Suddenly, teen decorinis are big biz. New TV shows like "Trading Spaces" on Learning Channel, and MTV's "Crib Crashers" (shown at left; hosted by my friend and design mentor, the über-hot Jaime Laurella!), point to a sizable trend in youth spending habits. Excerpt from today's WSJ story:
"In all, the young-decorator set will spend about $17 billion this year on their rooms, double the amount less than a decade ago, according to The WonderGroup, a Cincinnati consulting company. They're getting tips from teen-apparel retailer Delia's, where housewares now account for 10% of catalog sales, up 50% from last year, and from Pier 1 Imports, which has started offering discounts to high-schoolers. " (…)
[The] fad shows no signs of slowing, especially with more housewares makers and retailers jumping into the fray. Stanely Furniture Co. recently unveiled a line dubbed "U R Gr8," with wood accented with colored translucent plastic that evokes the look of an Apple iMac. On the Home & Garden Television cable network, meanwhile, a new show called "Love by Design" juices up the decorating theme with another idea likely to appeal to teens: dating. (Contestants choose blind dates by sizing up their abodes.)
FWIW, girls, sizing up hotties by the condition of their bachelor pads never worked for me. The boys I always end up falling for inevitably have robot guts, nests of cables, or deconstructed routers strewn all over their Red Bull-stained carpets. But then, I'm not a teenage interior decorator… and I wouldn't be caught dead buying emoticon-covered Bed Pajamas.
Link to WSJ article (subscription required) Discuss Thanks, Numair!
