What do people look for in their homes? Why do people choose one place but not the other? And when they do, how do they choose to decorate it?
Everyone has their reasons, but it starts with convenience. Living in a house that is easy to live in, that provides you and your family what you need. Even if the house is not perfect at first, we can always launch a home improvement project to turn it into our dream home.
With that in mind, here are three popular trends in the home design industry.
Beauty with a Purpose
A beautiful house has always been a status symbol. When you drive by an expensive neighborhood, in cities like Los Angeles or New York, and you see big homes in sprawling properties, they immediately give you a hint that someone important lives inside. Along with a luxury car, a home is the biggest show of wealth, of showing you “made it” in life.
Yet, while homes in the past were focused mainly on beauty and exuberance there has been a shift in what is important for many homeowners. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, whether your house is the size of a building or a tiny house in someone’s backyard.
We are talking about safety and security. It’s not enough for your house to be beautiful and have gorgeous ceilings, walls, floors, and windows. It also has to be safe, both inside and out.
On the outside, safety is about protection from intruders as well as the natural elements. Current trends include windows with unique, customized railings and beautifully-decorated security doors that protect your house without having it look like a government facility or private bank.
As for the inside, protection means keeping everyone safe and comfortable. Like making your home child-proof or making sure you don’t have a gas leak or unkempt chimneys that can be a fire hazard.
Minimalism and Fast Interiors
Another trend we are seeing in many homes today is influenced by the fashion industry. Today, there are two distinct schools of thought on the production, distribution, and sales of clothing items and shoes.
One of them is slow fashion. It entails designs that are planned carefully and executed to perfection. Examples are high-end retailers like Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. These fashion houses release their collections twice a year and the materials used are durable and expensive.
On the other hand, we have companies like Gap, Uniqlo, H&M, and Zara. Instead of once a season, they bring out new items on the market almost every other week. Their designs are not as intricate. They’re simple, convenient, and more suitable to the needs of everyday life. Plus, they are much more affordable.
It is the same with homes. Modern home designs no longer require furniture made from exotic (and probably illegal) materials. They no longer need to look like the Buckingham Palace to exude luxury. Instead, simple and clean lines are the preference.
It is about minimalism and convenience. It is about buying an inexpensive but well-designed sofa that fits the living room, dining room, or kitchen, or a table that serves both for dining and for studying.
And if you don’t like it, you can replace it without having to put a permanent dent in your wallet.
The Convenience of Technology
During the 60s and throughout the 80s, there was an animated TV show in America called The Jetsons. It portrayed the family of the future. A man was going to work via a flying car, and aliens and spaceships were running all over the place.
Perhaps the most endearing character was Rosey, a household robot in charge of a wide range of tasks like cleaning, cooking, helping with errands, and assisting the kids with their studies.
Today, we still don’t have robots that can function the same way. But there are machines like it. It started with Aibo, a robotic pet dog manufactured by Sony in the late 90s. Aside from barking, playing music, and not peeing inside the house, Aibo served as a companion, a good listener, and a friend.
We are at an age when everything is becoming smarter, from our phones and our televisions to our stoves, the lights in our houses, and our security systems. As such, it comes as no surprise that household robots and other intelligent machines will soon be commonplace inside our homes. We call it the Internet of Things.
When we buy a new home, we start envisioning how to transform it into the perfect place the moment we step in for an inspection. You might want to incorporate these design trends or a combination of the three. Whatever you decide, choose a design that is both aesthetically tasteful and functional.
