Each day at Mosaic Design Studio in Columbus, Ohio, President Lisa Cini keeps two things in mind:
We’re all getting older.
We need to think about that when we design our homes and pick out our furnishings, both inside and out.
According to 2021 data, more than 55.8 million adults ages 65 and older live in the U.S., accounting for about 16.8% of the nation’s population. By 2040, that proportion is projected to grow to 22%.
Mosaic specializes in design for older adults, technology for aging in place for Airbnb residences, and an online website that offers products that she describes as a mix of Sharper Image and AARP. In place for 25 years, Cini’s firm has designed and furnished thousands of senior living buildings, blending function with elegant casual living for seniors to age in place on their own terms.
Outside of work, she is a published author, well known as a nationally recognized expert on senior living design, and she is active in a variety of public service and charitable organizations including those dedicated to creating leadership opportunities for women, protecting poor residents of developing countries, and helping families affected by childhood cancer.
Within the outdoor furnishings space, Cini says that merchandising, product selection and improved lead times will all be important for outdoor furniture retailers this year. For her business specifically, it will also be important for her to continue to collaborate with Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma to create an accessible living line of furniture for older adults.
As business slows, she says she plans to switch gears.
“We will broaden our reach from resort-style senior living facilities to aging-in-place residential design and residential assisted-living, smaller homes,” says Cini.
Every aspect of home furnishings was affected by the Covid pandemic, which was one of the biggest challenges that Mosaic has faced recently.
“The senior living market was shut down during Covid and now is just coming back, but interest rates continue to climb as well as construction costs,” says Cini. “This means the FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) budgets got squeezed. Recently, China has opened back up and so I went on a research trip to see what new products they may have to help attract new projects and save the client money.”
To get the word out, Mosaic has started a new podcast called “What’s Your Next Move? Aging On Your Own Terms,” as well as a weekly informational newsletter. Cini says that the business relies on social media, public relations, television and print, as well as expert consulting, to set itself apart in the marketplace.
To choose which manufacturers are included, Cini says she goes with the tried and true — and those who are mindful of her target market.
“We specify and purchase from manufacturers that have great value, style, are easy to work with and last, and most of all, if there is an issue, they take care of it,” says Cini. “The manufacturers for outdoor that are the right ergonomic heights for seniors are few and far between. Pottery Barn is working on this, and I am very pleased that they are.”
Any advice for struggling casual retailers? “Merchandising wins,” says Cini.
