When it comes to selling furniture, the last thing you want is to be left in the past.  While retro looks often come back into style after a few decades, staying up to date with current trends is key to attracting customers who are trying to match today’s latest looks.  Furniture styles and trends can shift from one year to the next, which is why it’s important to always stock the pieces that are most likely to sell right now.

 

Here are a few ways you can keep current with furniture styles and trends:

Social Media

One of the best ways to keep current is to follow all of your favorite brands on social media.  Keep an eye on the designs posted by your favorite interior designers such as WÜD Furniture, Ashley Montgomery Design, Restoration Hardware, or even our own Instagram page, @viztechfurniture, where we post our latest room setting designs. These designers can help you stay current on what furniture styles are currently in vogue.  Find interior designers whose advice you trust, as they’ll be the most reliable barometers for upcoming trends.

 

You can also follow websites specifically dedicated to interior design such as the Spruce to learn more about which trends are on their way out and which are upcoming.  Their Instagram page may even help you find more interior designers who offer reliable tips on furniture trends.  If you’re looking for more Instagram accounts to follow, the Spruce has a list of the top 50 to follow for interior inspiration.

Interior Design Magazines

If you’re interested in something physical to browse, then there are plenty of print publications to which you can subscribe.  Publications like Arhaus, House Beautiful, and Ideal Home will post articles about different design styles and trends regarding every aspect of interior design.  If you’re looking for new magazines to subscribe to, you can find eight of the top home decor magazines here.  Most of these magazines offer both physical and digital subscriptions for a small monthly fee.  Whether you prefer a physical magazine or the ability to browse through previous catalogs, you can find information on furniture styles both past and present.

Pinterest

Pinterest is another source of inspiration for anyone who loves interior design.  People post design ideas and inspirations all the time on the site, and the most popular posts will trend highly on the site.  Set up a Pinterest account and browse through trending furniture images to find what’s the most popular at any given time.  This will help you keep an eye on current trends and allow you to read comments from other interior design enthusiasts about their predictions.

 

Pinterest even has a feature called Pinterest Predicts where they examine what they believe to be upcoming trends in many different categories.  From predictions such as curved furniture and architecture to a revival in Ancient Greek-inspired home décor, this feature is a treasure trove of ideas for what the upcoming year will hold in terms of furniture trends and styles.

Stay Local

While furniture trends and styles may span across cities and countries, your specific locale will often play a huge part in determining what’s in vogue.  For example, furniture trends on a Texas ranch may vary greatly from what’s fashionable in a New York loft.  Keep apprised of what people in your community are doing to help you make decisions when stocking up on new inventory.  You can even take inspiration from shops or restaurants in your area to see what styles are popular within your city.

Go Timeless

While staying up to date on furniture styles and trends is always a good idea, you should have some pieces that won’t go out of style even as trends change. While people often replace their dining room chairs or end tables to keep up with current styles, they usually have a few key pieces that stay the same.

 

People often invest in sofas that can work for any style, allowing them to swap out decorative pillows or throws in order to give it a new look whenever they like.  Stocking bigger furniture pieces that can fit in multiple styles is a great way to outlast the trends as they come and go.  You may also want to swap out certain furnishings on display items to match current trends and attract customers.

 

Whether you take your inspiration from Pinterest, social media, magazines, or your friends and neighbors, it’s important to keep current.  Embrace these methods to follow design trends and ensure your customers will keep coming back.