest point in 10 years, but the housing industry is limping along. Recent projections indicate annual home sales will fall below those of last year. A number of factors are contributing to this situation, but the major one is affordability. For many Americans who want to buy a home, the cost is just too high.

• Interior design activity regains momentum

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

  Adhering to a familiar seasonal pattern, demand for interior design services softened somewhat in late summer, then picked up in the last two months. Designers are reporting an increase in projects and new inquiries, with an average project backlog of around five weeks. Growth is expected to taper off slightly, but remain positive, toward the end of the year.

• Homeowners adding bedrooms, remodeling baths

  Wednesday, October 10, 2018

  In the previous two years, U.S. homeowners completed more than 43.7 million home improvement projects. That and other data related to recent home remodeling and renovation activity are part of the responses to the 2017 American Home Survey (AHS), released last month by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The findings include information on the most common types of projects, amount spent, use of professional services, and activity by age and income groups.

• Building community, fostering creativity: A collaborative workspace for interior designers

  Wednesday, October 03, 2018

  Collaborative or co-working spaces provide a supportive environment where self-employed individuals can gather with other professionals and have access to the amenities of a commercial office setting. They have been a part of tech culture for some years now, but have not really caught on as yet with the A&D community. That may change with the launch of a new collaborative design studio for designers and architects, hosted by a Chicago design-build firm.

• Homebuying softens as market idles

  Wednesday, September 26, 2018

  Purchases of existing single-family homes remained flat in August as the gap between consumer demand and affordable inventory widened. New home sales rose for the first time since May, but figures for June and July were revised downward. With many would-be buyers unable or unwilling to purchase a home at current rates, pressure has been building to lower costs. And housing prices, while not yet receding, have begun to rise more slowly in some parts of the country, perhaps an indication that the market is hitting its peak.

• Do active workstations benefit employees?

  Wednesday, September 19, 2018

  Most of us engage in much less daily physical activity than our parents or grandparents did. Some individuals, such as office workers, students, educators and administrators, spend a great deal of the day seated, whether working, studying or in meetings. Over time, this can lead to serious health problems. Proponents of active workstations claim they promote increased physical activity throughout the day and improve wellness. Research, on the other hand, suggests the benefits can vary depending on the individual, the type of workstation and how it is used.

• Forecasters project high demand for remodeling services will continue

  Wednesday, September 12, 2018

  Remodeling activity is at levels not seen for some years. Fueled by economic, market and demographic trends, demand is likely to remain strong for the next several years, according to some recent forecasts. The growth trajectory may level off somewhat, but remodelers and designers will have plenty of work to keep busy. Affirming earlier data showing that remodeling activity picked up this spring, Metrostudy recently announced that its Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) hit an all-time high in the second quarter of this year.

• Luxury home market gets a makeover

  Wednesday, September 05, 2018

  Is the luxury home market on a roll or did it just take a dive? The answer depends on which part of the market — and whose numbers — you’re looking at. Taking a step back to view the bigger picture, what really stands out is that the luxury home market is undergoing a change as home prices soar and tastes change. That could benefit designers. Last month, real estate website Redfin caused a stir when it released its analysis of luxury home sales in the second quarter of this year.

• Home construction recoups as sales slump

  Wednesday, August 29, 2018

  After taking a tumble in June, housing construction got back on its feet in July, with both the number of new starts and permit requests ticking upward. Home sales, on the other hand, continued to slip as prices in many markets approach record highs. Demand for housing remains high, but would-be buyers are having difficulty finding homes they can afford. Throughout the year so far, home construction numbers have yo-yoed up and down from month to month.

• Workplace design: Where play gets serious

  Wednesday, August 22, 2018

  ​By now, the notion of designing playful workspaces or spaces at work for play is no longer novel. Some of the world’s top companies are renowned for providing playful environments for their workers and have testified to the many ways they benefit the company by enhancing employee satisfaction and encouraging creativity and camaraderie. But, as recent research shows, there is also a serious side to play at work that is embedded in these designs, tying them closely to the bottom line.

• Robust remodeling trends holding steady

  Wednesday, August 15, 2018

  Some regional and seasonal fluctuations notwithstanding, remodeling activity held steady during the second quarter and appears to be on track to stay that way for the remainder of the year. Market conditions within the housing industry are favoring remodelers, some of whom are reporting backlogs of up to six months on some projects. On the whole, remodelers and designers are optimistic that business will grow in the coming months.

• The best methods for client presentations

  Wednesday, August 08, 2018

  While some still prefer the napkin sketch, architects and designers today have a battery of tools they can employ to convey their visions to clients and stakeholders. But which have the biggest impact on viewers? It may seem a no-brainer that animated digital representations such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial reality (AR) win hands down. That, however, is not always the case. What matters most is not the medium, but the message.

• Tariffs weigh on housing market

  Wednesday, July 25, 2018

  Present and future U.S. tariffs on imported goods are taking their toll on housing, as both builders and would-be buyers worry about rising costs and the likelihood that economic growth will begin to slow next year. The impact can be seen in market indicators for June, which fell across the board. Dragged down by rising materials and labor costs, the rate of new home construction dropped 12.3 percent in June compared to May, a nine-month low. Single-family starts dropped by 9.1 percent.

• Is hotel luxury dead?

  Wednesday, July 18, 2018

  What’s in a name? A luxury hotel by any other name is still luxurious, right? No longer, it seems, in today’s hospitality industry. When hotel discount brokers offer "luxury" accommodations at $49 a night, as occurred during the recent Independence Day holiday, does the word "luxury" have any useful meaning? Those in the industry who want to appeal to the wealthy and sophisticated traveler are upping their game and moving beyond traditional standards of luxury.

• Millennials do more renovating, but boomers hire more pros

  Thursday, July 12, 2018

  More than half of current homeowners plan to undertake one or more renovation, remodeling or repair projects this year. Most of those say they will spend as much or more than they did last year on home improvements. Those are among the top findings of two recent homeowner surveys, which indicate that remodeling activity will remain strong throughout the remainder of the year.

• Designing lighting for biology

  Thursday, July 05, 2018

  Decisions about how best to light an interior space tend to be based on the types of activities for which the space is being designed. While that may aid occupants as they go about their tasks, depending on the space that lighting may be inappropriate to maintain the body’s internal clock. That, in turn, can lead to a number of health problems. Some recent studies suggest that it is possible to better balance lighting to benefit occupants’ tasks and biological needs.

• A seller’s market with few sellers

  Wednesday, June 27, 2018

  Historically, the second quarter is one of the busiest times of the year for home sales. Currently, however, high demand and prices have created a seller’s market, but few sellers. That has been a boon for builders, but it also means many would-be buyers are shut out of the market at present. Construction of new homes (in units) rose 5 percent in May, compared to April, the industry’s biggest increase since January, and is up more than 20 percent for the year.

• Creating noise oases in open-plan workspaces

  Wednesday, June 20, 2018

  Sound masking systems, sound-absorbing ceiling tiles and panels, and enclosed pods are just some of the ways designers have attempted to combat the high levels of noise that plague open-plan workspaces. For their part, employees have resorted to wearing headphones or using white noise machines to block out unwanted ambient sound. None of these strategies has proven to be wholly effective. New technologies, however, may offer a more satisfactory solution.

• Remodeling activity maintains momentum

  Wednesday, June 13, 2018

  Riding a solid growth trend at the end of last year, remodeling activity continued its upward trajectory in the first quarter of 2018. Business indicators were positive across the board, with remodelers reporting increases in projects and revenues. Industry experts forecast sustained growth throughout 2018 and into 2019. In releasing the results of its Q1 2018 Residential Remodeling Index (RRI), MetroStudy announced remodeling activity in the first quarter had its strongest year-over-year performance in four years and strongest quarter-over-quarter performance in five years.

• The luxury home market’s ‘meteoric’ rebound

  Wednesday, June 06, 2018

  In what may foreshadow a boost in demand for interior design services late this spring and through the summer, sales of luxury homes soared during the first quarter of this year. Declining sales last year had caused prices to drop and properties to linger on the market for months. With economic conditions more favorable and supply starting to dwindle, that trend has reversed itself. Both sales and prices have soared in recent months.

• Housing slips as market tightens

  Thursday, May 31, 2018

  A strengthening economy and steady employment figures were not enough to combat market pressures last month in the housing industry. Indicators for both home sales and home construction dropped, following positive gains in March. Despite high demand, low inventories, high prices and rising interest rates are making it difficult for many would-be buyers to find a desirable, affordable home.

• Choose art carefully for use in retail design

  Wednesday, May 23, 2018

  Art has the power to compel us to stop and observe. It also can tap deep-seated emotions, associations and aspirations, making us feel as though the artwork is speaking directly to us. Those persuasive qualities make art a prime vehicle for retail branding, marketing and design. Because our response to a given work of art is so personal, however, the choice of which art to use is crucial to a brand’s and product’s success. This has led industry researchers to investigate which types of art are most effective, and why.

• Generation Z is reshaping the rental market

  Friday, May 18, 2018

  Believed to be the largest birth cohort in U.S. history, Generation Z, also referred to as post-millennials, has now breached the boundaries of young adulthood and are starting to strike out on their own. For the oldest, that includes renting their first apartment. And while they currently make up only a small portion of the rental market, Gen Z renters have already gained the attention of property owners eager to attract them as tenants.

• Signs point to improving business conditions for designers

  Thursday, May 10, 2018

  After several months of declining growth, the interior design industry showed signs of regaining momentum in the latter part of the first quarter. Both residential and commercial sectors have experienced increased activity in recent months. The upward trend has boosted designers’ expectations that demand will continue to grow in the months ahead.

• Multifamily steps up to fill the housing gap

  Wednesday, April 25, 2018

  ​With little relief in sight, sales and starts of single-family homes tumbled in March. Would-be homebuyers faced with fewer choices, along with rising prices and interest rates, are opting to continue renting for the time being or to purchase more plentiful and often more affordable townhouses, condominiums and co-ops. That has given a boost to the multifamily sector, which rebounded strongly in the first quarter of this year.

• Ambient color may not affect learning ability

  Tuesday, April 17, 2018

  ​A commonly held tenet of education design is that ambient color affects students' ability to learn. Evidence from research conducted over many years indicates that some colors enhance cognitive performance or creativity while others interfere with these processes.

• Demand for major remodels remains strong

  Wednesday, April 11, 2018

  As more long-term homeowners make the decision to stick with the home they have, they are undertaking larger-scale remodeling projects, such as complete room renovations or additions. Due to the complexity of these changes, more homeowners are hiring professionals to assist with or do the entire project for them. While that's great for business, it is pushing out wait times as project backlogs begin to pile up.

• Interior designers gain jobs, wages

  Tuesday, April 03, 2018

  Hiring of interior designers picked up in the year from May 2016 and May 2017, according to just released employment and wage estimates (OES) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

• Mixed signals keep housing market in check

  Wednesday, March 28, 2018

  For real estate agents, February was a relatively good month. For homebuilders, it was disappointing. Consumers were happy to find extra money in their paychecks as the new tax laws took effect. Prospective homebuyers were concerned about impending mortgage rate hikes and escalating prices.

• Adding emotional complexity to retail environments

  Tuesday, March 20, 2018

  Retail design today is all about creating great and unique experiences for consumers. But with so many stores, including major retail chains, employing similar tactics and strategies to lure customers, how do you make your design stand out? One approach is to incorporate layers of sensory stimuli that result in a more emotionally complex and satisfying environment for shoppers.

• Confident consumers to increase spending on remodeling projects

  Wednesday, March 14, 2018

  Growing confidence in the strength of the U.S. economy and personal financial situations has consumers spending more. One of the areas where they are putting their money is into their homes. Whether for projects big or small, homeowners say they plan to spend more this year on repairs and improvements. Earlier forecasts had assumed expenditures on home improvement and remodeling would decrease somewhat in 2018 following several years of strong growth.

• Designing spaces to account for subjective response to noise

  Wednesday, March 07, 2018

  Much attention has been paid to the negative impacts of noise on individuals' health and well-being. Research extending back two decades or more has demonstrated repeatedly that prolonged exposure to certain types of environmental or ambient noise can increase stress, disrupt sleep patterns, hamper cognition, decrease productivity and eventually lead to serious physical health problems, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

• Housing shortage prompts multifamily construction revival

  Wednesday, February 28, 2018

  ​Multifamily construction activity slid in 2017 in the face of rising vacancy rates and concerns about overbuilding. That trend has begun to shift direction in recent months as the market for single-family homes remains constrained by shortages of available and affordable new and existing homes.

• Is customization the way forward for hotel design?

  Wednesday, February 21, 2018

  ​As competition from shared accommodations and niche offerings increase, large hotel chains and even some boutique hotels are seeking new ways to attract guests to their properties.

• No end in sight for remodeling industry’s upward trajectory

  Wednesday, February 14, 2018

  ​Earlier speculation that the red-hot remodeling industry might begin to cool down in 2018 appears to have been premature. Despite challenges of labor shortages and rising materials costs, market conditions are generally favorable for remodelers of all stripes. A number of factors are coalescing that likely will not only continue to drive positive growth this year, but may also outpace that of recent years.

• Wayfinding’s engagement with hearts and minds

  Wednesday, February 07, 2018

  Sir Winston Churchill, calling for the reconstruction of the British House of Commons after it had been bombed during a blitz, observed, "We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." Churchill longed to have restored the chamber in which he had spent so many years of his life.

• Housing industry looks past December to the year ahead

  Thursday, January 25, 2018

  ​Housing activity across the board slumped in December as the industry continued its pattern of waxing and waning growth. Despite the decline, final estimates show the industry came out ahead for the year.

• Kitchens are in high demand. Why not designers?

  Wednesday, January 17, 2018

  Early estimates indicate that the remodeling industry did much better than expected in 2017. Business should be good this year as well, although forecasts call for a slower pace in growth year over year. With all this activity going on, it begs the question, why aren't kitchen designers and remodelers expanding their share of market?

• Uncertainty dampens homebuyer confidence

  Thursday, January 11, 2018

  ​Despite signs of a strengthening economy, low unemployment and a promise of lower taxes, consumer confidence fell in December, having crept up to a 17-year high in November. Weighing on consumers' minds were their prospects for employment and financial security in the coming year. Those concerns spilled over into their plans to purchase a home as well, with fewer consumers feeling that now is a good time to buy.

• Are you ready to start an interior design blog?

  Wednesday, January 03, 2018

  ​Perhaps you've been thinking about adding a blog to your marketing arsenal. A blog can be a powerful way to capture the attention of new prospects by conveying your personality and sense of style, showing off your design skills and knowledge, and building rapport with design fans.

• The right approach to design for aging in place

  Monday, December 18, 2017

  Building and remodeling projects to make homes more aging-friendly have boomed in recent years. And no wonder. The 74-plus million members of the baby boom generation — whose youngest members will turn 55 in two years and oldest members are already in their 70s — make up the largest portion of the nation's homeowners and the second-largest group of homebuyers.

• Housing market in 2018 likely to be more of the same

  Wednesday, December 13, 2017

  Early forecasts of next year's housing market exhibit trends that will look familiar to builders and realtors. Although they vary somewhat in the details, the forecasts predict yet another year of tight inventories, rising prices and low rates of home ownership. These trends will be ameliorated somewhat, but experts anticipate it will not be until late 2019 or 2020 before the market evens out.

• Interior design industry growing steadily

  Wednesday, December 06, 2017

  ​Over the last three years, the interior design industry has rebounded from its post-recession decline and now appears to be on a steady course of upward, modest growth. Since 2014, the number of practicing designers and number of design firms have been increasing each year. Interior design business activity has picked up during the second half of this year, and designers as a group are mostly optimistic that the trend will continue into the beginning of next year.

• Housing industry gaining momentum

  Wednesday, November 29, 2017

  Housing construction roared back in October, quickly recovering from the setback in September resulting from hurricanes, floods and fires. New home sales continued to rise, as did sales of existing homes.

• Long-term remodeling outlook foresees strong growth

  Wednesday, November 15, 2017

  ​Coming on the heels of third-quarter indicators that showed sustained high levels of activity in the remodeling industry for the remainder of the year, recent longer-term projections forecast even higher levels of growth in the coming year and beyond.

• Making do with multis

  Thursday, November 09, 2017

  With no end in sight to the nation's housing shortage, occupants are increasingly turning to doubling or tripling up to get more out of the space they have. Traditional single-family homes are especially scarce, and along with them traditional single families. At present, the trend in housing is toward "multi": multifamily, multipurpose and multigenerational.

• Luxury spending is on the rise

  Wednesday, November 01, 2017

  Encouraged by improving economic conditions at home and abroad, wealthy Americans have increased their spending on luxury items. Sales of luxury homes and goods, as well as expenditures for luxury experiences — such as vacations, cruises, spas and resorts — have risen in recent months.

• Disasters not deterring home buyers, builders

  Wednesday, October 25, 2017

  ​Hurricanes, floods and wildfires did not sideline homebuyers last month. Consumers are feeling more positive about the economy in general and the housing market in particular. With prices stabilizing somewhat and an increase in homes for sale in some areas, those with means are snapping up properties as they come available. The biggest gain was in new home sales, which are benefiting from the continued tight inventories of existing homes on the market.

• Remodelers optimistic growth trend will continue

  Wednesday, October 18, 2017

  ​Remodeling activity is strong and is likely to continue that way for the rest of the year. Although somewhat uneven across sectors, the industry on the whole experienced positive growth in the third quarter, and demand for services remains high.

• Millennial homebuyers can’t get a break

  Wednesday, October 11, 2017

  ​At last, the large influx of millennials into the housing market has arrived. Unfortunately, the housing market at present isn't ready for them. As with the cost of education and post-recession job prospects, the nation's largest age cohort find themselves yet again thwarted by ill timing.

• How office environments may affect decision‑making

  Wednesday, October 04, 2017

  ​Office designers are familiar with the body of knowledge demonstrating how the design of office environments can influence key employee behaviors that impact business performance and earnings. Studies have shown that design choices can affect employee productivity, communication and knowledge sharing, creativity and innovation, and overall sense of job satisfaction and well-being, as well as rates of illness, absenteeism and retention.

• Housing can’t shake summer slump

  Friday, September 29, 2017

  ​Housing indicators declined for the second month in a row in August. Although activity to date still exceeds that of last year, sales and construction have been losing momentum in recent months, eroding earlier growth projections.

• Keepers accelerating pace of remodeling activity

  Wednesday, September 20, 2017

  Benefiting from low-rate mortgages and rising home values, more Americans who traditionally would be in the market to buy up are choosing to remain in their current homes. Many are taking advantage of the increase in equity to take out home loans to pay for upgrades and repairs.

• What you can’t hear can hurt you

  Wednesday, September 13, 2017

  ​News last month that American diplomats working at the American Embassy in Havana, Cuba, were getting sick with headaches, dizziness and hearing loss ​made front-page headlines. Some individuals reportedly suffered even more severe symptoms, including a blood disorder and mild traumatic brain injury.

• Can ID survive AI?

  Friday, September 08, 2017

  ​Although still in its infancy, artificial intelligence (AI) is already raising alarms as a job killer and, in the views of physicist Stephen Hawking and inventor/entrepreneur Elon Musk of Tesla fame, may provoke World War III or otherwise bring about the end of the world as we humans know it.

• Workplace culture creates obstacles for women managers

  Friday, September 01, 2017

  Silicon Valley has come in for a shellacking this year from high-profile accusations of corporate leadership and workplace environments that tolerate, if not endorse, various forms of gender bias against women — from hiring and compensation practices to performance evaluations and promotions, to outright sexism and sexual harassment.

• Constraints keep lid on housing industry

  Friday, August 25, 2017

  ​Market conditions continue to keep pressure on the housing industry. Tight inventories and rising prices put a crimp in housing starts and sales in July, eroding some of the gains made in June. Demand is high, as is consumers' confidence in the economy and their future prospects.

• Tomorrow’s kitchen: Flexible, adaptable ... and invisible?

  Wednesday, August 16, 2017

  ​Over the past decade, the kitchen has assumed pride of place in the home and has accounted for a major portion of residential design and remodeling business. But what does the future hold in store for the kitchen?

• Consumer confidence strong, but housing confidence weakens

  Wednesday, August 09, 2017

  Although it has fluctuated somewhat in recent months, consumer confidence remains strong. Reports of continued economic and employment growth have helped sustain consumers' positive outlook about their current and near-term financial well-being.

• Market brightens for interior designers

  Wednesday, August 02, 2017

  After a rather tepid beginning to the year, interior design activity jumped in late spring. Although designers of late have not enjoyed the same surge in demand as have remodelers, residential activity — particularly in the single-family home sector — has increased in recent months.

• Prices putting a squeeze on housing market

  Wednesday, July 26, 2017

  ​Short supply of available inventory pushed down sales and drove up prices of existing homes in June. Although demand remains high, would-be buyers are struggling to find suitable homes at a price they can afford. By the same token, the shortage of existing homes for sale helped to boost new-home construction last month. Builders, though, being hit by increasing costs, worry that their properties may soon be priced out of reach for many potential buyers.

• Remodeling activity increases as home equity grows

  Wednesday, July 19, 2017

  Remodelers are riding the rising tide of home values. According to recent industry polls, home improvement and remodeling professionals in all sectors, as a group, experienced increased business in the second quarter, compared to the first, and are seeing a higher number of inquiries than they did at the same time last year. Despite some challenges to meet demand, expectations for continued growth in the second half of the year remain strong.

• With economy on cruise control, home buyers readjust aspirations

  Wednesday, July 12, 2017

  Consumer expectations that the Trump administration's pro-business and anti-tax policies would give a big boost to the economy have eroded in recent months as legislation has stalled in Washington. While consumers feel good about their current personal financial situation, they are less optimistic about the short-term economic outlook and more concerned about what a sluggish economy may mean for their future prospects.

• Are you speaking your clients’ language?

  Thursday, July 06, 2017

  Demand for residential interior design services has been on a general downward trend for the past year or so. Many factors, already well known to designers, are contributing to this trend — including the aging of clients and current homeowners, a decline in new and existing home inventory for sale, the DIY and sharing economies, and e-commerce.

• Housing shortage benefits sellers, affluent buyers

  Wednesday, June 28, 2017

  ​Shrinking inventories and concern over a possible increase in mortgage rates drove up sales of new and existing homes in May. Along with sales, they also drove up prices, placing homeownership further out of reach for lower-income, younger and first-time buyers.

• The bathroom is the new kitchen

  Wednesday, June 21, 2017

  Lifestyle changes and new technologies have transformed the kitchen into the central hub of today’s home. That has driven a surge in kitchen remodels in recent years as home prices have risen, releasing pent-up demand among long-term owners and new buyers to upgrade and update their homes. As those kitchen projects get completed, homeowners planning to remain in their homes for the long haul are turning next to the bathroom as the space they most want to redesign.

• Life-stage transitions continue to shape housing market

  Wednesday, June 14, 2017

  Predictions that aging baby boomers would flock to retirement havens or that millennials would split from the lifestyle patterns of their parents and grandparents and shun a suburban existence appear to have been premature. As recent market studies show — for both buyers and sellers — life-stage transitions, not cohort behavior, are having the greatest impact on the housing market. In fact, life-stage events often trigger the decision to sell or purchase a home, even more than economic conditions.

• Consumers conflicted about color

  Wednesday, June 07, 2017

  ​Deep down in their hearts, consumers prefer brightly or boldly colored spaces. But when it comes to decorating their homes, they tend to opt for neutral tones. Interestingly, though, when shopping for a home, prospective buyers gravitate toward those with color and shun those with a lot of pale spaces.

• A new Golden Rule for leadership

  Thursday, June 01, 2017

  Leaders and managers seeking to engage, motivate and retain employees should consider adopting a slightly revised version of the Golden Rule. "Manage others as you want to be managed" is the lesson that can be drawn from a recent study of the relationship between varying degrees of work autonomy and levels of employee satisfaction and perceived well-being. The findings indicate that a traditional top-down, command-and-control management style — still widely in use — is counterproductive in many of today's businesses.

• Housing activity softens, but outlook remains positive

  Wednesday, May 24, 2017

  ​Across the board, housing activity weakened in the month of April as markets readjusted following brisk business in March. With consumer confidence and housing demand both high, one might have expected April's indicators to show an upward trend. Challenges in both the construction and real estate sectors, however, have resulted in a shortage of inventory that is hampering sales.

• Housing squeeze keeps remodelers busy

  Wednesday, May 17, 2017

  ​As home values increase, current homeowners are choosing to redecorate and renovate rather than buy up to a newer home. With a shortage of desirable, affordable homes on the market, first-time buyers are opting to purchase a less expensive home and remodel when the home they prefer is not available.

• Softwood lumber dispute cuts both ways

  Wednesday, May 10, 2017

  Recent news that the U.S. Department of Commerce would impose a 20 percent import tariff on softwood lumber coming from Canada set off alarm bells in the U.S. residential construction industry. Home builders have been cautioning for months that increased materials costs were driving up the price of newly built homes, placing them further out of reach of many prospective home buyers. The lion's share of those increases has come from the escalating cost of softwood lumber.

• Time to rethink the office design paradigm?

  Wednesday, May 03, 2017

  Today's office spaces are a far cry from the colorless, regimented fluorescent-lit boxes of old. Thanks to years of research on the impact of office design on workers, office spaces today are open, airy, well-lit, aesthetically pleasing, healthier and safer, offering a variety of flexible and adaptable work and social environments.

• Is housing trending or spiraling?

  Wednesday, April 26, 2017

  ​Could this be the year the housing industry finally reaches escape velocity from the tenacious pattern of monthly yo-yoing of advances and retreats in buyer activity that has characterized the post-recession recovery? Building upon a promising, if modest, beginning to the year, the industry ended the first quarter on a high note, posting substantial gains in the sale of both new and existing homes. Consumer confidence also increased in the same period, leading analysts to speculate that demand will continue in the months ahead.

• Design for aging in place goes mainstream

  Wednesday, April 19, 2017

  For well over a decade, professional associations related to the building industry have been advising their members to prepare for the coming "silver tsunami" that is the aging of the baby boomer generation. With the vast majority expecting to "age in place" in their current or "retirement" home, the day would come when they would need to update, upgrade and renovate their homes to make them more age-friendly. That day, it seems, has arrived.

• Elder tech: The next level in age‑friendly housing

  Wednesday, April 12, 2017

  ​Builders have come a long way from the days when putting in a ramp, some grab bars and maybe a wheel-chair accessible bathroom was regarded as design for aging. As the nation's older population has expanded, builders have adopted accessibility and visitability standards and universal design principles into their properties — both single-family and multifamily.

• Pace of interior design employment slows

  Wednesday, April 05, 2017

  Following an unprecedented spike in new hires in 2015, the pace of interior design employment returned to a more normal annual growth rate in 2016, at just under 4 percent. Although well below the nearly 12 percent jump from the year before, the addition of 2,110 new jobs ranks as the second-best year for designers since the onset of the last recession, when employers cut positions drastically. The rate of growth was similar to that of U.S. employment overall, which fell to 4.7 percent in December.

• Can housing sustain its ‘Trump bump’?

  Wednesday, March 29, 2017

  Nearly every major indicator of housing market performance trended upward in February, capping one of the best beginning-of-the-year starts since the Great Recession. The only reported weakness was in sales of existing homes — and that, according to analysts, was due a lack of adequate supply, not lack of demand.

• Homes sales, aging propel remodeling industry

  Wednesday, March 22, 2017

  Rising home prices and sales of existing homes have boosted recent remodeling activity, while major life-stage events for the nation's two largest demographic cohorts will continue to drive demand in the next decade. Those are the findings of two recent analyses by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (JCHS).

• Compounding the benefits of nature in healthcare settings

  Wednesday, March 15, 2017

  ​Research in biophilia — the notion that humans experience an instinctive bond with nature and other living things — as well as the effects of daylighting has greatly increased our understanding of and appreciation for the ways in which access to nature and nature views enhance the experience of occupants in built environments.

• Wealthiest Americans spending more on home improvement

  Wednesday, March 08, 2017

  Spending on home improvement has been hovering at record levels for the past two years and is expected to remain strong throughout 2017. Affluent Americans, whose wealth has increased considerably in recent years, account for a substantial portion of the market. Recent reports of consumer spending in 2016 indicate that, on average, affluent households spent more on home improvement last year than in previous years. Larger expenditures have become more concentrated among the wealthiest households.

• Consumer optimism putting pressure on housing supply

  Wednesday, March 01, 2017

  ​Housing activity picked up in January as more buyers seeking single-family homes entered the market. Increased consumer confidence in the nation's overall economic growth, employment stability and potential for improved household income in the coming year, along with concerns about rising interest rates and home prices, spurred potential buyers to act now while conditions are more favorable.

• Tomorrow’s kitchen: Smarter, smaller and oh so cool

  Tuesday, February 21, 2017

  Tabletop cooking, backsplash display panels and a garage for your appliances are just a few of the advances in kitchen design looming on the horizon. In comparison, that Jetsons kitchen you've been waiting for may seem more like one for the Flintstones.

• Boomers may elude predictions of their homebuying power

  Wednesday, February 15, 2017

  ​Once again, baby boomers are bucking conventional wisdom. The scenario oft-repeated within the housing industry is that boomers are sitting on a lot of home equity and will at some point sell their current family-oriented homes and buy housing that will better support an older active lifestyle, thus creating a lot of churn and demand in the market.

• Turning around homelessness with design

  Wednesday, February 08, 2017

  ​On any given day, more than a half-million people — children, women and men, including many veterans — in the United States experience homelessness. That number has been decreasing in recent years, but with rents and home prices rising, many low-income individuals and families could find themselves without the means to pay for housing.

• Getting help for struggling managers

  Thursday, February 02, 2017

  It is a fact widely known but seldom acknowledged that many managers hold their positions for reasons other than their management skills. Because management positions often are treated as promotions, individuals may become managers due to their subject matter expertise, as a reward for past performance, because they are good at managing their own work and responsibilities, or because they get along well with members of the executive team. Others with little hands-on experience are hired as managers because they have a management degree.

• Forecast uncertain as housing industry teeters

  Wednesday, January 25, 2017

  ​December brought good news and bad news for the housing industry. Year-end tallies show moderate but healthy year-over-year growth for new construction and purchases of existing homes. Both housing starts and existing home sales had their best years in a decade. At the same time, trending indicators pointed downward, signaling a potential softening in activity heading into the new year. It remains to be seen how actions taken by the new administration will impact housing in the months to come.

• Kitchen’s bigger footprint stepping on designers’ toes

  Wednesday, January 18, 2017

  ​Open kitchens continue to grow in popularity. Recent industry reports show a strong consumer preference for completely open or partially open kitchens in both new construction and remodels. With a lot of older housing stock growing in value, some homeowners are using the additional equity to open up their current kitchens, upgrade materials and appliances, and give them a fresher, more contemporary look.

• Conditions look favorable for home builders in 2017

  Wednesday, January 11, 2017

  Homeownership remains an elusive dream for many Americans, and probably will remain so at least for the foreseeable future. For others, however, an improving economy and job market are bringing the purchase of a home within reach.

• Acoustic balance: Office design’s holy grail

  Tuesday, January 03, 2017

  ​Research demonstrating the many ways that office design affects employees' well-being and performance continues to mount up. Perhaps no other single factor has garnered as much attention lately as sound. The proliferation of minimalist open-space layouts, increased workstation density and a preference for collaborative workspaces have made managing workplace acoustics — and in particular, noise — a critical human resource issue. Findings from several recent studies provide insights that may help designers in their quest to achieve a more hospitable acoustic work environment.

• New tools bring VR to the job site

  Monday, December 12, 2016

  Real estate developers and sellers garnered media attention this past year with stories about how they are using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to help clients visualize and experience luxury properties or future projects for sale or investment.

• 2 key traits of effective leadership

  Wednesday, December 07, 2016

  Effective leadership is critical to the success of any organization. At every level of the organization, how individuals in leadership positions conduct themselves has a reverberating impact on performance and productivity. For that reason, companies are willing to invest considerable time and resources on leadership development.

• Homeowners sticking to the basics in remodels

  Monday, December 05, 2016

  Design media publishers like to dazzle their readers with awesome photos of amazingly designed spaces. Certainly, there are designers and clients who want to create spectacular spaces that break out of the conventional and make an aesthetic statement.

• Housing industry regains momentum heading toward year’s end

  Wednesday, November 30, 2016

  Housing managed to get its second wind as it entered the final quarter of the year. Most industry indicators — with the exception of new home sales — showed notable month-to-month performance. Year-to-date figures continue on an upward trend, boding well for an overall positive finish to a year of fluctuating demand.

• Creating a better world with design

  Monday, November 28, 2016

  A substantial and growing body of research attests to what designers have long known. The design of the spaces we inhabit has considerable impact on our health, mood and state of mind. Now, researchers and practitioners are probing even further to discover the ways that design also can affect our behavior. What they are finding suggests it may be possible in the not-too-distant future to create spaces that promote not only health and well-being, but also more positive behaviors.

• Who are millennial homebuyers?

  Wednesday, November 16, 2016

  ​Millennials are back in the real estate news. After a much-anticipated influx of millennial homebuyers last year that never materialized, new data show millennials have been quite active in the housing market this year. Predictions are they will have an even greater presence next year.

• Remodeling activity to accelerate in 2017

  Tuesday, November 08, 2016

  An undersupply of homes for sale along with rising home prices are spurring home renovation, repair and remodeling activity toward its highest level since the recession. With household incomes beginning to rise for the first time in years, homeowners potentially will have more money to spend on fixing up their homes.

• First-time buyers give housing a needed lift

  Wednesday, October 26, 2016

  Even as new construction activity slowed, sales of existing homes in September rebounded after two months of decline. Sales were particularly strong among first-time buyers, who took advantage of decreased competition to snap up available properties.

• Design on demand: Just a matter of time?

  Wednesday, October 19, 2016

  Until recently, living the good life was about having it all: the clothes, the jewels, the cars, the house, the yacht, the private jet — whatever. All that is changing. Today, living the good life is not about possessions but about possessing, having what you want when you want it, but not owning it. Status now comes not from what you have but who you are and what you do. It is a trend that is already driving a decline in the purchase of luxury goods and reshaping services catering to wealthy consumers.

• Homebuyer sentiment reverses course amid mixed signals

  Wednesday, October 12, 2016

  Homeowners looking to sell are enthusiastic about the continued rise in housing prices. Prospective homebuyers not so much. Even with mortgage rates remaining near rock bottom, those who would like to purchase a home are feeling the pressure of having to strain too much financially to meet market demands. The past two months have seen a gradual decline in buyer interest that could linger throughout the remainder of the year.

• Does the smart kitchen have a future?

  Wednesday, October 05, 2016

  ​While still in its infancy, smart technology has made tremendous strides within a short time. Today, smart products are available for nearly every room of the home. The kitchen, in particular, has received a great deal of attention as an area where smart appliances can offer harried consumers new levels of convenience and control to save them time and ease their stress.

• Multifamily gains as single-family home sales stall

  Wednesday, September 28, 2016

  ​Homebuyers took a small vacation from the market in August, with both new and existing single-family homes reporting weaker sales. Housing starts also declined last month after two months of gains. A shortage of affordable inventory and seasonal factors kept buyers away.

• Managing envy in the workplace

  Tuesday, September 27, 2016

  ​Recognizing a job well done is one of the most effective ways to motivate employees and enhance job satisfaction. Sometimes, however, that tactic can backfire. According to a new study, praising employees in front of their co-workers may prompt feelings of envy in others, which in turn distracts them from their work. The findings suggest managers should take care not to create an impression of favoritism or unfairness when acknowledging a particular employee's accomplishments.

• Interior design recovery robust but uneven

  Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  ​After several years of modest growth following the recession, the interior design industry experienced a surge of activity in 2015 that continued into the first half of this year. Although demand softened somewhat in the third quarter, in most areas of the country the industry has made a full recovery.

• 5 trends shaping today’s new home market

  Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  ​Demand for new homes is heating up. A shortage of suitable existing home inventory may be one reason, but new home shoppers also are looking for properties that differ from the existing home stock. They are seeking houses that align more closely with their values and lifestyles. Top of mind are the following features, according to recent industry reports.

• For fall, functional kitchens with visual appeal

  Wednesday, September 07, 2016

  As the remodeling industry enters the busy fall season, kitchen redesigns and upgrades continue to top the list of most-requested projects. Recent purchasers of existing homes in particular are choosing to remodel the kitchen to suit contemporary lifestyles and tastes. Their preference is for open spaces and clean lines, with an emphasis on functionality and easy maintenance. Instead of opting for gourmet kitchens with lots of gleaming gadgets, they are combining materials in interesting ways to create visual appeal.

• Housing still hoping to gain momentum

  Wednesday, August 24, 2016

  ​Slow but steady is the current prognosis for the housing industry. Housing starts are up for the first seven months of the year, but month-to-month gains have remained flat for the past four months. Meanwhile, requests for single-family permits have declined, which could mean fewer new starts in the months ahead.

• Fewer homeowners choosing design over remodeling

  Thursday, August 18, 2016

  ​Design activity weakened slightly in the second quarter, even as demand for remodeling and renovation services increased. The dip in design business may be attributable to a number of factors, including fluctuations in the housing market and concern about the economy — conditions that have since improved.

• Red, white or blue: Which light is right?

  Wednesday, August 10, 2016

  ​Recognition that the built environment can have a profound effect on human health and well-being is reshaping the building industry. Builders, engineers, architects and designers are rethinking every aspect of a built space for how it might either positively or negatively impact occupants.

• Kitchen and bath activity remains bright spot amid slowing market

  Wednesday, August 03, 2016

  Home remodeling and renovation activity weakened somewhat during the second quarter. Across the board, major indicators reported slight declines, particularly in larger renovation and design projects. Nonetheless, activity overall remains well within positive territory and is expected to continue on a steady pace for the rest of the year, with kitchen and bath projects leading the way.

• New home sales rise as inventory shrinks

  Wednesday, July 27, 2016

  A patch of blue has opened up in the murky waters clouding the prospects for the housing industry. Both new home starts and new home sales rose in June, the latter well above expectations. Builders received the news with guarded optimism, however, as a number of challenges still confront the industry. Among them, demand continues to outstrip availability as inventories shrink and prices rise.

• New home buyers help fuel remodeling surge

  Thursday, July 21, 2016

  ​Remodeling activity is at its highest level since before the housing bubble burst. With mortgage rates and home prices increasing, homeowners are choosing to fix up their current home rather than move up to a more expensive one.

• For first-time buyers, the American dream can wait

  Wednesday, July 13, 2016

  Buying a home has long been regarded one of the hallmarks of entering adulthood, something to achieve sooner rather than later. For many of today's young adults, however, that is no longer the case. Whether by necessity or choice, they are delaying making that first home purchase, and that is changing how they think about how home ownership fits into their life.

• The time is right for home renovations

  Wednesday, July 06, 2016

  Homeowners are pulling out the stops on home renovation. Increased confidence in the economy, rising home prices, a shortage of affordable housing, and a desire to stay put are combining to create near-record levels of renovation and remodeling activity. For new home buyers and those who plan to remain in their current home, kitchen and bathroom renovation projects top the list.

• Housing’s new normal: A dragging industry

  Wednesday, June 29, 2016

  Yet again, housing took a step back in May after taking a step forward in April. It is a pattern with which builders are becoming all too familiar. Despite optimism that housing is poised for a big comeback, the industry continues to experience modest, erratic growth. For every driver that should be propelling homeownership forward there is another that is holding it in check.

• Interior design employment soars

  Wednesday, June 22, 2016

  If it seemed like firms were frantically hiring designers last year, that's because they were. Employers added a whopping 6,040 interior designers to their rolls in the 12-month period from May 2014 to May 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Is the honeymoon over with smart homes?

  Thursday, June 16, 2016

  Hailed as the technology of the future, smart devices connected through an Internet of Things and controlled via apps on a smartphone or tablet were going to revolutionize the way we live. Or so we have been led to believe. At present, the future looks less rosy. In recent months, consumers have become somewhat disenchanted with smart devices and are shying away from the smart home scenario. The industry has a ways to go to win consumers' confidence.

• Designing kitchens for healthy eating

  Wednesday, June 08, 2016

  Consumers are increasingly concerned about their health, and that includes ensuring their homes are healthy, too. As a designer, you know how to create spaces and select products and finishes that will provide your clients with a safer and healthier living environment. But do you know you can also encourage them to adopt more healthy eating habits? The design choices you make in a kitchen can make a difference.

• Building industry teetering toward growth

  Wednesday, May 25, 2016

  Builders continue to get mixed signals as to whether conditions are improving. Data reports from the nonresidential sector show a month-over-month decline from March to April but a general positive trend for the year. On the residential side, sales were up in April but have remained flat or are down slightly compared to the same period last year.

• Feng shui for the rest of us

  Wednesday, May 18, 2016

  Two things homeowners can't get enough of are energy and time. To help maximize the number of minutes in their day, homeowners are opting for simple, contemporary, low-maintenance designs outfitted with multitasking areas and time-saving amenities such as coffee bars and smart appliances.

• Building a construction industry that includes women, too

  Wednesday, May 11, 2016

  ​Amid signs that demand for new construction may be softening in some areas, hiring in the industry ​slowed in April. At the same time, unemployment fell to just 6 percent, adding to concerns that a shortage of skilled labor could delay or defer future projects, further impeding growth.

• Remodeling soars as home ownership dips

  Wednesday, May 04, 2016

  After a tepid first quarter, the remodeling industry is on course to realize one of its best years in a decade, thanks in part to weakening home sales. Homeowners unable or unwilling to sell their current homes are deciding to refurbish them instead. Moreover, they are undertaking bigger projects and spending more on furnishings and materials.

• Builders ‘cautiously optimistic’ despite slow growth

  Friday, April 29, 2016

  Hopes that momentum from last fall's burst of building activity would carry forward into 2016 have faded following a lackluster first quarter. Figures from March reveal an industry holding steady in the face of economic uncertainty and weak consumer confidence, neither advancing nor receding substantially.

• A surprising value-add for interior designers

  Wednesday, April 20, 2016

  ​Designers are always looking for ways to enhance the value of their services in the eyes of consumers and provide additional incentive to hire them. A recent consumer study suggests designers may be overlooking a potential selling point, saving a relationship.

• Green and smart growing up together

  Monday, April 18, 2016

  While "smart" homes remain a vision more than a reality, new smart products and services continue to flow into the market. Refrigerators that alert you when you've run out of milk or stoves that text you when the roast is done have gotten a lot of media attention. Along with their "wow" factor, they offer a certain level of convenience and control, although at a price beyond the reach of most consumers.

• Waste no time when it’s time to say goodbye

  Tuesday, April 12, 2016

  Donald Trump notwithstanding, for most managers firing an employee is one of the most difficult parts of their job. Even under the best of circumstances, it is stressful and disruptive for everyone involved, and it can create concern among the rest of the staff.

• Consumers spending more on kitchen and bath changes

  Wednesday, April 06, 2016

  ​Several recent homeowner surveys confirm what kitchen and bath professionals already know. Regardless of age or income, consumers are willing to spend more money to enhance their kitchen or bathroom than on any other room in the house.

• As demand resurges, builders struggle to keep pace

  Thursday, March 24, 2016

  The building industry righted course in February, with all indicators trending upward. Activity increased in both the residential and nonresidential sectors, and the outlook at present is for continued steady growth throughout the remainder of 2016. The level of growth, however, remains in question, as builders struggle to keep pace with demand in the face of mounting industry challenges.

• Use a laser focus in your luxury client marketing

  Thursday, March 17, 2016

  When it comes to attracting high-end clients for design services, less is definitely more. Glitzy home and lifestyle magazines are chock-full of sumptuous photos of interiors and stylish ads for luxury goods, but they are more likely to appeal to affluent rather than wealthy consumers. Those with the most to spend are seeking a more bespoke experience, something created especially for them — and that includes how you reach them.

• Millennials: Housing’s lost generation

  Wednesday, March 09, 2016

  "You are a lost generation," remarked Gertrude Stein to the young Ernest Hemingway, referring to the devastating loss of millions of young lives — either dead or incapacitated — as a result of World War I. Today, Stein could be referring to the millennial generation, that cohort of 75 million people born between 1985 and 2004, whose relentless march toward adulthood has not quite captured the attention of mainstream America yet. Nowhere, perhaps, is that more evident than in the housing market, where anticipation of a millennial housing boom has had little impact on ensuring supply will be available to meet demand.

• Countertops take center stage in kitchen and bath renovations

  Thursday, March 03, 2016

  ​When homeowners get the itch to upgrade or renovate their kitchen or bath, chances are it's because they are tired of looking at their worn, out-of-date countertops. They are the first things to be replaced, and one of the areas where homeowners are willing to spend a bit more to get the product they want.

• Slip or slump: Which way are the housing winds blowing?

  Wednesday, February 24, 2016

  ​January — that contrary month for the housing industry — disappointed once again. Across the board, indicators revealed an industry stuck in the doldrums. Housing starts were down from December, as was builder confidence. Sales of existing single-family homes and multifamily construction barely ticked a notch higher.

• What makes a workplace healthy?

  Thursday, February 18, 2016

  ​Evidence keeps piling up that healthy workplaces produce big benefits for employers. Studies show offices and other work areas designed to enhance worker health and wellness not only reduce employee absences and reported illnesses, but also improve productivity and help to attract and retain employees.

• Values, lifestyle driving home design choices

  Wednesday, February 10, 2016

  Location, location, location is the mantra familiar to every real estate agent, developer, builder and prospective homebuyer. In today's more mobile society, however, location is no longer all that matters. Nor are size and status. Whether millennials or baby boomers, buyers are looking for homes that support their changing lifestyles and reflect their values. Home design is morphing to meet their demands.

• Remodeling industry expecting strong growth in 2016

  Wednesday, February 03, 2016

  All signs point to a year of healthy growth for the remodeling industry in 2016. Indicators across all sectors of the industry are up. Remodelers, renovators, kitchen and bath specialists, designers and architects all express optimism that 2016 will be a better year than 2015 — perhaps the best year for the industry since before 2008.

• Tightening supply to sustain nonresidential construction growth

  Wednesday, January 27, 2016

  Not all the news about the economy is bad. Numbers coming in for the final month of 2015 show resurgence in activity in nonresidential construction after a drop in November. That trend is projected to continue into 2016, with the commercial sector likely to experience the strongest growth as vacancy rates and employment numbers continue to improve.

• ‘Easy’ does it when designing for today’s homeowners

  Wednesday, January 20, 2016

  Homeowners are fed up with their old kitchens and ways of living and are investing in substantial upgrades and remodels to improve their quality of life. That's the message that comes through the newly released findings from the 2016 Houzz Kitchen Trends Survey. Topping the list of improvements are changes and upgrades that will make homeowners' lives "easier" as well as update the kitchen's look and feel.

• Headwinds mounting as building industry enters 2016

  Thursday, January 14, 2016

  The year is new, but for homebuilders 2016 is looking a lot like 2015 so far. Early projections foresee continued, if gradual, moderate growth. Demand is high, but a number of mitigating factors continue to dog the industry.

• New smart design appliances your luxury clients will want to have

  Thursday, January 07, 2016

  Amidst all the hoopla about virtual reality, curved TVs and roll-up computer screens, manufacturers also have rolled out new lines of luxury appliances during this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Combining elegant design with the latest gadgetry, they are sure to be on your clients' wish list when they hit the market later this year.

• Consumer trends interior designers need to watch in 2016

  Monday, December 14, 2015

  Forecasters have crunched their numbers, scrutinized their focus groups and peered into their crystal balls. The results are lists of trends and megatrends that will shape events in the year to come. Among them are marketing and business trends pertaining to evolving consumer preferences, buying habits and sentiments.

• Slower growth forecast for construction industry in 2016

  Friday, December 11, 2015

  ​Even as construction activity appeared to be slowing down in November, industry experts released their forecasts for 2016 predicting another year of positive growth. Increases are expected in both the residential and nonresidential sectors and in public as well as private spending. Overall and in some sectors, however, the rate of growth is projected to be slower than in the past two years, due to modest improvements in the economy and shortages within the industry.

• Kitchens that don’t look like kitchens and other trends for 2016

  Wednesday, December 09, 2015

  Perhaps no other room in the home has undergone such substantial change in recent years as the kitchen. Once the sequestered domain of cheery cooks and harried moms, it has moved front and center as the hub of the household. It is the place where families come together and guests congregate with their hosts — the gateway to the great space that has replaced the traditional separated dining and living areas.

• Remodeling activity on growth trajectory for 2016

  Wednesday, November 18, 2015

  Remodeling and design activity softened somewhat during the third quarter, but not enough to break stride. All sectors — architecture, interior design and remodeling — experienced an uptick in business in September, and reported positive demand for future business.

• Drones are evolving into worker bees

  Wednesday, November 11, 2015

  The use of drones — or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — is increasing on large construction projects. Cheaper, less risky and more flexible than helicopters or other types of surveillance, drones currently can perform a variety of routine and specialized tasks. They can survey and map sites, monitor and document a project's progress, track the location and use of materials and equipment, and check that crews are adhering to work and safety standards.

• For 2016, bathrooms get down to business

  Wednesday, November 04, 2015

  ​Gray walls, shiny black tile floors and quartz countertops, paired with gleaming, sleek chrome and nickel fixtures. It's a look frequently found in high-end corporate and hospitality design, exuding a sense of order, sophistication and elegance. Recently, this look has started showing up in kitchens, and next year, say industry trend watchers, it will make its way to the bathroom as part of a growing preference for cleaner, more minimalist spaces.

• Builders confident that 2015 will end on a positive note

  Thursday, October 29, 2015

  Builders shrugged off a rather lackluster September, choosing to focus instead on regaining ground in the fourth quarter. Regardless of the month-over-month decline from August in nearly every industry sector, builders remain optimistic — buoyed by indicators of future demand, job growth and cumulative year-over-year gains.

• Luxury furniture industry reaches out to designers to boost sales

  Wednesday, October 21, 2015

  ​At the height of the Great Depression in 1931, representatives of the furniture industry invited a group of notable interior decorators to a gathering to discuss how they might work together to promote design services and furniture sales. That meeting gave birth to the American Institute of Decorators, the forerunner of today's American Society of Interior Designers, and created an alliance between industry and designers that continues to this day.

• The future of building comes a few steps closer with new technology

  Thursday, October 15, 2015

  ​Two recent news items reveal that revolutionary advances in building technology are just around the corner. Both how we build and what we build may radically change within the next decade. These innovations have the potential to make construction safer and more affordable, as well as faster and more malleable.

• Kitchens that cook so you don’t have to

  Wednesday, October 07, 2015

  The Consumer Electronics Show is still months away, but manufacturers are already rolling out the next generation of kitchen appliances. What they have to offer takes "smart" technology to a whole new level. The latest innovations go beyond appliances that can be controlled remotely; they utilize data processing to simplify food preparation as well.

• How do you track employee engagement? Ask engaging questions

  Tuesday, September 29, 2015

  Lack of employee engagement continues to be a major problem for many businesses. The latest Gallup survey finds less than a third of U.S. working adults are engaged in their jobs. Engaged employees are not only enthusiastic about their work, but they are also purpose-driven and committed to helping their companies succeed.

• Builders betting boomers will occupy senior housing

  Monday, September 28, 2015

  ​If you play the numbers, the numbers are promising. Every day 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, they will continue to do so until 2030. When the last of the boomers hits the magic number, the first wave will already be in their 80s.

• What makes a space gender neutral?

  Wednesday, September 16, 2015

  Call it gender equality, gender parity or gender neutrality. As more and more women ascend to professional and leadership positions, businesses and organizations have striven to create cultures and provide environments that accommodate both sexes without favoritism. What often is lacking in these efforts is a clear vision of what constitutes gender equality or neutrality, especially in the design of the physical environment.

• Reports: Housing construction turns a corner

  Thursday, September 10, 2015

  After another disappointing start to the year, housing appears to have gained traction. Second-quarter indicators point to sustained recovery in housing construction for the remainder of the year. Industry sources are reporting prerecession levels of activity. Builder and realtor confidence are up, boosted by positive signs in both the single-family and multifamily sectors.

• Men are changing the concept of the kitchen

  Wednesday, September 02, 2015

  The number of men who are the principle cooks in their households has been on the rise for some time. Gradually, men have shrugged off the notion of cooking as women's work and redefined it in their own terms.

• Construction gains mixed in July, but outlook remains positive

  Wednesday, August 26, 2015

  ​Construction sector gains continued to seesaw month-to-month between modest increases and modest dips at the start of the third quarter. However, most sectors are trending positive for year-to-date and year-over-year, with some experiencing bounces at prerecession levels.

• What’s the top luxury purchase these days? Time

  Thursday, August 20, 2015

  ​Buying time is the latest trend in luxury. It's one thing wealthy consumers can't get enough of. Constantly on the go with jam-packed schedules, they are willing to pay a premium for products and services that will add a few extra minutes to their busy days.

• Millennials squeezed out of housing market

  Wednesday, August 12, 2015

  This was supposed to be the year when millennials threw off their chains of dependence and flocked to the housing market. Instead, more millennials now are living with their families than at the height of the Great Recession, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

• Bucking the trends: What homeowners really want

  Wednesday, August 05, 2015

  As the year began, kitchen and bath trend forecasters made their pronouncements about what changes we should expect to see in 2015. Now that we are more than halfway through the year and heading into the fall design and remodeling season, are those trends indeed trending? There were some hits and some misses. If one were to choose one word that describes what the majority of homeowners want, it would be "pragmatic." Style matters, but function rules.

• How smart technology can put an end to thermostat wars

  Thursday, July 30, 2015

  Washington Post columnist Petula Dvorak hit an icy nerve with her recent piece on gender disputes over thermal comfort in office spaces. "Every single woman I talked to in downtown Washington on a hot, humid July afternoon was thawing out," Dvorak writes. "It's the time of year desperate women rely on cardigans, pashminas and space heaters to make it through the workweek in their frigid offices. And their male colleagues barely notice."

• Service makes the difference in selling interior design

  Wednesday, July 22, 2015

  Homeowners have challenges. Designers have solutions. So why aren't more homeowners turning to designers for help with their renovation, remodeling and decorating needs? Cost is a factor for some, but it is not the deciding one in many cases. Often the decision comes down to service, whether the prospective client views you as the answer to their prayers or another provider they have to manage.

• Putting a third ‘i’ in building

  Wednesday, July 15, 2015

  Today's built environments are all about performance — and not just building performance. Yes, on the engineering side, they have to deliver on energy and water conservation, improved indoor air quality, reduced waste, resilience and more. Increasingly, they also are being asked to influence the behaviors of occupants and to safeguard their health and wellness, as well as their privacy and safety.

• Aging boomers keep kitchen and bath remodels booming

  Wednesday, July 08, 2015

  Realtors are waiting on millennials to revive home sales. But when it comes to custom home building and remodeling, aging is where the action is. Whether they are looking to stay in place in their current homes — homes that were not designed to accommodate the changes that come with aging — or build the home of their dreams, baby boomers are investing in upgrades and modifications that will make their homes more accessible and supportive in the years ahead.

• When mistakes happen, letting go will help you get ahead

  Monday, July 06, 2015

  When mistakes happen at work, do you tend to dwell on them and worry about what your boss and co-workers may think? If so, you may not only be causing yourself a lot of stress, but you may also be holding yourself back.

• Midcourse correction for building industry as demand slows

  Wednesday, June 24, 2015

  Hopes for a sustained rebound in the building industry have dwindled as indicators point to slower growth in the second quarter. Still, growth in most sectors remains positive, although not as robust as previously anticipated. In its Construction Outlook for the second quarter of 2015, industry consultancy FMI has readjusted its growth forecast for the year downward, to 5 percent from 8 percent in the first quarter. Even so, it projects total construction put in place will reach its highest point since 2008 by the end of the year.

• Who’s buying luxury home goods?

  Wednesday, June 17, 2015

  Once synonymous with wealth, opulence and exclusivity, luxury has become more accessible. Consequently, it now means different things to different groups of consumers. Today, luxury is linked with other values besides just the accumulation of riches and power. Appealing to the luxury home goods shopper requires a deeper understanding of how they view themselves and what motivates them to buy.

• More evidence of positive effects of nature in built environments

  Wednesday, June 10, 2015

  Increased daylighting is now a common strategy for reducing energy consumption in buildings. It has the added benefit that it is also good for occupants. Exposure to sunlight and natural views have been shown to improve mood, increase productivity and enhance wellness.

• The co-op: A new model for remodeling and design firms?

  Monday, June 08, 2015

  Business is booming in the remodeling industry. Profits, not so much. Looking ahead to better days, consumers are undertaking long-delayed home improvements. But their wallets are stuck in the recession. This makes it tough for smaller firms to increase their fees and eke out a bit more profit.

• WELL buildings getting better

  Wednesday, May 27, 2015

  The release of the WELL Building Standard last fall has helped raise awareness of ongoing efforts to make buildings of all kinds healthier for occupants. Promoted as "the world's first building standard to focus on enhancing people's health and well-being through the built environment," WELL is a great step forward in setting health and wellness objectives for building design and construction. Others also are making strides to bring occupant health and wellness to the forefront of the building industry.

• Getting to know HENRY — possibly your next best client

  Friday, May 22, 2015

  ​Who is HENRY? HENRY stands for "High-Earners Not Rich Yet" — the group often also referred to as affluent adults. The term was first used in a 2003 Fortune magazine article to describe a segment of U.S. households with high incomes but little accumulated wealth.

• Sluggish economy may stall housing recovery

  Wednesday, May 20, 2015

  There was good news and bad news about the state of the housing industry recently. New residential construction surged 20 percent in April, the highest level in housing construction since November 2007. At the same time, experts are cautioning that sales of both new and existing homes for the year may be lower than anticipated, due to weaker than expected buyer activity. The problem is not a lack of interest, but a lack of confidence in the economy.

• Business is booming for kitchen and bath industry

  Monday, May 11, 2015

  Even during the lean years, kitchen and bath remodels topped the list of most requested home renovation projects for those who could afford them. Now that homeowners are able, willing and eager to invest more in their homes, demand for kitchen and bath remodels is increasing.

• Building industry betting on pent-up demand to boost activity

  Wednesday, April 29, 2015

  ​The beginning of 2015 was "deja vu all over again" for the building industry, as severe weather conditions in much of the country once more dampened activity for most of the first quarter. New construction, remodeling and design work all lost some momentum coming off a strong fourth quarter in 2014, although growth remained positive overall compared to a year ago.

• Report: More design jobs added in 2014

  Wednesday, April 22, 2015

  Employers hired 1,300 more interior designers between May 2013 and May 2014, bringing the total number of employed designers to 45,010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While far from peak employment — which reached 53,290 in 2008 — the number of employed designers is the highest since 2010.

• Lifestyle changes propel remodeling activity

  Wednesday, April 15, 2015

  Remodeling and renovation activity continues to lead the residential building sector, as the market for new home construction struggles to gain momentum. Some of this activity can be attributed to homeowners making needed repairs and upgrades to increase the value of their home for resale.

• Steamed up: Bathrooms get romantic

  Wednesday, April 08, 2015

  Candlelight, soft music, a bottle of wine, roses. A romantic dinner for two? These days it could just as likely be a romantic bath for two. For some time now homeowners have been transforming their bathrooms into refuges — a place for privacy, relaxation and reflection. Now there is a growing trend toward turning the bathroom into a romantic hideaway where couples can spend some quality time in luxurious surroundings.

• 5 ways to improve employee engagement

  Wednesday, April 01, 2015

  Companies worldwide are grappling with how to increase employee engagement. It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, employee disengagement costs the economy as much as $500 billion per year.

• Are you freezing at work? New studies may boost building comfort

  Wednesday, March 25, 2015

  Anyone who has suffered in an overcooled or overheated meeting room for a day or two understands the need for improved thermal comfort. Complaints about poor thermal comfort abound in occupant satisfaction studies. Yet, to date, solutions have proven elusive or only partially satisfactory.

• Retirees look forward to ‘best home of their lives’

  Wednesday, March 18, 2015

  With greater freedom to choose where and how they want to live, retirees are focusing on making their last home their best home. Modifying their homes to be more age-friendly is important to some, but most have or plan to undertake projects to make their homes more aesthetically appealing, comfortable and functional. All this activity is helping to propel the home renovation industry, and likely will continue to do so for the rest of the decade.

• Performance demands will drive green construction growth

  Wednesday, March 11, 2015

  Of all the trends affecting the rise in sustainable construction, none is having a greater impact than the drive for higher building performance. As owners, engineers and builders strive for greater efficiencies, they are turning to green building practices for solutions.

• Value of major remodels slips as home prices soften

  Thursday, March 05, 2015

  The cost of undertaking a major remodeling project increased last year, but the added value of those projects declined. That finding, from Remodeling magazine's 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, reflects a substantial drop in the overall rise of home prices last year (from 10.8 percent in 2013 to 4.8 percent in 2014).

• How we want to live — The other housing gap

  Wednesday, February 25, 2015

  Burdensome mortgages, tight credit, consumer debt, stagnant wages — all have contributed in some way to the sluggish housing recovery. Homeowners who would like to sell won't or can't because their homes have lost value, and those who would like to buy or trade up don't have the means.

• Affluent women reshaping luxury market

  Thursday, February 19, 2015

  When you think "luxury," images of diamonds, jewelry, furs, high-fashion gowns, designer shoes and bespoke handbags likely come to mind. Fashion and lifestyle magazines are crammed with ads showing women sporting these and other high-priced items.

• Ready or not? Mixed signals from the millennial home market

  Wednesday, February 11, 2015

  ​The latest jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor shows employment among 25-to-34-year-olds reaching its highest level since the end of 2008. That news set off another round of industry speculation: Are millennials finally ready to buy their first home, or are predictions of a rebound in the first-time housing market a bit premature?

• Kitchen and bath upgrades leading remodeling recovery

  Wednesday, February 04, 2015

  Attendees at this year's KBIS had a lot to celebrate — new products, new technologies, lots of industry presence and, most of all, an encouraging forecast for the year to come. ​At its annual address, the National Kitchen and Bath Association reported that the state of the industry is "excellent."

• Year-end momentum boosts builder confidence

  Thursday, January 29, 2015

  Indicators across the building industry report notable growth in the final quarter of 2014. Conditions began to improve midyear and gathered momentum going into the fall, with most sectors ending on a strong note in December.

• Homeowners ready to tackle overdue renovations

  Thursday, January 22, 2015

  ​Positive economic and employment news, along with declining gas prices, have boosted consumer confidence to its highest level in the past seven years. With a bit more money in their pockets and less worry about job security, consumers are once again ready to spend.

• Refining your segmentation strategy

  Wednesday, January 21, 2015

  Chances are your association's 2015 business plan includes goals to grow membership and increase revenues. It also probably outlines some strategies for how you're going to accomplish those goals, like developing new programs or services, increasing member engagement, and targeting potential new members and/or donors.

• Consumers prefer practical over pizzazz in smart home technology

  Thursday, January 15, 2015

  ​In the future, we will not be minding the machines; the machines will be minding us. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, manufacturers paraded a host of new smart devices designed to track our behaviors and vital signs and then respond or alert us when action needs to be taken.

• Modern traditional tops the list of 2015 kitchen trends

  Monday, January 12, 2015

  The buzz at this year's Consumer Electronics Show is once again all about the Internet of Things, including a new array of smartphone-operated appliances. But according to designers, aesthetics — not gadgets — is what is on the minds of consumers looking to upgrade or renovate their kitchens in 2015. Topping the list is the trend toward "modern traditional," a cross between urban sophistication and country comfort.

• New role for interior designers: Home health specialist

  Monday, December 15, 2014

  Homeowners want their homes to support their health and well-being, and they are willing to undertake renovations to improve their home environment. But they are not always certain which steps to take or which products to buy to address their concerns.

• Millennials settling down, baby boomers staying put

  Thursday, December 11, 2014

  ​Two factors drive the housing market: the economy and demographics. At the moment, both are trending in favor of realtors and builders. Industry experts are forecasting a stronger housing market for 2015, with millennials and boomers being major players.

• Coming clean: Homeowners choosing shower over tub

  Monday, December 08, 2014

  ​Are they in or are they out? By some accounts, homeowners are done with bathtubs. Others say the bathtub is making a comeback. Although a case can be made for both trends, the shower is the washing environment of choice for the majority of Americans.

• Tomorrow’s buildings may be built by robots

  Thursday, December 04, 2014

  Imagine building an entire 30-story hotel from the ground up in just 15 days. Sounds like futuristic pie-in-the-sky? A private Chinese construction company, the Broad Group, did just that in 2012 using robotics to prefabricate entire floors, according to a new report from Robotic Business Review.

• Conditions improving in housing and home remodeling markets

  Wednesday, November 19, 2014

  Renewed activity in the housing industry in recent months bodes well for interior designers and remodelers. Housing starts and sales have lagged for most of 2014, dampened by bad weather, world events and a mixed bag of unfavorable economic, employment and lending news. The latest indicators from industry groups, however, show business is gradually improving and is likely to continue to do so for some months to come.

• Construction industry building toward a strong finish for 2014

  Wednesday, November 12, 2014

  After a disappointing third quarter, the construction industry regained momentum in October, with signs pointing to continued growth in the months ahead. Indicators were up across the board, including employment figures, with most areas of the industry reporting notable year-over-year increases. Early forecasts are that 2015 will look even better.

• Using design to take a stand against falls

  Wednesday, November 05, 2014

  A two-part series this week in The New York Times examines the alarming increase in falls among seniors. Citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the article states that more than 2.4 million Americans age 65 and over were treated in emergency injuries from falls in 2012 alone, and that the number of fatalities from falls has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.

• New directions emerging in multigenerational housing

  Wednesday, October 29, 2014

  ​Extended life span, increased immigration, a weak economy and a tight housing market have contributed to a resurgence in multigenerational households. For some time now, builders and remodelers have helped families accommodate these changes.

• Young affluents are biggest consumers of luxury homes

  Wednesday, October 22, 2014

  Although the media have focused on the large numbers of millennials who have struggled to get a toehold on their financial independence during the economic downturn, a smaller segment has been making news for their phenomenal wealth. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is perhaps the most famous example, but millions of other millennials have amassed sizeable fortunes while still in their twenties.

• Home design in the age of Transformers

  Wednesday, October 15, 2014

  In homes large or small, homeowners are looking to do more with the space they have. That's the message coming out of the latest round of industry news on home building trends. Whether to maximize available space, get rid of clutter or increase functionality, today's consumers want their homes to be easily adaptable and multifunctional.

• Kitchen and bath trends for 2015: Subdued elegance with a dash of cheer

  Wednesday, October 08, 2014

  With the fall remodeling season well underway, the design media have now turned their attention to handicapping the hot design trends for the year ahead. In recent weeks, several reports have been released that provide insights into consumers' and designers' emerging preferences and priorities in kitchen and bath projects.

• Contracts and collaboration: Can they co‑exist?

  Wednesday, September 24, 2014

  Better, faster, cheaper is the mantra for today's building industry. Constraining costs and schedules while improving building performance and safety has placed additional pressure on builders and the design community to find more efficient, productive and profitable ways of working together.

• Narrowing the ‘green gap’ for homeowners

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Marketing researchers call it "the green gap" — the difference between the universe of consumers who say they care about conservation and protecting the environment and the universe of those who act on those values when making purchases.

• Active design: A trend with legs

  Thursday, September 11, 2014

  Along with ways to make buildings more sustainable and healthier, researchers, professionals and governments are looking at how building design can promote physical activity as well. Growing concern about the health risks and high cost of obesity, overly sedentary lifestyles and poor ergonomics has pushed active design to the forefront of emerging trends in the building industry.

• Design insights for more livable kitchens

  Wednesday, September 03, 2014

  Kitchen renovations top the list of home remodeling projects, and for good reason. The kitchen is the hub of the household, the place where families and friends come together, the place where meals are transformed into wonderful memories of tempting aromas and tasty, comforting cuisine. Above all, though, the kitchen is a work space.

• Putting a value on values

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  As individuals and organizations we cannot function without trust. It is the glue that holds relationships together. That's why in times like these it is crucial that you are vigilant in preserving and protecting your organization's integrity.

• Construction technology: Getting down to business

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Building engineering, design and rendering software continue to get more sophisticated, but on the operational side the construction industry is not keeping pace with other sectors. Recent industry studies reveal where the industry is lagging, where it is at risk and the challenges it faces moving forward.

• Keeping up with the elders: Senior living offers choice, convenience

  Wednesday, August 20, 2014

  For some time now, senior living has been migrating from a healthcare model to a hospitality model. While availability and quality-of-care services still rank high on the list of priorities for residents and their loved ones, today's healthier, more active seniors want a living environment that is less institutional and more conducive to socializing and keeping fit.

• Uniting smart home technologies: Who will rule the roost?

  Thursday, August 14, 2014

  The race is on in the smart home industry to develop a unified "Internet of everything," a system that will allow smart products of all kinds — from home heating and security systems to Crock-Pots and baby monitors — to communicate with one another and a central control panel.

• Kitchen and bath remodels top homeowners’ makeover list

  Wednesday, August 06, 2014

  Whether they are planning to sell or stay where they are, homeowners have remodeling on their minds. More than two-thirds of consumers across the U.S. have immediate plans to undertake one or more home improvement projects in the next six months, according to a recent survey conducted by Realtor.com

• Remodeling industry gains momentum, trending upward

  Wednesday, July 30, 2014

  After a disappointing first quarter, the remodeling industry bounced back in the second quarter of 2014, with notable month-over-month gains. Current projections indicate that trend will continue into the second half of the year, with the industry as a whole experiencing a substantial year-over-year increase.

• Are we on the cusp of a visual renaissance?

  Wednesday, July 23, 2014

  A growing emphasis on visual communication and quality has elevated the public's awareness of design, from graphics to fashion to products to interiors. A more visual culture will create more demand for good design. That should be good news for designers of all stripes.

• A new corporate model: Profit with a purpose

  Wednesday, July 16, 2014

  Capitalism with a conscience. The purpose-driven economy. Social entrepreneurship. By whatever name you choose to call it, a new corporate model is emerging that expands the role of business to include serving as an agent of social change while at the same time turning a profit. Large and small, these companies are attracting the attention of the business world and, more importantly, the loyalty of consumers and employees.

• All shook up: Boomers are rattling projections for the 55-plus market

  Wednesday, July 09, 2014

  Are they moving or not? That is the question baffling the 55-plus market as it pins its hopes for recovery on the aging baby boomers. As the economy and housing market have begun to improve, there are signs that boomers are on the move.

• Affluent are browsing online, but are they buying?

  Tuesday, July 01, 2014

  Smartphones and tablets have transformed the ways consumers are shopping. But market research experts say technology has had little impact on the buying habits among affluent consumers and purchasers of luxury goods.

• Millions of millionaires: Who are they?

  Tuesday, June 24, 2014

  ​While middle-class families have seen their incomes stagnate, the rich have been getting richer. Both the well-off and the wealthy have experienced substantial increases in assets over the past several years. For interior designers looking to market their services to these wealthy clients, some recent reports offer valuable insights.

• Latest housing trends reflect larger generational shifts

  Wednesday, June 18, 2014

  ​Depending on who you want to believe, Americans either are continuing the recent trend of flocking to the cities or they are starting to migrate back to the suburbs. Both scenarios appear possible according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Economic easing has employees feeling restless

  Monday, June 16, 2014

  Don't look now, but your employees are getting ready to leave — in droves. At least that's what ​they told the survey researchers at Salary.com. Results from the website's 2014 annual Job Hunters Survey show 83 percent of employees are actively looking for new jobs this year, up 6 percent from last year. What's more interesting, though, is why.

• Unraveling the professional designation paradox

  Tuesday, June 10, 2014

  ​Certifications and other forms of professional credentialing are the Jekyll and Hyde of the interior design world. By some accounts, these designations demonstrate a designer's professional knowledge and achievement, and they help designers to stand out in the marketplace from their less-qualified competitors. Others say they are essentially worthless because consumers don't know what they represent — and for the most part don't care.

• New efforts ramp up building’s response to disasters

  Friday, June 06, 2014

  ​World leaders may be waffling on what to do about climate change, but the building industry is marshaling its resources to tackle the problem head on. Builders, their professional associations and trade media are joining forces with state and local governments to address ways to make buildings more resilient and resistant to catastrophic loss due to natural disasters.

• Does your association have a website succession plan?

  Wednesday, June 04, 2014

  Of all the vehicles associations have to communicate with members and potential members, none has greater impact than the website. What does your website say about your association? Does it reflect your current leadership, vision and direction? Or is it a storage trunk of old and outdated information?

• Affluent focusing on quality of life

  Tuesday, May 27, 2014

  Extravagance and unabashed indulgence in luxury have long been regarded as the fruits of great wealth. For many of today's rich, that no longer holds true.

• Older consumers want to hear from you

  Friday, May 23, 2014

  ​Leaders looking to grow their businesses might start by taking a look around their offices. They are likely to find a fair number of older workers, including, quite possibly, themselves. The ​median age for CEOs is 55, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2020 the median age of workers will reach 42.5 and workers age 55 and older will make up more than 25 percent of the workforce.

• Construction industry looking to turn a corner

  Thursday, May 22, 2014

  ​After a disappointing first quarter, construction activity continued to sputter in April. Industry data paint a mixed picture of gains and losses across sectors. It may be, however, that the worst is behind for 2014.

• Do green workspaces benefit workers?

  Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  ​One of the early assumptions about green buildings was that by improving environmental quality, they would offer occupants a healthier workplace, which would result in a more satisfied and productive workforce.

• People performance: Building’s next goal?

  Monday, May 12, 2014

  Back in the 1990s, management gurus talked a lot about high-performance teams. Today, the talk is all about high-performance buildings. What if high-performing buildings also needed to meet requirements of high-performing individuals? The day may not be far off when clients will demand both.

• A better way to realign your staff

  Wednesday, May 07, 2014

  In times of crisis or organizational change, leaders often resort to restructuring as a means of revitalizing an organization. This usually involves tinkering with the boxes on the organizational chart to accommodate a few key personnel and then funneling the rest of the staff into various slots that may or may not provide a good fit.

• Builders and remodelers expect growth despite adjusted forecasts

  Thursday, April 24, 2014

  ​Projections are down, but hopes are up. That in a nutshell is the assessment of the current state of the home building and remodeling industries as the books close on the first quarter of 2014.

• Interior designers making employment gains

  Tuesday, April 22, 2014

  After declining slightly in 2012, interior design employment is once again on the rise. According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of employed interior designers nationwide increased by 2,960 (7.3 percent) between May 2012 and May 2013, from 40,750 to 43,710.

• Who killed strategic planning?

  Monday, April 14, 2014

  Strategic planning is dead. So claims economist Bill Conerly in a series of articles for Forbes. That may come as welcome news to many executives and managers who have long questioned the value of developing strategic plans.

• Early indicators bolster residential sector’s optimism

  Wednesday, April 09, 2014

  Residential building professionals have high hopes for 2014. Results of a recent survey conducted by Houzz.com of 6,680 builders, contractors, remodelers, architects, landscape architects and interior designers found that 90 percent expect continued growth in 2014.

• Prepping your design conversation

  Tuesday, April 08, 2014

  Clients today are more demanding than ever. Some designers dread calling on new clients because they feel they are walking into an ambush. No one should have to work that way. And you don't have to.

• Mission or vision — Which drives your strategy?

  Tuesday, April 01, 2014

  Ideally, an association's mission and vision should be in alignment. Often in reality they are not. Over time as leadership changes hands and founding members become less involved, an association may experience mission drift or vision creep, and the two begin to diverge.

• Designing for collaborative consumers

  Thursday, March 20, 2014

  Collaborative consumption poses some interesting challenges for designers, not the least of which is: Is it a viable business model? Traditionally, designers are hired to perform custom work. They are masters of consumption; they know which products are the best and how to get them.

• Building behemoths: Supersize and megatall

  Wednesday, March 19, 2014

  ​What once seemed impossible is now not only possible, but also imminent. Around the world, building projects of enormous size and dizzying heights are transforming urban landscapes into the stuff of science fiction.

• What Twitter groups can teach you about your organization

  Thursday, March 13, 2014

  If someone asked how your company is organized, what would you say? Chances are you would pull out your company's org chart and describe its various divisions and departments. But org charts only depict lines of formal authority.

• Innovations in improving indoor air quality

  Thursday, March 13, 2014

  ​Efforts to improve indoor air quality have encountered some limitations as builders and engineers have had to balance them with other demands, such as improving building performance and reducing energy consumption. A number of industry organizations, research institutions and universities throughout the world are engaged in finding solutions that will satisfy both IAQ and energy requirements. Some recent developments show promise of helping to breaking the gridlock.

• Dissatisfaction with remodelers creates opportunity for designers

  Tuesday, March 11, 2014

  ​Home remodeling and improvement services have a bad reputation with consumers. ​According to a recent survey, home remodeling and improvement services ranked only slightly above government services for meeting customers' expectations. That's bad news for remodelers, but it could be good news for designers.

• Suppliers — Your best untapped resource

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  One of the biggest challenges any manager has is not knowing what you don't know. It's demanding enough to keep up with all the things you need to address without contemplating what other forces may be at work "out there" that could affect your members or your association.

• Luxury living makes its return — with a twist

  Monday, February 24, 2014

  ​Inconspicuous consumption dominated affluent consumers' buying habits during the recent recession. As the recovery has taken hold, however, wealthy consumers have expressed their confidence by returning to big-ticket spending.

• What it takes to be the boss

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  ​Who wouldn't want to be the boss? You get to call the shots and tell everyone what to do. You get a nice office, an even nicer paycheck and all those perks. What's not to like? It turns out, though, not as many employees as you might think aspire to being the boss.

• Outlook improving for interior designers and contractors

  Tuesday, February 11, 2014

  Early projections for building and remodeling activity suggest business should improve for interior designers and contractors across all industry sectors in 2014. Although extreme wintry weather in many parts of the United States and a slackening in the global economy could lower initial expectations, indicators are strong for a continued and improved recovery.

• Stories boards tell — and how to untell them

  Wednesday, February 05, 2014

  Keeping board members on track is never easy, but what do you do when your board falls prey to misinformation — in particular, misinformation of their own making? I have seen it happen over and over again.

• A new paradigm for older workers

  Thursday, January 23, 2014

  Results of a recent Gallup study show that large numbers of baby boomers plan to continue working well past the current average retirement age of 61 and even the traditional retirement age of 65. This is both good news and bad news for organizational leaders: good because older workers are valuable employees, bad because many organizations don't know what to do with older workers as they seek to increase opportunities for talented younger employees.

• Smart homes getting smarter: How interior designers must adapt

  Tuesday, January 21, 2014

  ​If you are not familiar with the term "the Internet of things," it is time to add it to your vocabulary. As became apparent during this year's Consumer Electronics Show, it won't be long before coordinating "the Internet of things" will be another task for designers to add to their project management plan.

• Don’t fear the feedback

  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

  ​Day in, day out, associations accumulate feedback from members and customers. Some of it is solicited, some not. Some of it is welcome, some less so. Whatever form it takes, whatever the tone — positive or negative — it is valuable information, and someone in your organization should be scanning it for the nuggets it contains. More importantly, those nuggets need to be shared with the rest of the organization so everyone has a clear picture of what's working and what's not. Often, however, that does not happen.

• Supportive workplaces: The gift that keeps on giving

  Wednesday, January 08, 2014

  The start of a new year is the time for evaluating performance and deciding who will get the bigger carrot and who will get the bigger stick. Your employees' hearts and minds may be focused on their wallets, but studies show that employee satisfaction and productivity are greatly influenced by their work environment in the long run, perhaps even more so than by their compensation or bonuses. What's more, new research suggests the work environment also affects how employees regard the organization's leadership.

• New research confirms impact of lighting and color on design

  Tuesday, December 10, 2013

  As we approach the darkest day of the year, now is a good time to remember just how important light is to our health and well-being. Recently published research on light and lighting confirms that, perhaps more than any other element in a space, light has a profound effect on how design impacts occupants.

• Get more benefit from your benefits

  Friday, December 06, 2013

  In my many years of conducting and analyzing member satisfaction surveys, I was always baffled by how few members were aware of, much less took advantage of, an association's member benefits. Recruitment materials usually list a plethora of discounts, privileges and affiliations exclusive to members as an enticement to join. Yet, the record shows that most members do not take advantage of most benefits — either because they are not aware of them or because they don't perceive them as having special value.

• What to make of those annual forecasts

  Tuesday, November 26, 2013

  ​With 2014 only a month away, last year's business plans are heading for the shredder. 'Tis the season once again for sharpening pencils, creating fresh spreadsheets and bringing the team together for a visioning and planning session.

• Taking your association to a deeper shade of green

  Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  In the aftermath of yet another unprecedented catastrophic natural disaster fueled by global climate change, it's time to take stock of what your association is — or isn't — doing to minimize its impact on the environment.

• Guilt-free consumption: The new trend in luxury

  Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  ​According to recent market studies, consumers are struggling with more than their wallets these days. Affluent shoppers in particular are feeling conflicted between their desire to spend and their aspiration to do the right thing, ​say the market researchers at Trendwatching.com. They are looking for products and services that will deliver value and quality while, at the same time, provide reassurance that they do no harm.

• Are you trading efficiency for productivity?

  Wednesday, November 13, 2013

  One of the basic principles of a free-market economy is that markets perform better when unhampered by government regulation or oversight. It turns out the same can be said for employees. A number of workplace research studies have shown that employees perform better, have higher levels of satisfaction, take fewer sick days and are more productive when they have a greater sense of control over their work and their work environment.

• Biophilia: The next step in green design

  Tuesday, October 29, 2013

  As the U.S. Green Building Council gets ready to roll out LEED v4 at the ​Greenbuild conference Nov. 20-22, now is a good time to pause and reflect on how just how far green and sustainable design have come since LEED first launched in 2000. Once considered a fringe movement within A&D circles, green building and green products have helped to keep the industry afloat during the post-recession economic stagnation.

• 3 steps to successfully broadening your member base

  Monday, October 21, 2013

  After several years of declining memberships, associations are now looking forward to better days. Some of this gain can be attributed to the gradually rebounding economy, but most of the credit goes to association leaders and staff at all levels. They have worked vigorously to reposition their organizations and their value proposition, as well as wrestle with the octopus that is new media to reach out to new audiences in new ways.

• The right mind to negotiate

  Monday, October 07, 2013

  ​Much of a business leader's time is spent in negotiation. Brokering a deal, cutting costs, expanding distribution channels, selling a proposal, hiring talent, managing staff — all require the skill to negotiate with others effectively. Negotiation can be exhilarating; it can also be stressful.

• Cyberaesthetics:  The next big thing for interior design?

  Tuesday, October 01, 2013

  ​From roll-up screens and slide carousels to superthin flat-panel LED monitors, interior designers have long been challenged to conjure up creative and elegant solutions for integrating technology unobtrusively in a space. Up to now, the technology itself has been passive, just another object in the room. Increasingly, however, designers have a new hurdle to jump: technologies designed to interact with the occupants in the space.

• Are your staff members committed — to their space?

  Tuesday, September 17, 2013

  ​All organizations, be they for-profit or not-for-profit, have a mission. It may be to create the coolest technology, serve the best pizza or eliminate world hunger. Not all organizations, however, are mission-driven.

• A crisis in leadership

  Friday, September 13, 2013

  As the global economic slump drags on, pressure builds on heads of state and other leaders to find some means of setting things right. Tough times call for extraordinary leaders. Yet, as one scans the world stage, few, if any, are to be found.

• Members: Your most important resource

  Tuesday, September 10, 2013

  If you're in the association business, you don't have to think twice about what is your most important asset. It's your members. And how about your most important resource? Would that be your database? Your website? Your staff? Your volunteers? They are all valuable and vital to the success of your association. As it turns out, your most important resource is, yes, your members. So why aren't associations doing more to capitalize on this resource?

• Who do you think you are?

  Thursday, August 15, 2013

  Marketing specialists will tell you that, as an association, one of your most important assets is your brand. Broadly speaking, your brand is your reputation — i.e., how others perceive how well your organization follows through on the promises it makes in its advertising and communications. As one marketing expert put it, your brand is what people say about you when you are out of the room. Of course all companies, be they manufacturers or service providers, must carefully manage their brands.

• Is your association in the know?

  Thursday, July 18, 2013

  Knowledge is power, so the saying goes. But not all knowledge is power to all organizations. Knowledge for your organization is power only if it is actionable. Otherwise, it is just information. So the question to ask yourself is: Do we have the knowledge we need to make good decisions for our organization? Most associations thrive on knowledge work. No doubt you have a cornucopia of information sources at your disposal: news services, trade journals, newsletters, email, websites, social networking sites and Twitter feeds, along with your own data collection and feedback channels.

• Make the most of your staff’s skills

  Thursday, June 20, 2013

  It was one of those "aha" moments. A staff member had received an email inquiry from a potential customer, but she was unable to help because the message was written in Spanish. Since I was the communications director, her supervisor stopped by my office to ask if I knew of any affordable translation services that could help decipher the message. As it happened, the colleague in the office next to mine overheard the conversation and called out that she might be able to help, as she had studied Spanish in school. However, she said, there were several other employees who were fairly fluent in Spanish. In a matter of minutes, and at no additional cost, the message was translated and a reply, in Spanish, was on its way.