what is modern anymore

Back in school they told us that design fluctuates with economies. Design has many influences from movies, to singers, to politics. Typically they say that when times are bad, tastes go more traditional. People are attracted to what they know, what feels safe. They often go back to a time or place where they felt safe, maybe it was childhood, maybe it was grandma's house.

Lately I have noticed some changes in this theory. Years ago when we started the war with Iraq, bright pink was everywhere. Pink is innocence and maybe that resonated with the innocence we felt by being attacked. Pink is also calming and maybe that was part of what we were craving, although the colors were so bright, I am not sure how calming they were.

Today the recession has a lot of people worried but instead of going back to "traditional" furniture, we have had a resurgence in the 1950s and 60s modern style with some 70s mixed in. There are a lot of reasons for this I think. First of all, some of these styles are what grandma had for some of these people. Also, the people being raised with these types of furniture are going back to their memories for inspiration.

Life has become very busy with cell phones, blackberries and other electronic devices that let work follow you 24/7. Politics has been very agitated, there doesn't seem to be any meeting place between the parties. You are either for or against and that's it. People are wanting simpler times. The elegant simplicity of that "modern style" has become a source of comfort. It's familiarity, it's straight forward and beautiful. No wonder we are attracted to it.