By: Holly Bayer, Interior Designer, ASID
Some in our industry would consider it foolish to get excited about trends while the economy is still trying desperately to recover. I agree. Looking forward isn’t as exciting or as breathtaking as it was five years ago when budgets were healthy and homes were being built regularly.
As a professional in the design field, looking forward is a necessity. I have to know what’s next. What is it that our country is looking at, wanting, enjoying and gaining inspiration from? Specifically, I want to know what our 21st century homes look like.
It’s not news that when the economy is uncertain we seek things which make us feel stable. We crave tradition, products that are reliable and places that are familiar. For many of us, tradition looks and feels something like the turn of the century. At that point in our country’s history Victorian homes of three distinct varieties were being built. Details were important inside and out. People did more with what they had and wasted less.
As home sizes continue to decrease and the Mc Mansions of the 90’s become an idea of well, the 90’s, what we put into our smaller, more efficient homes are carefully considered details. Tall baseboards, layered crown molding and an entrance that says, “You are home. Come in and sit down. Rest your 21st century self.” Our neighbor is building a smarter, maintenance free home they’ll live in for a longer period of time, possibly into retirement.
In the next decade architecture will fall into one of two genres; modern homes that bind mid-century design with the future and homes which become increasingly about architectural style. To help you understand those stylistic differences check out the Architectural Styles page on BayerBuilt.com.
