As it happens with the fashion world, the interior design and decor world is fragmented by more and more rapidly changing trends. Global competition makes it harder for manufacturers to stay on top. The internet allows for small, ethnic laced manufacturers to enter the global market bringing to your fingertips the authentic, hand crafted version of the decorative piece the big retailer mass produces to spruce up their out put.

While this offers the consumer a good pool of choices, it also creates fatigue on the part of the consumer. This sentiment is accentuated by the ever-changing trends. For example, an undecided consumer will start searching for the perfect decorative piece for, say, the wall behind the living room couch. After searching for two months, they will come up with a set of very different options. Unable to take a decision right away, they will set it aside for two more months, only to come back to their search and discover they are faced with an entirely new set of options.

After going trough this cycle a few times they will either buy on impulse, and become unhappy with the choice shortly there after, or give up all together, and feel utterly incompetent and unhappy. The ones buying on impulse will try keeping up with the trends for a while, and eventually give up just like the second category, too tired to continue.

The manufacturer will continue to change the product as often as it deems necessary, for as long as there is a new wave of consumers ready to take the place of the recently fatigued ones. While following the trends is somewhat seductive, one should always keep in mind that they are meant to soon become obsolete. So buy the small inexpensive accessories you can easily change, if you want to keep up with the trends, and for the large expenditures consider the staying power of any style.