COMPARATIVE TREND ANALYSIS
LIVING ROOM (1950’S AND NOW)
Jennie Tsai & Theresa Tang
Analyzing Trend| Spring 2010
Professor Tim Stock
IN THE1950’S, THE LIVING ROOM…
- IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE FAMILY ROOM | ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
- IS A PLACE TO SHOWCASE | DISPLAY THE OWNER’S POSSESSION
- MAKES A STATEMENT OF THE FAMILY’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
- OFTEN USED BRIGHT PRIMARY COLORS AND DECORATED WITH ORNAMENTATIONS
NOW, THE LIVING ROOM…
-SERVES AS MORE OF A FUNCTIONAL SPACE THAN A DECORATIVE ONE
-HAS BECOME THE MEETING ROOM| DINING ROOM
-IS A PLACE TO SHOWCASE | DISPLAY THE OWNER’S TASTE
-OFTEN USES NEUTRAL COLORSWITH UTILITARIAN DESIGN
FORCES AT WORK THAT LED TO THOSE
TREND NARRATIVES
Material Abundance
Consumerism
Seeking for a better quality of living
Political environment
INDIVIDUALIZATION| MULTI-TASKINGCONSUMER-DRIVEN MARKET THAT DEMANDS MORE PERSONAL ATTENTION
LEVERAGING AND MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY
OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY BECOMES OBSOLETE AS PEOPLE BECOME MORE DEPENDENT AND ATTACHED TO THEM
RETRO PRODUCTS BECOMES THE NEW STYLE
TRANSPARENCY | INTERACTION WITH NATUREIN CONTROL OF NATURE (AS HOW MUCH LIGHT TO SHED IN)
NEUTRALITY (NO LONGER BLACK OR WHITE, ALL OR NOTHING)
FORCES AT WORK
Information Age
Booming Technology
The Green/Natural movement
Current economic situation drives wave of
reminiscing of the “good old days”—Retro
becomes the new style
New technology brings back the emphasis of living room as
the entertainment center of the house.
3D TV and gaming
Gen Y establishing their own families
THE FUTURE OF LIVING ROOM