Taste and lifestyle design choices of the Gen Z
Does it ever make you wonder why your children have so many opinions of the furniture pieces they want or the designs they like?
This is the generation that has their own ideas, and who dances to the beat of their own drum.
Easier, more efficient
Design adapts to one’s lifestyle, habits and comfort. It should make life easier and more efficient.
Say, for example, you’re designing a bedroom. Its layout should be tailored to the schedule, work habits, sports and hobbies, collections, clothing storage needs, and bathroom routines. A time-and-motion study—similar to those used in restaurant design—can be invaluable for optimizing bedroom layouts. With these insights, you can create a more efficient and comfortable space.
When designing for my clients’ children, it’s important to know their habits and wants. I’ve noticed they always come prepared—whether it’s a Pinterest mood board, a Canva page, or a collage of Instagram-saved photos. In fact, their ideas are often even more fully formed than their parents’.
Socmed influences
A lot of the influences today come from social media rather than the magazines of my era. Instead of hearing about design greats like Peter Marino, Kelly Hoppen, Greg Natale, Juan Montoya, I hear about TikTok influencers I am unfamiliar with. I’m impressed with the fresh take on interior design.
What I do is I take in all the details given to me, relay to my whole team and ask for everyone’s advice or their take on the mood boards. Then, we recommend and give our own twist. I’m happy that this generation loves to use color which I can do even while sleeping!
As a parent—and an off-duty designer for my kids—I let them do their own thing in their rooms, allowing them to learn from mistakes, while still drawing the line on quality and cost.
I always go for high quality pieces and make a point of supporting Filipino craftsmanship by visiting local manufacturers who can also do retro, mid century style pieces too. Interjecting their favorite designer pieces would be nice. Mixing pieces gives the space a personal touch.
Also, introduce other decorative pieces by doing your research. There are a lot of brands that carry the cutest accessories that can bring color into the space. Color can be introduced into the rug, bedsheets, throw pillows, wallpaper, pendant lights or even the ceiling.
Allow your kids to play, research, window shop, and make decisions in designing their own space—within a certain budget of course. This will give them the responsibility to take care of their own things.
Who knows? This might be their first foray into architecture or interior design.
The author is the founder of Chat Fores Design Studio, an executive director at the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), and a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Architecture and Design of Enderun College
