Baby boomers are more than twice as likely as the average consumer to use an interior designer in the next six months, but so are Gen Zers, according to exclusive Consumer Insights Now research.
That clustering among the oldest and youngest consumers is intriguing.
According to the CIN research, which surveyed U.S. adults who are in the market for home furnishings in the coming six months, 7% of consumers overall say they plan to work with a designer. Another 8% say they might do so.
But, looking at generational breakdowns, 14% of baby boomers (ages 61-79) say they plan to enlist the help of a designer and 4% say they might do so. At the other end of the age brackets, 13% of adult Gen Zers (ages 18-28) say they plan to use a designer and another 11% say they would consider it.
The baby boomer statistic seems logical to me, as that group tends to have more disposable income. Baby boomers are also in a phase of life when they are likely to move (most likely downsizing) or are retiring and buying a second home.
Many Gen Zers, on the other hand, are just starting out in life — finishing school, beginning careers, moving into first apartments or houses. And that’s a time in life when consumers aren’t generally flush with extra cash. The survey doesn’t delve into what type of designer services consumers are considering. I wonder if Gen Z is more inclined toward in-store designers and online design services than independent design firms.
Regardless, I find Gen Z’s interest in design assistance to be a positive sign, indicating an early appreciation of designers’ services and the value they can bring to home design. I hope that openness to the work of interior designers carries with them.
The survey shows similarities between baby boomers and Gen Z in terms of which rooms they’d like to redesign with the help of an interior designer. For baby boomers, the priorities are the living room (100%), primary bedroom (55%), dining room (42%), and the kitchen and guest bedroom (both 33%). Gen Z’s priorities are the living room (60%), primary bedroom (55%), and kitchen and home office (both 33%).
Beyond demographic breakdowns, the group most likely to plan to hire a designer is new homeowners. I wrote about that CIN finding and how it behooves designers to maintain strong relationships with real estate agents earlier this month. You can read that here.
All these research findings, compiled for Design News Now and its sister publications, are part of the latest installment from CIN, which surveys consumers to gather extensive insights into their home furnishings purchase plans and preferences. This spring, research results are being released over five weeks. The findings I’m writing about here are part of the final tranche, which will be released on April 21. I encourage you to delve into more details then.
Cities of opportunity
CIN also breaks down consumers’ interest in using an interior designer by geography, looking at interest among residents of several major cities. Residents of New York City (16%), Miami (13%), Boston (12%), Chicago (11%) and Los Angeles (10%) are most likely to say they plan to work with a designer.
But there are some cities that seem ripe for even more designer resources — or strong marketing pushes from the designers already working in those metropolitan areas. For instance, 17% of consumers in Los Angeles say they may be interested in using a designer. Other cities posting double-digit numbers in response to that question: Atlanta and Detroit (both 16%), Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dallas (12%), New York City (11%) and Houston (10%).
For more: Consumer Insights Now research is conducted twice a year for Design News Now and its sister publications, Home News Now, Bedding News Now, Casual News Now and Lighting News Now. Industry veteran Dana French leads the CIN research project. The spring round of research was fielded in February 2025 and is sponsored by American First Finance, a finance firm based in Wichita, Kansas.I’ve highlighted just one part of the research in this column. The extensive research series also details consumers’ buying plans for sofas, case goods for dining spaces and primary bedrooms, and mattresses. The reports look at everything from consumers’ style and feature preferences to how interested they are in financing. You can read all the latest CIN research results here.
