What's out, what's in?

This month, home accent retailers share some insight about their merchandise — what's selling in stores and what's not. The retailers who contributed to this list are as diverse as their picks and pans, representing a variety of different styles, price points, geographic areas and operational practices. Many of them are shopping the winter markets where they'll see this issue's Sketchbook trends and styles presented by our product editors, Tracy Bulla and Lindsey Strader. As they shop, these retailers might also find evidence of the emerging trends predicted by our designer panel on the magazine's back page. But when it comes to restocking their stores, here's a glimpse at what's moving and where the dust is collecting…

Useless luxury

Cheap imports

Nonrenewable resources

Made in China

Mass-produced for millions

Heavy metal

Elephants & donkeys

Fairies

Clichés

Real animal skins

Real horn or ivory

Amber glass

Anything be-jeweled

Large country floral prints

Pattern

Sacrificing comfort for looks

Skirts

Navy blue, hunter green & burgundy

Black, white & red

Coral in any shade

Soot, lead wicks, drips

Extravagant dog products

DIY software

Flimsy glass and pottery

Incandescent light bulbs

Pot-racks above the kitchen island

Rugs not certified as child labor-free

Holiday decor, post-season

Big purchases of original art

High-priced clocks

TV/entertainment cabinets

Candleholders that go unnoticed

Mirror frames that go unnoticed

Mirrors only for viewing

Vintage furniture

Illegal in-store background music

Palms

Dried flowers

Plastic ceramic look-alikes

Potpourri

In-home design consultations

Small, expensive pick-up items

“Stack it high and let it fly”

Big furniture and expensive art

Use-able luxury

Sophisticated ethnic

Green everything

Made in U.S.A.

Handmade, authentic, artisanal

Nature

Birds, bees and pigs

Anything Buddha

Whimsical decor

Animal prints, especially Zebra

Bone made to look like horn, ivory

Mercury glass

Silver finishes

Large scale accessories

Texture

Aged, comfortable upholstery

Exposed wood legs

Brown plus any color for accent

Spice reds and gold

Silver and gray tones

Candles and reed diffusers

Handmade boiled wool dog toys

“Books, books, books”

Good glass and pottery

Table and floor lamps

Chandeliers for every room

Area rugs — any style, any pattern

Holiday ornaments and decor

Picture frames

Low-priced clocks

Case good pieces for flat panel TVs

Floor-sized candleholders

Mirrors made with architectural finds

Oversized mirrors to add drama

Antique furniture

Music CDs as an exclusive product

Orchids

Live and permanent plants, topiaries

Decorative garden pots

Pomanders

Home staging

Security cameras

Stocking fewer items; better quality

Small, inexpensive pickup items

To comment on this story, please write to me at susan.dickenson@reedbusiness.com or share your thoughts on my blog at HomeAccentsToday.com.

Images: mirror, Artdreams Home; Buddha, Artasad; bone votives; Lunares; wingback chair, Barclay Butera Home; rug, Feizy; Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, Clarkson Potter; Home By Design, Taunton; chandelier, Waterford; planter, Napa Home