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Writer's pictureJoseph Haecker

The Color of Money: How 'Color of the Year' Programs Manipulate Us All


The untold story of corporate control over creativity, industry, and consumer choice.


November 17, 2024 - Written by Joseph Haecker


The Color of Money: How 'Color of the Year' Programs Manipulate Us All


I’ll never forget October 2017. I had just wrapped a whirlwind tour that felt more like a design-obsessed version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. First, there was High Point Market in North Carolina, the Mecca for interior design insiders. Then a quick detour to Washington, D.C., for a televised entrepreneurial event, followed by a flight to Los Angeles for the West Edge Design Fair in Santa Monica. Exhausted but buzzing with ideas, I scrolled through my phone to see what my designer friends were up to.


That’s when I noticed it—all of them, these creative, innovative minds fresh from the industry-only event at High Point, were plastering social media with posts about the latest "Color of the Year" announcements. These were the same people who had just been hands-on with the world’s most innovative furniture, lighting, and textile designs. Yet here they were, obsessing over a shade of paint decreed by some corporate overlord as the next big thing.


I couldn’t take it anymore. That night, from my hotel room in Los Angeles, I fired off a post: “Tomorrow, 8 AM PST, I’m going live. Title? ‘F*ck the Trends.’”

And I meant it.


That rant was the start of Design Talk LIVE, my weekly live-streamed podcast, which went on to rack up over 3.2 million views in 2018. It was the catalyst for the creation of The Live Broadcast Network (LBN) and even inspired the tattoo on my right wrist—a permanent reminder that conformity is the death of creativity.


Here’s the thing: the "Color of the Year" program isn’t just a harmless marketing ploy. It’s a carefully engineered piece of propaganda that manipulates the industry from the top down. Paint companies and design conglomerates aren’t in the business of celebrating creativity—they’re in the business of selling product. And they’ve managed to co-opt not just consumers but manufacturers and even interior designers themselves into being unwitting ambassadors for their corporate agenda.


Let me be clear: I don’t hate color forecasting. I hate the way it’s weaponized. I hate seeing my friends and colleagues—people who should be thought leaders—reduced to parroting corporate hype because that’s what gets the likes and shares. I hate the way it stifles local trends, squashes individuality, and forces manufacturers into costly retooling cycles to keep up with some arbitrary declaration of what’s “in.”


This isn’t just about color. It’s about control.


If the design industry wants to reclaim its soul, it has to break free from this cycle of manipulation. Designers need to stop acting like unpaid marketers for billion-dollar corporations. Manufacturers need to start prioritizing genuine innovation over chasing trends. And consumers? They need to stop letting a handful of multinational companies dictate their taste.


This article isn’t just a critique—it’s a call to arms. If you’re a designer, a maker, or just someone who loves great design, I hope you’ll read it with an open mind and a rebellious heart. Let’s break the cycle. Let’s make design about creativity, not conformity. And let’s remind the world that true innovation doesn’t come from a corporate boardroom—it comes from us.


— Joseph Haecker, Former lighting designer, podcast host, tech founder, book author, fractional CMO, and proud wearer of a “F*ck the Trends” tattoo.



 

The “Color of the Year” – A Masterstroke of Corporate Propaganda

The Colorful Illusion

Every year, the design world collectively holds its breath for the announcement of the Color of the Year. From glossy press events to perfectly curated social media blitzes, the chosen hue explodes across the industry, commanding attention from everyone—manufacturers, interior designers, influencers, and consumers. Paint companies, furniture manufacturers, and decor brands alike herald the color as the zeitgeist of the moment, claiming it captures societal moods and emerging trends.


It’s hard not to get caught up in the spectacle. The images of trendsetters holding swatches of a particular shade, the commentary from design experts lauding its versatility, and the flood of hashtags make it seem as though this one color has the power to define an entire year. But what’s really going on beneath the surface?


The truth is, the Color of the Year (COTY) is less about celebrating creativity and more about driving consumption. It’s a calculated marketing strategy designed to funnel billions into the coffers of multinational corporations while reducing designers and manufacturers to pawns in a game they didn’t agree to play.


As someone who has spent decades in the design world—from lighting designer to podcast host and tech founder—I’ve seen firsthand how this program operates. And it infuriates me. So much so that in September of 2017, fresh off a tour of major design events including High Point Market and the West Edge Design Show, I launched my first Facebook Live podcast episode, titled “Fck the Trends.”* The tattoo on my wrist is a permanent reminder of that moment and my commitment to calling out the hypocrisy and manipulation embedded in this system.


In this exposé, I’ll break down how the COTY program works, the insidious ways it influences the industry, and why breaking free from its grip is essential to preserving creativity and integrity in design. This is a story about more than just color—it’s a story about control.



The History: From Creativity to Commercialization

Early Origins

The story of trend forecasting begins in the aftermath of World War II, a time when global economies were rebuilding, and consumer culture was taking shape. Early forecasting agencies like Carlin International in Paris emerged to help fashion houses anticipate styles and colors that would resonate with post-war consumers eager for novelty. These forecasters analyzed societal shifts, art movements, and technological advancements to predict trends that felt genuinely reflective of the times.


Fast forward to the year 2000: Pantone revolutionized the world of color forecasting with the introduction of the Color of the Year (COTY) initiative. At its core, Pantone positioned itself as the “global authority on color,” touting the program as a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist. The company used a mix of scientific rigor (color theory) and creative storytelling to give their chosen hue both credibility and emotional resonance. It was a stroke of marketing genius, aligning their brand with a sense of inevitability—if Pantone said it, it must be true.


The Shift to Propaganda

Over time, the innocence of forecasting gave way to something far more calculated. As major corporations like Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Behr adopted their own versions of COTY programs, the initiative evolved from a creative exploration into a full-blown marketing strategy. The emphasis shifted from genuine cultural reflection to influencing consumer behavior.


Pantone and its competitors leveraged psychological principles of scarcity and aspiration to their advantage. By presenting the COTY as the “must-have” shade of the year, they tapped into a deeply ingrained fear of missing out (FOMO). Manufacturers, from paint companies to furniture makers, were pressured to incorporate the latest color into their product lines or risk being perceived as out of touch. Designers became unwitting ambassadors, promoting the color not out of enthusiasm, but because it was the industry narrative that dominated conversation.


The financial incentives were impossible to ignore. The global colorant market alone is valued in the billions, and a single COTY campaign can spike sales across multiple industries. A new shade of paint, a reupholstered couch, or a curated accent wall—each product sold in the name of trend compliance is a direct result of the propaganda machine.


What began as a creative endeavor to capture cultural shifts has become a commercial juggernaut. The result? A design world less focused on authentic innovation and more beholden to the demands of corporate agendas, where creativity serves as a means to an end: revenue.


The corporatization of the Color of the Year program is a case study in how an idea can be co-opted, transformed, and weaponized to prioritize profits over the very creativity it once celebrated. It’s a well-oiled machine—brilliant in its execution but deeply problematic in its impact on the industry.



Behind the Curtain: The Corporate Machine

Big Players & Corporate Ties

The Color of the Year (COTY) initiative may appear as a celebration of creativity, but its roots lie in complex corporate strategies designed to dominate markets. Pantone, for example, isn’t just a name synonymous with color—it’s part of Danaher Corporation, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. Danaher acquired Pantone through its subsidiary X-Rite in 2007. This acquisition integrated Pantone into a larger system of industrial and consumer products, transforming what was once an independent color authority into a cog in a massive corporate machine.


Similarly, AkzoNobel, the Dutch multinational behind the Dulux brand, runs its own COTY program. AkzoNobel isn’t just a paint company; it’s a publicly traded entity listed on Euronext Amsterdam, with shareholders and corporate priorities that inevitably steer its decisions. The company's COTY announcements are far from impartial—they’re calculated efforts to influence consumer behavior and drive sales across its global markets.


These ties reveal that COTY programs are less about reflecting cultural shifts and more about aligning with corporate revenue goals. Through strategic ownership and marketing, these companies have turned color into a commodity, using forecasting as a tool to control the narrative and dominate industries.


Manufacturers’ Conformity

The impact on manufacturers is equally significant—and troubling. Once the COTY is announced, manufacturers in paint, furniture, and decor face immense pressure to align their product lines with the trend. This conformity isn’t voluntary; it’s a survival mechanism. Brands that fail to incorporate the COTY risk being labeled outdated or out of touch by an industry that prioritizes compliance over creativity.


The cost of this conformity is staggering. Re-tooling production lines, sourcing new materials, and creating marketing campaigns around a specific hue often require significant investments. These costs ripple through the supply chain, with smaller manufacturers disproportionately affected. Many feel forced to play along, despite knowing the color may be irrelevant to their customers or even their brand identity.


The result is a top-down manipulation of the industry, where multinational corporations dictate trends and profit margins, while smaller players bear the financial burden of keeping up. Consumers ultimately pay the price—both in higher costs and in the loss of genuine diversity and innovation in design.


In this light, the Color of the Year isn’t just a harmless trend; it’s a powerful symbol of corporate control. Behind the glossy campaigns and influencer endorsements lies a system that prioritizes profit over creativity, turning what should be an industry of innovation into one of compliance.


The Interior Designer as a Propaganda Agent: Why This Matters to the Design World

The High Point Market Incident

In October 2017, I witnessed a phenomenon that crystalized my frustration with the Color of the Year (COTY) program. While attending High Point Market in North Carolina—arguably the most significant industry-only design event in the U.S.—my interior designer colleagues seemed more captivated by COTY announcements than by the innovative products on display. Instead of championing groundbreaking designs or showcasing the craftsmanship of small manufacturers, their social media feeds were flooded with posts about the year’s latest “it” color.


This moment inspired my first Facebook Live podcast episode, “Fck the Trends,”* streamed from my Los Angeles hotel room the following week. It wasn’t just a rant; it was a call to action, an urging for designers to break free from this corporatized narrative and reclaim their creative autonomy.


Unpaid Hype Masters

Interior designers have unwittingly become unpaid brand ambassadors for the very corporations that dictate the design narrative. Every time a designer posts about the COTY on Instagram, writes a blog about its applications, or mentions it to clients, they provide free advertising for companies like Pantone, Sherwin-Williams, or AkzoNobel. These corporations invest millions into developing and marketing their COTY campaigns, but much of the heavy lifting—spreading the word and building buzz—is done by designers who receive no compensation for their efforts.


The irony is striking: the very individuals who are supposed to lead the charge in creative innovation are instead co-opted into reinforcing corporate agendas. Designers pour their time and energy into promoting COTY, often at the expense of highlighting their own work or the products of small-scale manufacturers who truly push the boundaries of design.


The Social Media Trap

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest amplify the problem. These visually driven apps prioritize content that aligns with trending topics, including the COTY. Designers, eager to grow their audience and maintain relevance, feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon. Posting about the COTY becomes a way to increase engagement and attract followers, further entrenching the program’s dominance.


The algorithmic reinforcement of COTY trends creates a feedback loop. Designers post about the trend, users engage with the content, and the platform rewards it with more visibility. This cycle ensures that the COTY remains front and center in the design conversation, often overshadowing genuine innovation and diversity of thought.


Why This Matters

The consequences for the design world are profound. By perpetuating the COTY narrative, designers lose sight of their role as thought leaders and advocates for originality. Instead, they become instruments in a corporate strategy that prioritizes profit over creativity. The industry as a whole suffers, as manufacturers and artisans with unique perspectives are drowned out by the uniformity of the COTY’s influence.


Breaking free from this cycle is essential—not just for the integrity of the design profession, but for the health of the industry as a whole. Interior designers have the power to champion innovation and authenticity, but only if they stop playing into the hands of corporations that see them as little more than a free marketing channel.



5. Consumer Manipulation: The Bandwagon Effect

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The “Color of the Year” (COTY) initiative thrives on a calculated strategy: dominate the market so thoroughly that it becomes impossible to ignore. Licensing deals with paint brands, furniture manufacturers, and decor companies ensure that COTY colors saturate retail shelves, magazine spreads, and digital ads. This omnipresence influences consumer perception, making them believe the chosen hue is the epitome of style for the coming year.


Consider this: we, as consumers, have collectively questioned and pushed back against manipulation from Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and other corporate giants. Yet, when it comes to the products that shape our most personal spaces—our homes—we rarely challenge the subliminal messaging that tells us to replace our beige couch with one in "Viva Magenta" or repaint the living room to match "Illuminating Yellow." These implanted ideas are not coincidental; they are the result of carefully orchestrated marketing campaigns designed to exploit our desire for relevance and modernity.


The Cycle of Obsolescence

The COTY program feeds into a vicious cycle of obsolescence. Each year, a new “must-have” color is unveiled, rendering last year’s trend passé.


The ripple effect is immense:

  • For Consumers: Homeowners feel compelled to update furniture, repaint walls, and swap out decor to align with the new trend, regardless of whether the change is truly necessary. This practice not only drains wallets but also contributes to the growing problem of consumer waste.

  • For Manufacturers: The shift forces manufacturers to realign their production lines annually, discontinuing items in “outdated” colors and replacing them with products that match the new trend. This not only inflates production costs but also contributes to surplus inventory and environmental waste.


The marketing machine capitalizes on the fear of being left behind, a concept often referred to as the bandwagon effect. When everyone around you seems to be adopting the new color, you feel a subtle—or not so subtle—pressure to follow suit.


Why This Matters

This system of manufactured obsolescence is about more than just selling paint or furniture; it’s about controlling consumer behavior at a deep psychological level. By tying color trends to ideas of status, sophistication, and modernity, corporations ensure a steady stream of revenue at the expense of true creativity and individual choice.


If we question the motives of corporations in other sectors, why should home decor and design be exempt? Challenging the COTY program isn’t just about rejecting a color; it’s about reclaiming agency over the spaces we inhabit and rejecting the notion that our homes should adhere to a global script dictated by faceless conglomerates.


The manipulation runs deep—but recognizing it is the first step in breaking free.



The Impact on Manufacturers and Local Design

Economic Strain

For manufacturers, aligning with corporate-dictated color trends like Pantone’s Color of the Year (COTY) or AkzoNobel’s Dulux palette creates significant financial strain.


When a COTY is announced, it triggers a ripple effect through the supply chain:

  • Retooling Production Lines: Small and medium-sized manufacturers often bear the cost of reconfiguring production processes to integrate the new trending hues. This includes redesigning upholstery options, recoloring textiles, and even adjusting packaging to reflect the “modern” color. Such shifts require financial investments many small businesses cannot afford without sacrificing other aspects of their operations.

  • Overstock and Waste: Items produced in the prior year’s color often face reduced demand, resulting in overstock and markdowns. This not only impacts profitability but also contributes to environmental waste when unsold products are discarded.


For global corporations, these costs are absorbed as part of broader marketing budgets, but for smaller manufacturers, it can be a make-or-break scenario.


Erasure of Local Trends

COTY programs also overshadow authentic regional and cultural aesthetics. Local color trends, often inspired by indigenous art, history, and cultural preferences, are frequently pushed aside in favor of globally dictated palettes.

  • Global Homogenization: The universality of Pantone or Dulux’s COTY undermines the individuality of regional design traditions. For instance, while certain cultures may lean toward earthy tones due to historical or environmental influences, they’re pressured to adopt a globally declared bold blue or vibrant magenta to remain “current.”

  • Cultural Appropriation Without Credit: In some cases, the colors selected for COTY campaigns are directly inspired by local trends but rebranded as part of a corporate narrative, with little or no acknowledgment of their origins.


Case Studies: The Burden of Conformity

A Boutique Upholstery Brand

A family-owned furniture manufacturer specializing in bespoke seating saw demand drop for its top-selling neutral color palette when Pantone announced a vibrant coral as its COTY. In an attempt to stay relevant, the company spent thousands retooling to incorporate the trendy color but faced difficulty recouping the costs when the color failed to resonate with their core customer base.


An Artisan Decor Company

A small decor business specializing in handcrafted ceramic pieces was urged by retailers to adjust its designs to match the trending hue. While the changes helped secure shelf space, it alienated their loyal clientele, who preferred the company’s original, more timeless offerings.


The Hidden Opportunity Cost

These examples illustrate how adhering to COTY trends can prevent manufacturers from exploring more innovative, timeless designs that cater to their niche markets. Instead of focusing on creating quality, enduring products, they’re trapped in a cycle of fleeting trends dictated by global players.


By stepping away from corporate-driven trends, manufacturers could reconnect with local markets, develop unique offerings, and contribute to the diverse tapestry of global design—free from the constraints of a corporate color wheel.


Breaking this cycle would not only empower small businesses but also rejuvenate the design industry with authentic creativity and innovation.



Free Market Benefits: Breaking the Color Chains

Imagining Freedom

Imagine a world where interior designers, manufacturers, and consumers are not tethered to the whims of corporate giants, but instead, are guided by individual creativity and true personal preference. In this world, there are no "Color of the Year" dictates, no pressure to conform to an artificially created trend cycle. Instead, each designer could select hues and materials based on their own experiences, intuition, and understanding of the client's personal space—resulting in design choices that reflect individual expression rather than corporate objectives.


The freedom to choose colors, textures, and designs rooted in personal or regional preferences—without the need to align with a brand’s agenda—would reinvigorate creativity in the design industry.


Economic Growth for Small Brands

By moving away from the corporate-led color campaigns that dominate the market, small brands would experience greater flexibility and creative freedom. These brands could instead focus on regional trends or unique, sustainable design choices that resonate with a more conscious and localized consumer base.

  • Increased Revenue Potential: Imagine the ripple effect that could occur if local furniture makers and independent designers broke free from the annual scramble to comply with global color trends. Instead of overproducing trendy items that end up gathering dust on store shelves, these small brands could cater to consumers looking for products that speak to their personal values and preferences. By embracing uniqueness and regional flavors, small brands could carve out a loyal customer base, all while fostering economic growth through diversified products that align more closely with individual and cultural tastes.

  • Sustainability: Companies no longer trapped in the cycle of annually updating designs to align with COTY would reduce the waste associated with overproduction. Sustainability wouldn’t just be a buzzword—it would be the foundation of a business model that considers the long-term impact of every product line.


Consumer Empowerment

Breaking free from trend cycles doesn’t just benefit manufacturers—it could also empower consumers to make more thoughtful, intentional design choices. We live in an era where corporate giants, from IKEA to the pages of Elle Decor, influence nearly every purchase decision, pushing us toward standardized “looks” that promise to be trendy, “on-brand,” and culturally relevant for just a season.


But what would it look like if consumers were free from this manipulation?

  • Personal Identity in Design: Take a moment to ask yourself: What would your life look like if you were free from the constant churn of color cycles and trend-driven decisions? Have you ever wondered why your living room looks so similar to thousands of others, with matching table lamps and carefully placed decorative items? Is this truly a reflection of your unique identity and taste, or are you simply responding to the steady drumbeat of marketing pressure?

  • Redefining ‘Style’: For many, the urge to mimic a so-called “ideal” look—one you’ve seen on HGTV or Instagram—has become ingrained in our purchasing habits. The familiar two-nightstand setup or the predictable arrangement of accent pieces beside the bed have become staples in our homes, not necessarily because they suit our lives, but because we’ve been conditioned to believe they represent good design. The fact is, these choices are influenced by decades of marketing, corporate-driven media, and the endless cycle of color trends. But what if the true beauty of design was found in items that were unique, meaningful, and individual?


The Question You Haven’t Asked Yet

How much of what you’ve bought—whether it's furniture, paint, or decor—was genuinely your choice? How much of your "style" was the result of repeated exposure to multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns designed to manipulate your emotions and desires? The giant corporations that own the magazines, the big box stores, and the digital ads, have created an ecosystem where every year, they convince us to upgrade, refresh, and redecorate—all in the name of keeping up with the latest “it” color.


Next time you reach for a can of paint or a new throw pillow, stop for a second. Ask yourself: Did I make this decision because it truly represents who I am, or did I fall victim to another well-crafted campaign designed to separate me from my money? The power of the free market, free from manipulation, could help us reclaim the authenticity that’s been lost in the wave of COTY hype.


The Genius and the Guilt: A Double-Edged Sword

Acknowledge the Brilliance

Let’s take a moment to tip our hats to the sheer brilliance behind the "Color of the Year" (COTY) program. At its core, the concept is nothing short of a masterstroke in cultural and economic manipulation. Pantone, in particular, positioned itself not only as a color authority but as a cultural trendsetter. Through the annual announcement of a single color, Pantone has turned what was once an obscure marketing tactic into a global phenomenon, one that impacts everything from fashion to interiors, even extending into the automotive and tech industries. This program is a perfect fusion of psychology and branding, building anticipation, sparking conversation, and driving consumer behavior on a global scale.


The genius lies in the way it taps into collective human behavior—the desire for belonging, the fear of missing out (FOMO), and the need for renewal. It builds a false narrative that the new color will somehow refresh our lives, make us "current," and connect us to something greater than just a trend. Over time, the COTY program has become an integral part of our annual calendar—so ingrained in the culture that it seems almost too big to question.


The result? Every year, businesses, consumers, and designers rush to adapt to the new color, allowing corporations like Pantone and AkzoNobel to leverage the influence of design professionals and consumers to push products. It’s marketing genius—there’s no denying that.


The Bigger Picture

But behind the brilliance, there’s a dark side—a truth that’s harder to swallow. The ethical implications of such a well-oiled machine go beyond just manipulating design choices. This is a system that exploits the creativity and time of interior designers, manufacturers, and even consumers for the sole benefit of massive corporations. These companies have created a cycle that demands new product development, updates to existing lines, and a constant churn of consumption, all while ensuring their control over what’s “in” and what’s “out.”


Interior designers, in particular, have been unwittingly cast as unpaid marketing agents in this game. Their creativity, often fueled by genuine passion, is co-opted by big brands to promote products that align with the latest COTY. The designers share their work on social media, spread the word, and bolster the narrative around the new color without realizing that they are doing the heavy lifting for brands that profit handsomely from their efforts. Designers, manufacturers, and even consumers often don’t realize how much of their agency has been stripped away.


And then there’s the issue of waste. The pressure to update homes, offices, and products every year results in a massive amount of excess production and discarded goods, all for the sake of staying "on-trend." It’s a system that breeds obsolescence rather than longevity, encouraging people to dispose of perfectly good items simply because they don't align with the newest color.


This system of manipulation doesn’t just affect the products we buy; it affects the very culture we live in. Trends are now dictated not by what people genuinely want or need, but by an industrial machine designed to push sales.


Reclaiming Autonomy and Creativity

Reclaiming the design world from the clutches of corporate influence is no small task, but it is crucial. The truth is, the design industry can thrive without being subservient to the whims of a color corporation. Designers, manufacturers, and consumers must break free from the cycle of dependency that the COTY program has created. If we strip away the marketing hype, we can rediscover the power of creativity, authenticity, and individualism that truly defines great design.

It’s time to stop the never-ending chase after the next best thing and return to a world where design is about expression and utility, not consumption. Designers need to trust their instincts, celebrate local trends, and focus on the needs of the people they serve, not the corporations they are unwittingly serving. Manufacturers should focus on quality and sustainability rather than chasing fleeting trends, and consumers should make design choices based on what truly resonates with them—not because a color has been anointed as "the one" for the year.


Let’s be clear: There’s nothing wrong with enjoying color, design, and trends—but the constant cycle of manipulation, consumerism, and corporate control needs to end. The design world needs to take back the reins, and that’s where the true revolution begins.


The Final Call: Be the Trendsetters You Were Meant to Be

I’m done sitting on the sidelines. We all should be. Designers—it's time to wake the hell up. Stop chasing trends. Stop following someone else’s vision of what’s cool. The whole idea of the “Color of the Year” or any corporate-created trend is a distraction from what real design is about. YOU are the true creatives. YOU are the ones in the trenches, in people’s homes, understanding how they live, what they need, what makes them feel something. Stop letting corporate giants dictate what’s hot and what’s not. It's time to stop following the trends and start setting them.


I believe that the future of design isn’t about making the next big trend work in some manufactured way—it’s about authenticity. It's about working hand in hand with product manufacturers who are ready to innovate, not just profit off of what’s already been handed down from above. You, the designer, are the boots on the ground. You know what people really need. You know how they interact with their environments. The manufacturers should be looking to you for guidance—not the other way around. Together, we can create products that truly matter to real people, products that reflect the way humans live in Denmark, Brazil, or the hills of Montana.


And if there's a furniture company out there with the guts to make a real difference, one that isn’t just chasing the next big corporate-driven trend, then listen up. I’ve got a plan—a real plan—to change the future of the home goods industry for good. This isn’t about playing it safe or following the trends set by people who’ve never stepped foot in a real home. It’s about democratizing product design. It’s about understanding that trends are regional—local, even—because humans don’t all interact with their environment the same way. The needs of a family in Denver are not the same as a family in Mumbai or a young professional in Brooklyn.


Let’s put the power back in the hands of the designers, where it belongs. Let’s refocus on what truly matters—the people we serve. Consumers are not just wallets waiting to be emptied. They are individuals with tastes, preferences, and needs that have nothing to do with a corporate agenda. Designers, it’s time to take the lead. The future of design is in our hands. We have the power to change this industry, to give it purpose again. To break free from the corporate grip and make the Post-COVID furniture and décor space more human, more relevant, and, most importantly, more real.


So, the question is: Are you ready to be the trendsetter? Because I am.





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