Interior Design
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is excited to announce the release of the 2023 Economic Outlook Report – the third installment in ASID’s annual Outlook Research Series, sponsored by Sherwin Williams.
This report delves into the current state of the economy during a pandemic-recovery period and following a brief recession in 2023, equipping the design industry with insights to inform and prepare practitioners for future shifts and trends.
Key takeaways include:
National employment has bounced back from its initial sharp decline in early 2020 and is now above its pre-pandemic peak.
In general, most major cities have excess office space in their downtown areas, though vacancy rates have fallen somewhat as some workers return to the office.
Residential construction felt the effects of the fallout from the pandemic but quickly recovered.
From New York City to Hangzhou, China, Alexa Hampton’s project portfolio encompasses luxe, beautifully layered urban apartments, expansive town and country residences, private airplanes, and yachts. Newly inaugurated into the Architectural Digest’s AD100 Hall of Fame and a member of the Elle Décor A List and House Beautiful’s Top Designer list, Hampton translates the classical principles of good design and decoration into some of today’s most elegant, enduring, and functional domestic landscapes.
Jordan asked Gracie, a family business that has been crafting hand-painted wall coverings since 1898, to create a bespoke interpretation of its enchanting Linda’s Garden mural for the women’s lobby bathroom. Reimagined to capture the spirit of the Jordan Estate, the mural includes oak and citrus trees, flowering dogwood and kites and an egret—wildlife all found across the 1,200-acre Jordan Estate.
Jennifer Farrell, a renowned celebrity designer and television host, has captivated audiences with her shows and designs for over two decades. She gained national recognition as the host of the long-running series Find & Design and currently hosts popular shows like Million Dollar House Hunters, Find Me a Beach House, and Most Amazing Homes.
Wendy was an early adopter of Houzz, advertising on the platform as far back as 2015. She still attributes much of her success to Houzz, and specifically being an early adopter. For a designer getting started today, they may not have as much success on the already saturated platform. It may behoove them to get experimental and trailblaze a newer platform. Find the place in the Wild West that doesn’t already have a populated boom town and become the mayor.
For the S. Harris toile, Saghian features nods to LA like the Hollywood sign, the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, an Oscar, the Griffith Observatory, and what Saghian calls “a glam girl getting on her makeup.” After all, he notes, “I’m born and raised in Los Angeles, one of the world’s coolest cities, and had fun featuring all these iconic landmarks I grew up around.”
Low is a self-taught interior designer, albeit one who grew up with a mother who is an interior designer and a father who is a general contractor. At one point, Low’s mother asked her to take Sandra Funk’s Interior Design Standard program focused on the business side of design and to implement its templates, processes and recommendations in her mother’s business. “I went through the entire course in one day,” Low recalls, “and by the end of the day, I was like, ‘Oh, this is how you run a business!’”
After branching out on her own, Trousdale noticed a change taking place in the industry: Clients were becoming more familiar with product. There was growing pressure to present clients high level design with an element of surprise. Who and where could she turn to find the industry support and resources she needed to keep up with this shifting tide? Turns out she wasn’t the only designer noticing the trend. As a result, Trousdale launched Circaphiles in 2020, which connects and empowers professionals in the design industry by providing educational resources, networking opportunities, and access to unique sources, vetted by peers designing at a high level.
In 2023, he launched an online store, Ryan Saghian Mode-De-Vie, which features a curated collection of furnishings, art, and accessories from his favorite trade vendors and artisans. He is one of the first interior designers to embrace the metaverse with his own virtual showroom, optimized for a fully interactive VR experience. Saghian received his Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Architecture and Design from the Art Institute of California.
For designers entertaining the idea of opening their own store, Christopher Kennedy offers some sage advice. “Running a design firm, sometimes you are your own best customer,” he said. “Owning a retail store is really useful when you need to pick up some accessories last minute to art a photoshoot. You really need the same level of dedication to both [your firm and store] to maintain a cohesive brand. And you can get burned out trying to do it all.” Kennedy admitted that he was too hands-off with the retail side of the business, focusing heavily on design clients. He took some time to step back and reevaluate how he could best serve his clients and community. The result is a new, tailored showroom, tucked into a business center in downtown Palm Springs. It doesn’t have the same tourist foot traffic as the previous space, but it’s calm, crisp, and feels like home.