work | talking trends with AOW Handmade

For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with Annie O. Waterman of AOW Handmade to discuss emerging trends, product strategy, and the ever-evolving home decor market—all through the lens of handmade and artisanal design.

While the full interview is exclusively available for AOW Handmade Insiders (an invaluable resource for home decor retailers and brands), I’ve shared highlights below to give you a glimpse into our conversation-

"Annie O. Waterman: What is your overall feeling about the home decor market today? 

Haley Seidel: Since many brands have been sold or closed in the past year, and with potential tariffs looming in the US, the home decor market feels unpredictable. On a positive note, for artisan brands, consumers are becoming more discerning about their spending. There is a growing cohort of individuals who are mindful of where their dollars go, choosing to support small businesses over larger corporations. As an artisan brand, I would lean into this by highlighting your small business, the makers, and the people behind the brand. For new offerings, focus on designs that provide the right value, are high quality, unique, and reflective of the craftsmanship. Offering a portion of products at accessible price points can also appeal to customers seeking small, meaningful indulgences. While the product itself remains the most important factor, the story and mission behind it add significant value.

Travel greatly influences the market in terms of inspiration for interior and product design. Which destinations do you feel have most inspired brands this year? 

In terms of design inspiration, the English countryside aesthetic continues to hold a strong influence in interior spaces and many people are traveling to the Cotswolds to be immersed in this world. I love the perspective of Heidi Callier. It feels inspired by this style but more contemporary in it’s approach.

I also see many consumers exploring local destinations. This could mean the Nancy Meyers-inspired aesthetic in the coastal Northeast, a Western influence drawn from Montana or Wyoming, or the cozy charm of cabin retreats outside of a major city.

Personally, I’ve been reading about cities focused on sustainability, like Copenhagen. I dream of visiting their flea markets and discovering smaller brands that prioritize natural materials and timeless design. At the same time, I’m inspired to discover more within my local area, finding beauty and creativity closer to home.

In terms of top trends, what’s out, what’s here to stay, and what do you expect we will see more of in 2025? 

Leave in 2024:

I believe consumers are finally ready to bid farewell to California Casual and Modern Farmhouse aesthetics. These styles lack the personality, color, and layers that are so important in 2025 and beyond. While those of us in the design industry moved on from these trends some time ago, they have continued to dominate the mainstream—until now.

Also, overconsumption – consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about where they spend their money.

Here to stay:

In interior design, comforting, layered designs inspired by the English countryside and Nancy Meyers' films will continue. It is easy to interpret in your own way, mix different styles and eras, and provides the cozy, inviting spaces we all crave during unpredictable times.

Dopamine decorating is another movement I love—decorating your space to bring happiness through colors, patterns, and personal touches. With this trend, you can have fun with design and incorporate a bit of humor and whimsy. It’s adaptable to any design aesthetic and focuses on expressing your personal style.

In product design, there has been a strong return to more feminine aesthetics, reflected not only in patterns but also in shapes, silhouettes, and textures. This trend can be interpreted through florals and delicate design details, as well as feminine forms and figures used as inspiration (as seen below).

I also love the resurgence of silver tones in home accents and furniture.

To come in 2025:

One of my favorite themes for 2025 is “Expect the Unexpected.” Consumers are seeking unexpected and unique details, pattern placements, textures, and color combinations. Have fun with your designs or curations and consider how you can approach things a little differently—whether through an embellishment or an unconventional pattern placement.

For color, embrace bold, moody hues like midnight blue, evergreen, deep teal, mulberry, umber, and carob. These shades pair beautifully with muted pop colors or neutrals. I’d recommend looking to WGSN over Pantone for their color of the year picks. For 2025, WGSN has selected a beautiful saturated blue called Future Dusk, and for 2026, they are leaning into a deep blue-green named Transformative Teal.

I also love drawing inspiration from the fashion world. Western and bohemian styles will be trending, and I think they can inspire some truly interesting home decor prints and accents.

Outside of design, consumers are increasingly seeking personal connection. Consider how you can connect with your customers more—whether in person or online—in 2025. Invite people into the world of your brand so they can better understand the why and who behind your beautiful products.

Are you seeing more artisan brands getting into the trade? Which shows do you feel are strong for those who want to pursue working with interior designers? 

Yes, and I think designers are increasingly seeking unique, sustainable, and handcrafted pieces, particularly in art, furniture, lighting, rugs, and fabrics. To get your brand in front of interior designers, I would recommend participating in events like ICFF or the new show, Shelter, during the NYCxDesign Festival. Additionally, designers are attending more trade shows like Maison&Objet and smaller shoppable markets like Field & Supply and The Ticking Tent.

I also encourage brands to engage with interior designers they already work with to better understand their needs and how they are shopping for clients. As mentioned the last time we spoke, it’s essential to think deeply about your customer when developing products, and this applies to the interior designer cohort as well. To attract more interior designers, you need to identify what products their clients need and want from your brand. If you’re new to the world of working with interior designers, a great place to start is by listening to the Business of Home podcast."

Read the full interview at https://members.aowhandmade.com/

Additionally, I’ve included highlights from last year’s interview that offer a glimpse into my approach and process for trend forecasting and product development-

"Please tell our readers a bit about your background.

I began my career as a fashion designer in New York City. While visiting factories in China and seeing the pollution and working conditions there, I decided to look for a new role that would have a more positive impact on people and the environment. In 2015, I started working for The Citizenry as a freelance designer for some of their first collections. In 2016, I was hired full-time as Design Director and then Vice President of Concept, Design, and Product Development.

Since this summer, I have been consulting for retailers and artisan brands on product design and strategy, which encompasses trend forecasting, market analysis, merchandising, design direction, and more. I also help brands develop ethical design and sourcing practices, advising them on how to approach product development, work with fair trade artisans, and utilize sustainable materials.

What do you think about trends?

When working with handmade, artisanal products, I like to take a different approach to trend forecasting—one that focuses on being innovative and creating styles with timeless, enduring appeal, rather than simply following trend cycles. I take into account the artisan’s capabilities along with thinking deeply about the needs of the end customer.

The first thing I like to think about is where the customer will be in their life and their home based on larger macro consumer and lifestyle trends and consider the life stage they are in. If a client’s customers tend to be over 50, they would be impacted by different trends than someone in their 20-30s.

From there, I like to look at trends in fashion, art, and films to consider the things the customer may be seeing on a regular basis or may be interested in outside of interior design. For example, red is popular in fashion right now, and I am already seeing this trickle into home accents.

At this point, I also tie in the product strategy element, thinking about the current competitive market and white space opportunities for the client and how those relate to consumer trends. I then love to look at hotels and travel destinations, as I believe the design is more forward, and they are able to take more risks. I also look at interior design from around the globe, pulling together things that catch my eye and are relevant to the client. From there, I extract key themes from all these images.

While I think it is smart to be informed about the competitive market, I don’t like to look for inspiration within other products because you can end up creating something similar without even realizing it if you are spending too much time looking at what’s out there right now when you need to be creating something the customer will want in 1-2 years.

What tips can you share for those looking to develop new collections?

I think this depends a lot on your product, your customer, where you are selling, and the capabilities of the producers or artisans. If you are just starting out or creating a new product or working in a new technique, I always recommend starting small to ensure you get the products and the quality right, then grow the collection from there. I have found success in launching a capsule of two to four styles when working with a new artisan partner or in a new technique.

If you are already established, when determining how many collections to create in a year, you should think about what makes sense for your brand, the retailers or customers you are marketing to, and your capacity. If you are attending a market twice a year, it makes sense to add to the collection for those markets to create newness. For wholesalers, keep an open dialogue with your buyers about what works best for them and what their customer demographic and needs are. If you are selling directly to the consumer, it can be advantageous to do multiple small drops in a season to keep things fresh.

Creating a clear product strategy and merchandising plan for each year helps streamline the product development process. I like to start collection planning by working in two halves of the year.  Those halves can be split into different drops throughout the season.  Plan this strategy around what makes sense for your brand and knowing the capacity and capabilities of the artisans. I like to think about the products our customers will want and that will have longevity in their homes. It’s not about just creating more products but creating the right products.

What would you love to see more of within the artisan sector?

I’d like to see more come directly from artisan cooperatives rather than through a brand or a "middleman." With one of my clients, we are planning to create a training session to teach design skills, sketching, finding inspiration, etc. Not all, but many artisan groups are primarily creating designs that are given to them from a brand or designer outside of their cooperative, and I've found that many successful products are designed by artisans or created in close collaboration. It is important that if an artisan would like to learn design skills and create designs, they are given that opportunity. After all, they know the product and technique best, and it is important that these techniques and skills are kept alive, with or without a brand coming in from the outside to work with them. The Anou is one artisan cooperative that is doing beautifully not only with design but with all aspects of their business.

I’d also love to see more awareness around the supply chain and how the process of making something by hand is inherently more sustainable, but also why it is more expensive. Many consumers are interested in voting with their dollar to positively impact the environment, but at the same time, there’s a massive uptrend in getting things cheaper through knock-offs or “dupes.” I would love more robust marketing to tell these stories and explain the supply chain.

Any final tips?

Start small to get the product right. Stay in tune with your customer base and their needs. Think ahead one or two years to anticipate where your customer will be and what they will want. Be authentic to your brand and create something special and unique."

Read the full interview here.