What’s trending in interior design? Interior designers! According to the latest Unity Marketing survey (“Cocooning in New Luxury Style”) on affluent consumers and the home furnishings market, affluent consumers’ collaboration with interior designers for home furnishings, lighting, carpets and floor coverings purchases has grown more than 90 percent since 2008! Independent professional interior designers are the most popular, followed by designers affiliated with a retail store such as Ethan Allen.

The survey also examined the factors that most influenced consumers to consult a professional.First and foremost, affluents value the support of experts, particularly designers’ expertise in combining colors and fabric designs. They are also especially keen on seeking help to realize their own vision for their home and to avoid decorating mistakes.

I can relate to that all too well. Surrounded as I am with the best editors who present the best design work in the country, I am paralyzed when it comes to picking out the perfect fabric. What if it is off, not perfect, not chic enough or horrors…gauche?! A consult with design professionals can take some of the pressure off decision-making. Spending more time to buy things for the home that will last over time was actually tops (77 percent) in affluents’ attitudes toward decorating, followed closely by a belief that “how your home is decorated greatly enhances your personal enjoyment” (73 percent).

Join the conversation (to use a current buzz phrase) with the interior designers in our pages, and they will help you navigate the myriad of choices out there.