Shape of the nesters reflected in homes

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Cocooning, the great lifestyle trend of recent years that had people hunkering down at home, is fading. But "nesting" goes on, says Dutch trend forecaster Li Edelkoort.
The two are different, she told Dwell magazine. A cocoon surrounds you with a defensive guard that keeps out the world. A nest is open-ended. You go and come back. You stay home not because you're fearful of what's outside but because you want to be there.
She predicts modern minimalism in architecture and interiors will go to the extreme. People will maintain simple surroundings filled with only what's necessary. But another trend to ornamentation, what she calls hedonism, is rising. The two ideas can co-exist, in different rooms even in the same home.
Edelkoort, who translates trends as distant as two years out, identifies personal lifestyles by shape.
If you are a "round" type, you are a nester who relishes warm, friendly materials, animals and family. "Sharp" ones go for drama. "Square" types are thrifty and like organization. The "flats" fit with fold-up furniture, matte finishes and Marimekko patterns. The "organic" shape represents an exotic style with natural materials and multicultural patterns.