Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
HGTV Home’s Design Director Touts New Design Trends for 2018
October 25,
2017 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
Design director for HGTV Home and founder and creative director of Design Works International, Nancy Fire recently returned from a pre-autumn tour of Europe with a list of trends that are expected to emerge in the U.S. by spring 2018.
Fire, who spoke at the recent High Point Market, unveiled new styles she’s introducing to the HGTV Home Design Studio by Bassett, a customizable home furnishing collection that fans of HGTV Home and designers alike use to create their own unique home makeovers.
“Our goal at HGTV Home is to take the latest relatable trends and make it something a consumer can easily adapt for use in their own home, using their individual fashion sense and style. Keeping those options fresh with the latest emerging trends is something I just love doing,” said Fire.
The styles are influenced by Fire’s recent trend-spotting trips to Europe and other locales. With stops in Paris, Madrid and Lisbon, Fire spotted colors, patterns and textiles that are currently shaping design aesthetic and home interiors in Europe.
Topping the list are trends she calls “Artisan Aesthetic.”
“The patterns, colors and texture were breathtaking,” reported Fire, whose Design Works International studio specializes in original textile design, trend development, color, and consulting services. “It was an extremely inspirational trip that was defined by artisanal influence.”
In Paris, Fire noted that millennial pink has captured the heart of the city. In both fashion and home-décor, Parisians have elevated the color scheme and applied it in a number of new and creative ways. The bold use of black and white patterns in everything from dress fabrics to earthenware was another noted trend in the City of Lights.
By contrast, in Lisbon, she found the colorful, polished-stone, azulejos tiles, dominating both the city’s interiors and exteriors reflecting Lisbon’s history and culture. The ceramic tiles are best known for their intricate geometric patterns and can be found adorning the walls of homes, churches, public buildings and train stations.
“Inspiration could be found everywhere I turned,” Fire reports. “Europe is always a hotbed for creative and colorful design and this trip was no different; it never fails to inspire,” continued Fire.
Fire has spent over two decades working to help companies update their brands, capitalize on emerging trends, and develop new product lines. She is the founder and creative director of Design Works International, a lifestyle studio in New York City that serves as a creative think tank made-up of designers from all over the globe.