I know it. Just hearing the word “trend” makes you roll your eyes. And that’s fair, especially if you’re a creative.
Trends, as we mostly know them today, have become pure marketing: a byproduct of social media, something to avoid if you don’t want to design projects that all look the same, or projects that feel already outdated after a short time. And no one wants that.
The point is that the word trend actually means something else, and its original meaning has been completely distorted over the past years.
According to the dictionary, a trend is a direction of change.
At TRENDBARK, this is exactly what we observe, with a specific focus on how the spaces we live in are changing. Trends happen because taste changes, markets change, technologies evolve, and the way we live changes. And today it has become increasingly difficult to navigate all of this: information is everywhere, often contradictory, and coming from every direction.
TRENDBARK is a tool to face change in a more conscious and inspired way, without being overwhelmed by the anxiety of always having to “keep up.” It is a continuous space of curation, learning, observation, and sharing.
Its purpose is to help you read the signals of the present: new materials, emerging designers, aesthetic directions that may become relevant to your work.
It helps bring order to the endless stream of so-called “trends” pushed by social media, magazines, and fairs, an overload that often makes us feel behind when, in reality, following that pace rarely makes sense.
TRENDBARK helps you understand what, among everything you see on the market, actually matters to you. What can be useful, what can be left aside, and which themes, even outside the design world, are worth paying attention to now because they may become important in the near future.
It is for those who, like I once did, struggled to find a clear direction. For those who are tired of endless scrolling in search of novelty, only to realize that there is too much, or that everything looks the same. For those who have experimented with AI and tools like ChatGPT and noticed how, despite their speed, they often lead to generic or misleading outcomes.
In the format designed for professionals and studios, TRENDBARK is first and foremost the sharing of my personal research and curation notes.
The structure of TRENDBARK STUDIO is intentionally simple.
It combines a monthly update, through an evolving tool that gathers my notes, observations, downloadable images, and references on interiors, design, and living spaces, with optional mentoring sessions to clarify projects, evaluate scenarios, and open new possibilities.
It also includes TRENDBARK annual Trendbook, our longer-standing project, first launched in 2017, which reads Milan Design Week through colors, materials, forms, styles, and innovations, filtering what can become a real and lasting direction.
A year-end webinar completes the cycle, offering a broader look at the following two years to help orient focus and priorities.
TRENDBARK STUDIO helps you build a critical eye toward trends: to understand what to keep and what to let go of in the information overload; to work with more structure and confidence; to create projects that speak the language of the present while being designed to last, without losing your identity; and to communicate your choices to clients with greater confidence, grounding them in a broader cultural and technological context.
With a perspective that starts in Italy and Europe but goes further, including on-site observations from the Far East Asia: a necessary expansion of perspective today more than ever.
With eyes to the future, through continuous updates on new materials, technologies, and innovations that are truly useful for our work, and at the same time, with cultural references to the past. To understand style, design languages, and key references from the past century, anchoring future choices in a broader context.
A cultural investment as much as a professional tool. An investment in learning how to look, how to select, and how to give meaning to choices, something that inevitably reflects in the quality and longevity of the work we produce.
TRENDBARK STUDIO is curated by me, Elisabetta Rizzato. Trained as an architect and working across digital platforms for more than thirteen years, with constant visits to major international fairs and collaborations with interior brands as a trend advisor, I have developed a way of reading change that filters newness through the lens of longevity, moving beyond momentary hype. This is the approach I share here.
+ Monthly foresight
An evolving research tool with notes, observations, references, and downloadable visuals focused on interiors, design, and living spaces.
+ Annual Trendbook (Milan Design Week)
A curated reading of Milan Design Week through colors, materials, forms, styles, and innovations, filtered for what can become a lasting direction.
+ 1:1 mentoring sessions
Dedicated time to discuss projects, clarify doubts, evaluate new opportunities, or brainstorm new directions for your work.
+ Year-end live webinar
A broader look at the next two years, connecting signals, aesthetics, and cultural shifts to help orient focus and priorities.
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Access starts immediately after joining. You can choose between:
✦ annual access, valid for one full year
✦ monthly payment plan, spread across the year
Complete your registration: you’ll be redirected to a secure checkout. Once your payment is confirmed, your member profile is created automatically. You’ll receive a personal welcome email and your Member Dashboard access with :
immediate access to the current Milan Design Week Trendbook
the new Milan Design Week Trendbook when it is released
your monthly interactive foresight tool
invitations to live sessions and webinars, when scheduled
exclusive discounts on all other TRENDBARK resources and publications
All content is available online and can be consulted at your own pace.
Looking for a solution designed for brands or teams? Explore TRENDBARK BRANDS.
"I found the monthly reports particularly helpful when used in combination with the Colour Trendbook.
We are mixing them with our separate research on the specific project to create unique concepts.
Our commercial clients appreciate our effort to look at Global Trends and how they influence the needs and tastes of their target audience."
Martina P. / Founder & Director, A Designer at Heart Ltd - London, UK
"I am a member already quite some time, I appreciate Elisabetta's work very much as it gives me fruitful information about Macro, Color & Style trends. As I visit a lot of fairs & events myself being a freelance designer, it is always very helpful to see if somebody else has a similar impression of what is going on in the interior market. Thanks for your excellent work!"
Anja T. / Textile Designer - Germany
"As an independent designer working across markets, staying informed felt increasingly chaotic. I was constantly collecting too much but without a clear sense of it all. The Trendbooks are visually rich yet focused, and the mentoring session with Elisabetta helped me see exactly how to translate insights into design direction for my clients."
Francesca M. / Interior Designer & Stylist, Milan
"Joining TRENDBARK has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! When I first enrolled, I was interested in learning about upcoming trends so I could use them as a reference to renovate my home, which I plan to sell in the near future. What I appreciate the most about being part of this program is the private mentorship session offered by Elisabetta. This offering alone is worth the entire cost of the program."
Claudia V. / Freelancer - New Jersey, US
No. STUDIO PLAN is single-user, personal use. Brands/teams should join BRANDS PLAN, that gives multi-access + commercial license.
Once you have purchased the plan you prefer, your will receive an email confirmation plus a second email with all the instructions ( remember also to check in the spam folder). The way to access the materials is super easy, through a members-only login area within TRENDBARK website.
The annual plan offers a significant cost advantage compared to the monthly payment option. For this reason, refunds are not available in case of cancellation. All details are available in the Policy page here.
TRENDBARK was created by the founder of ITALIANBARK® , transforming years of trend reporting into a structured and accessible foresight program for professionals and brands.