2009 IIDA Northland
Design Professionals Retreat

On September 25th and 26th, IIDA Northland hosted the 2009 Design Professionals Leadership Retreat at Horst Rechelbacher’s estate in Osceola, WI. Offered as an exclusive member benefit to Professional and Associate IIDA Members, the goal was to invigorate, inspire, inform and provide insight into the future of interior design practice.

Set on 600 acres of pristine wilderness along the St. Croix, the unforgettable setting of this retreat- a former Aveda Spa/lodge on Horst’s property - fostered a relaxing yet dynamic program.

Friday evening, the group gathered at the retreat center and enjoyed a delicious organic meal prepared by Nipa Bhatt. Following dinner, we moved on to a lively and engaging discussion on the role of IIDA with respect to the individual design professional as well as the design industry as a whole.

Saturday’s activities began with an invigorating yoga session led by Kristy Litwinczuk with Core Power Yoga and nature hike to the St. Croix. Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO of IIDA, presented her insight on the future of design. It is her contention that it is the very nature of Americans to aspire for more, and this is a hopeful sign that the economy will recover. This recovery will bring about many changes to the industry. New and fresh design will emerge and it is up to us to decide how this new design story is told to future generations. Future employment trends will also affect the way we work together and our designs for the workplace. Flexibility is the key in designing for different generations working together. Cheryl explained that the future worker will determine a place they want to live first and then relocate- and then find a job. She labels this as “destination living”. The recovery will bring a new age of optimism with color, materiality, and taste/food/comfort becoming important drivers. The focus on a knowledge culture rather than a celebrity culture will foster community and human interaction. As we move forward, Cheryl explained that design will emerge as a major influence in this new culture. This is an exciting time where interior designers and their companies have an opportunity to reinvent their practice and emerge as leaders in the new economy.

Terrie O’Dell followed with a presentation on trends and color. She lead an exploration illustrating that when we have a thorough understanding of what color is; how the human eye sees it, how our personal perception of color influences the colors we see, and how trends may impact our color choices, then we are better able to make enlightened and appropriate design decisions for our clients.

The presentation included:
A review of the physiological aspects of how the eye sees color
How our personal perception of color can affect the way we see color(s)
How we describe/define color by using a common color language
Why trends are a part of our common color language, and how trends can impact our color choices

General overview of forecast color trends:

The direction is reflective of the notion that we live in a world of extreme realities, and that it is echoed in the color forecast which includes:
Colors that are unobtrusive: Soft, soapy and powdery
Colors that are understated: Deep and nocturnal
Colors that are unexpected: Upbeat, chromatic, Anime-inspired
Colors that are unearthed: Grounded, toned primaries

Future Influences that will most impact color trends in next 4-5 years out have been extrapolated into a very general direction:
-Living Colors (make it, grow it, edible, clean fresh, farmers market reds/golds/oranges/eggplants/greens)
-Resourceful/Preserve (eco and ethnic, prosperity through preservation golds/brown/tan/terracotta/earthy/grounded
-Chaos & Eccentricty (opposite,pop, fantasy, fluid, struxture, sage/pink/tan/lime/citron/lavender/violet/burnt orange)

Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, provided our final and key note address for this retreat. Horst challenged us to not blame each other- rather to lead by teaching and sharing. He contends that we have a new client that business has long neglected and abused- the earth. Everything should be either edible or re-useable and quality items will increase in value. We can not improve the world by buying cheap disposable products. Designers must tap into the head and heart of their clients- not themselves.
Horst concluded his presentation by describing his new business focused on nutritious, organic food-based cosmetics that could actually prevent disease such as cancer.

Following his presentation, Horst lead us on a tour of his property which included an off-the-grid organic farm, gallery and antique studio full of furniture, rugs and decorative items available for purchase, and a tour of his home. A couple of lucky designers also had the opportunity to ride in his Tesla- a 100% electric 135MPG sports car.

Graciously inviting the group into his sprawling home, the group toured his immense collection of art and furniture while Horst’s eleven dogs scampered about our feet. It was an amazing insight into his life and an expression of his passion for beauty, art, spirituality and love. Horst left us by stating that we must remember “the earth does not belong to us, we belong to it and we borrow it from our children”.