2021 Moen Design Trends Report
How Science and Personality Drives Moen Design
TREND THREE:
IMPACT REVOLUTION: DESIGN WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND
North Olmsted, Ohio… We wrap up our week of design trend reports with a topic that will hopefully take us far into the future. At the turn of the 20th century, we entered the Industrial Revolution – next came the Digital Revolution, and now many are starting to call the 21st century the Impact Revolution. With a focus on creating a positive impact on the world, design has become more focused on incorporating sustainable products and nature-inspired design elements into the home.
In the final piece of the 2021 Moen Design Trends Report, featuring insights curated by Danielle DeBoe Harper, Moen’s senior creative style manager, and Jessica Birchfield, principal industrial designer, Trend Strategy, we’ll examine the trend of Impact Revolution that relates to the overarching lifestyle trend “home holistic wellness.”
Resource Awareness
Understanding the impact of the resources we use in our homes today is key to helping ensure those resources will still be there tomorrow.
“At Moen, we say that ‘We Design for Water,’” comments Birchfield. “That means we innovate and engineer products to make the experience of interacting with a resource we use multiple times a day more enjoyable, and we are conscious of how much of that resource flows through our products.”
To that point, in 2020, Moen announced its Mission Moen initiative to preserve and protect the beauty of water while helping people enjoy it more. As part of this initiative, Moen has committed to a goal of saving 1 trillion gallons of water by 2030 through innovation and product design. One example is Moen’s latest launch, the Nebia by Moen™ Quattro showerheads, which offer up to 50 percent water savings over standard showerheads* with four unique powerful spray modes.
“This aggressive sustainability goal is the inspiration behind the design of many of our products,” adds Birchfield. “We know consumers want to feel good about the products they bring into their homes, and it’s our job to ensure they have options to not only satisfy their design tastes, but meet their sustainability desires as well.”
Caring for Our Oceans
It’s important to be conscious of the water that flows through our homes, but what about the water that exists in nature? More than 5 trillion particles of plastic cover the ocean’s surface, causing serious problems for our Earth**. As the leader in exceptional water experiences, Moen saw this as an opportunity to repurpose recycled ocean plastic into its products and packaging.
“In 2021, we expanded our Mission Moen commitment to include recovering and repurposing 2,000 tons of recycled ocean plastic by 2030,” says Birchfield. “We are constantly challenging ourselves as designers and as a company to innovate and care for water around the globe. By incorporating recycled ocean plastic into our products, and then consumers bringing those products into their homes, we’re helping people design more beautiful spaces that incorporate more sustainable products without any extra effort on their part.”
One way Moen is leveraging recycled ocean plastic is by integrating the material into the new Verso™ line of Magnetix® magnetic docking showerheads. These incorporate recycled materials into the dock to deliver on the Mission Moen pledge to innovate, engineer and design for the water of tomorrow – while offering an exceptional showering experience.
Soothing and Serene Spaces
Another way to respect and appreciate nature is by bringing the beauty of the natural world into the home. Taking a cue from the outside environment is a beautiful new theme related to environmentalism called “biophilia.”
“Biophilia is the human desire to commune with nature,” says DeBoe Harper. “This means adding more architectural elements like larger windows and doorways, or adding an outdoor kitchen. This trend pushes us to blend the boundaries of indoor and outdoor spaces.”
Creating a serene space does not have to involve a major renovation, even little additions can help make a space feel more natural.
“Simply adding more plants into your home is an example of how to incorporate biophilia into your designs on a smaller, more affordable scale,” adds DeBoe Harper.
Going Green
Nothing says nature like the color green. In fact, the trend of incorporating the color into design elements is continuing to grow.
“We’ve been seeing a surge in the demand for the color green over the last 18 months,” says DeBoe Harper. “The color has skyrocketed and it’s being incorporated in everything from cabinets to wall colors and upholstery. Experimenting with a color that brings us back to nature is a great way to transform any space into a serene retreat.”
Another way to bring the outside in, without committing to a green paint color or couch, is to incorporate foraged branches as sculptural pieces and decorate with plants and flowers.
“Get creative,” notes DeBoe Harper. “Leaves, branches and flowers are nature’s décor. Adding these simple pieces is an easy way to connect with and incorporate nature into the home.”
Heritage Style
Heritage Style, or the trend of creating English and French country house aesthetics, may seem disconnected to the macro trend of Impact Revolution, but at its core it includes the prevalent use of layering both old and new into your design – adding an eco-conscious element by repurposing something old in a new space.
“We really love this trend as it allows homeowners to layer new furniture and décor with antiques and heirlooms,” says DeBoe Harper. “These elements are ultimate sustainable décor pieces, and they bring a warmth and unique character to the space.”
Integrating new and old is inherently eclectic. Designing with elements brought in from different generations, incorporated with modern elements such as fixturing or shaker cabinets and handmade elements such as zellige tiles or old wood floor panels, combine to create a one-of-a-kind environment that could never be replicated. Designing with nature and the environment in mind is a very accessible trend to incorporate in the home.
“Anyone can bring in a vase of flowers to freshen up a space or refinish an old china cabinet to give it a new life,” says DeBoe Harper. “This trend allows for limitless creativity and ultimately has a positive impact on both the homeowner and the environment.”
For more information about these trends and Moen products, visit moen.com.
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*Compared to standard 2.5 GPM showerheads
**https://www.5gyres.org/faq
ABOUT MOEN
Moen is the #1 consumer faucet brand in North America, offering a vast array of stylish and innovative kitchen and bath faucets, showerheads, accessories, bath safety products, kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, leak detection products and connected home offerings for residential applications that give consumers more power than ever before to understand and control the water that flows through their homes. These thoughtful designs deliver an exceptional user experience and elevate the way people interact with water every day. In addition, Moen Commercial offers superior-performing products that can deliver lower lifetime costs for today's facilities.
Moen is part of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. (NYSE: FBHS), which creates products and services that fulfill the dreams of home. Moen anchors the Global Plumbing Group (GPG), which also includes several brands under the House of Rohl® including Perrin & Rowe®, ROHL®, Riobel®, Shaws® and Victoria + Albert®. Fortune Brands’ other brands include Fiberon® composite decking and railing products, Master Lock® and Sentry® Safe security products, LARSON® storm doors and windows, MasterBrand Cabinets® and Therma-Tru® entry door systems. Fortune Brands is part of the S&P 500 Index and a Fortune 500 Company. For more information, please visit www.FBHS.com.