White paint doesn’t have to mean stark or modern. More at www.RoomsToRaveAbout.wordpress.com.

Not sitting down to a formal dinner like you used to? Casual dining is a growing trend these days. Read more at www.whatsnewathome.wordpress.com

Destination, a new dining room from aspenhome captures what America first loved (and still loves) about French moderne.. that sultry interior design fashion movement that America fondly renamed art deco. Read more at www.whatsnewathome.wordpress.com

With Thanksgiving around the corner, most of us think alittle more about the rural countryside. Even if your design tastes don’t run along rustic country lines, your dining table might be the one place to rethink that. Read more at www.cookingquarters.wordpress.com

See what can be done to save these Windsor chairs from a bland dining room fate at www.roomstoraveabout.wordpress.com.

More of us want restaurant-style dinnerware rather than bone china at home. Check out the trend… and one of my favorite NYC retail stores at www.cookingquarters.wordpress.com

Despite the current economic recession, sales of wine and spirits are going strong (a crashed stock market may even be fueling the sales?).

VineExpo announced in January, 2009 that by 2010 the U.S. consumer will become the largest consumer of wine in the world.

As expected, the price of a bottle of wine in 2008 trended down after 2007, a year when luxury wines drew the fastest growth. But consumers have no plans to give up wine in 2009; instead they’re giving up wine with meals at restaurants in favor of buying a bottle at a grocery store or discount club and eating at home.

According to HomeWorldBusiness, in 2008, dollar sales of wine grew 5.8%, with imported wines down slightly. The highest areas of consumption were Oregon (up 13.7%) Washington (up 11.5%) and California (up 5.3%).

What does it means for home furnishings? Wine storage options are expected to sell well, including cellar-like options and dedicated wine storage (refrigerated and non-refrigerated) built into dining room furniture.

Check out the new Ready-to-Assemble furniture introductions that received a 2009 Housewares Design Award… click on ‘Furniture” at  www.housewaresdesignawards.com/hda/links/finalists.asp?yr=2009.

Among the winners… a folding table and chairs that’s a ginormous step up from the old metal versions (by Meco Corp)… a massage chair you might even put in your living room (by Panasonic), an uber chic RTA chair  (by Avenue Six) and a TV stand that gives you the look of a wall-mounted TV (by Whalen).

In an interview with Advertising Age (Oct 20), Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for VISA said the following when asked if the company would re-think their branding concept “Life takes Visa” in their efforts to keep consumer confidence up. 

“We need to establish a better balance between rational and emotional mind-sets… we need to help increase the (rational) cash and check transactions… but I also believe that especially in times of uncertainty, when more people are spending more time at home, uplifting people or providing that message of “what life should be” would be equally important…. It’s probably more important than ever.”

The idea of uplifting people at home is compelling. We could all use a little uplifting right now, and furniture might be in a better position to do that than we realize… more tranquil bedrooms where we can get a better night’s sleep, more exciting home entertainment rooms to watch our new flat screen TVs, and more comfortable dining rooms where we can spend quality time with family… might be just the kind of messages that are needed right now. 

Consumers are spending more time at home, but it’s not just inside. Expanding their home’s outdoor space is helping consumers save money on vacations, de-stress, relax, increase their living space and home investment.

According to a recent HGTV/Casual Living magazine survey, an outdoor dining set tops the list of home furnishings consumers want in their outdoor space. Here’s what else (and how many of them) had on their wish list…

85% - an outdoor dining set
75% - an outdoor conversation group
73% - a professionally-landscaped garden
70% - a water fountain or water feature
64% - a fire pit or fireplace
58% - a screened-in area
52% - a grill
52% - a spa
48% - a sun-shade device
41% - an outdoor kitchen
29% - an entertainment center
22% - a children’s play area