Home Sweet Home
by Grace Butland
hat are consumers buying for home décor, and how much are they willing to spend these days?
That depends.
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| This lamp by Stuart Loten is one of the most popular home accessories at Worldly Goods. |
Our homes reflect what is happening in our lives and the world around us. What we put in them is a reflection of economic conditions; the cultural, social and political environment; and our personal fears and beliefs. Who can forget the impact of “cocooning,” a term coined by marketing consultant Faith Popcorn in the early 1990s to describe the consumer trend toward insulating, or hiding, oneself from the distractions and/or dangers of the normal social environment?
New trends continue to emerge, spawned by our current social, political and economic environment, so it stands to reason that change is in the wind. Trend forecasters currently predict that Americans will be moving out of the cocooning phase and connecting with others. One of the ways they will do this is by giving gifts. They will be looking for uniqueness and authenticity in their purchases, preferring products that are — or at least appear to be — handcrafted. Is there a correlation between what the experts predict and what is happening in the market for handcrafted home accessories? Here’s what seven gallery owners from around the country had to say.
Uniqueness means differences
Fine craft retailers revel in their uniqueness. Shops and galleries reflect the individual tastes of their owners and attract customers who share those tastes. An item that is “hot” in one store might be a dud in another. For example, for Belinda Martin, owner of Art for the Soul in Balboa Island and Laguna Beach, Calif., it’s all about color. “I don’t do anything that doesn’t have color,” she says. “My stores are all about being colorful, inspirational, whimsical and handcrafted.” A piece of furniture or box in a natural wood finish or pottery in an earthen color would never sell in her store, she adds. Conversely, at River Market Artspace in Little Rock, Ark. (www.rivermarketartspace.com), owner Debra Wood says that her customers (many of whom are tourists who have come to visit the nearby Clinton Library) are looking for things that remind them of Arkansas, and that means primarily earth colors. Martin’s customers love the vivid colors and contemporary designs of furniture and accessories by Sticks (www.sticks.com), Bella Bella (www.bellabella.com) and Avner Zabari (www.avner.com). In contrast, at Sawbridge Studios in Chicago and Winnetka, Ill., (www.sawbridge.com), where 80% of sales come from handcrafted furniture (18th century reproduction, Arts & Crafts, Shaker and Mission Style are featured), customers gravitate toward natural woods. Sixty percent of sales are in natural cherry, says co-owner Bill Hiscott.
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| At Art for the Soul, the vividly colored work of Avner Zabari is among the hot sellers. |
At Masterpiece Crafts Gallery & Gardens in Marlton, N.J. (www.masterpiececrafts.com), owners Linda and Larry Morris have found that furniture doesn’t sell well. Wall hangings by Hawaiian artist Grace Hoff are among her most popular home décor items, says Linda Morris, along with unique clocks and mirrors by a variety of artists. Customers tend to prefer neutral colors with a splash of bright.
Framed fabric paintings by Chris Roberts-Antieau (www.chrisroberts-antieau.com) are extremely popular with Sawbridge customers, as are handblown glass pieces by Simon Pearce (www.simonpearce.com). “People like to see the hand of the maker,” says Hiscott, “and they appreciate that every piece of glass varies.”
At Worldly Goods in Portsmouth, N.H. (www.worldlygoodsnh.com), wrought iron furniture by Iron Chinchilla (www.ironchinchilla.com), metal lamps with handpainted silk shades by Loten (www.lotenartlighting.com), and colorful pottery by Liz Kinder (www.lizkinder.com) are among the most popular home décor items. Because the majority of sales are for gifts, the store focuses on lamps and accent pieces, says co-owner Rinda Hill.
Wood reports that clay far outsells glass at River Market Artspace, while Martin reports that Art for the Soul does huge business in handblown and handpainted martini and wine glasses. And at Surprises in Houston, Texas (www.surprisesinc.com), cast glass sculptures by Susan Gott (www.gottglass.com) are among the gallery’s best-selling items. Blown glass chandeliers by Robert Kuster, which start at around $3,000, also do well.
Wall art items in metal, paintings or wood are also popular at Surprises, where customers look for comfort in their functional items such as pillows, says Cohen, but prefer “something artsy” in decorative items.
“Wire-wrapped and bead-decorated dishware by local artist Sue Robinson just flies out the door here,” says Nancy Jo Dillman of Cornerstone Gallery in Baraboo, Wis. (www.cornerstone-gallery.com). Handforged copper candleholders by Gregg Hessel (www.Hesselstudios.com) are extremely popular. And, because “leaves are big in Wisconsin,” Booker Morey’s etched leaves in shadow boxes and Don Drumm’s (www.dondrummstudios.com) pewter leaf dishes sell well. Pottery is always a steady seller, particularly as wedding gifts, and serving pieces by Blue Eagle Pottery are among the most popular items.
Geography lessons
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| Wire-wrapped and bead-decorated dishware by Sue Robinson “flies out the door” at Cornerstone Gallery, according to the gallery’s owner. |
Just as consumer tastes vary by region (earth tones in Arkansas, vivid colors in California, leaves in Wisconsin), customer spending patterns also vary depending on the local economy. Martin reports that business is booming in both of her California Art for the Soul stores and she has seen no changes in customer buying habits. Retailers in other sections of the country do see changes. “There’s definitely a resistance to higher priced items,” says Morris in New Jersey. “People are definitely spending less,” says Dillman in Wisconsin. “We have a saying,” says Hiscott in Illinois, “that people are ‘dating’ the furniture longer before taking it home. Customers are not quite as impulsive. They’re not bargain shopping, but every buying decision is more thoughtful.” “It’s harder to sell anything over $1,000,” says Cohen in Texas. And in Arkansas, Wood notes that customers are taking longer to make decisions and more people are asking to put bigger purchases on lay-away.
Trend tracking
For crafts retailers and artists, the trends of connecting (gift-giving), authenticity and uniqueness should give them an edge in the home accessories market. However, geographic differences and customer profiles will determine how the trends play out in any given area. Whether your clientele is looking for vivid color or natural finish, a $25 candleholder or a $3,000 chandelier, there is a perfect match somewhere in the world of American craft.
Grace Butland is a free-lance writer and textile artist who lives and works in Nova Scotia.