Home Design Trends Marking This Decade
Let’s play a game. I will look through House Beautiful and find some examples of home decor. You tell me the decade from which they are remembered. All set? Pink patterned sofas topped with a mound of bright-colored pillows, and furniture upholstered in gingham with plug-in candlestick accents.
The 70s? Excellent! The Flower Children turned 30 and covered themselves with primary-colored pillows. Let’s try another one. Shabby chic, verdigris indoors outdoors, or both, and a Japanese-inspired living or family room.
If you waved your hand and said: “Pick me, pick me, it’s the 80s” you get the points. The 80s was an interesting decade. It was a transition ten-year span between the decline of the Boomers and the rise of Generation X. Little wonder we needed some distressing paneling and Zen to get through it all.
The point is, that every decade has its distinctive styling points. Gildshire Magazines wonders how the 2010s will be remembered. Nowadays, people can create amazing home projects with the help of SketchUp Pro.
So we did what we do best. We went for a drive, searching for architectural and home design trends and patterns in homes designed since 2010. New Home Source gave us a hand, as well. Here is what we found:
The Inside Has Gone Outside
Gas or charcoal grills, fire pits, and outdoor furniture aren’t enough today. Entire outdoor kitchens have been added to the basic backyard cooking space.
Refrigerators, wine coolers, plumbed sinks and deck side counter spaces mean the host/hostess doesn’t have to leave the guests. Good thing, too. That one neighbor may decide he wants to skinny dip, and no one needs to see that. With outdoor kitchens all the rage…
…Can Courtyards be Far behind?
In a word, no. Interior, front entry, rear entry, it doesn’t matter. Courtyards are in big demand. In these crowded times, a sense of space can be elusive.
Home Design Trends Marking This Decade: Courtyards have always been an important feature of Spanish architecture.
A courtyard gives, at least, the illusion that the house is larger and the privacy is more profound. Is this a reaction to the feeling we have of our very lives being open to the outside world? Perhaps, but it may be a simple case of recognizing the importance of allowing sunlight and warmth into our day. Courtyards used to be a common thing for large homes. Now, they are influencing the small home market, as well.
Bringing the Outdoors In
As well as more personal and intimate outdoor settings, the last decade saw an increase in people bringing the outdoors in. Whether it be a select few hanging plants cascading out of macrame plant hangers or creating our very own indoor jungles, decorating with plants has and continues to be an extremely popular way of making our homes feel more at one with nature.
As well as being aesthetically pleasing, this home design trend can also be extremely beneficial to our indoor spaces. Not only do house plants often bring a sense of calm to an interior, but many species can also help to remove toxins from the air, greatly improving the air quality inside our homes.
The Kitchen May Have Gone Outside But the Drive-In Theater Has Come Inside
The advent of the theater room was inevitable when televisions grew to 70-inches wide and came with sexy, curved edges. No longer just an entertaining inclusion in your living room, the television and what comes with it deserves a room of its own.
Home Design Trends Marking This Decade: Heck, some home theaters deserve a HOME of their own.
The home theater has become ornate and elaborate with stadium-style seating, arena-type popcorn machines, and state-of-the-art equipment. If you own this baby it is a certainty you don’t want to leave to go to the premiere or the big game. Vendors are not included, but that’s about all that isn’t.
Can I Draw You a Bath?
Master bathrooms have become so elaborate they are almost hard to imagine, much less draw.
Long gone are the days of the bath and a half, standard issue. Today’s home has a bathroom that is a work of art. Negative-edge tubs, dual-head and oversized showers, and whirlpools are just the beginning. The restroom has become a place where you really could get some rest! Is that a cushiony chair I see in there? Restroom as a reading retreat? Your Aunt Mabel would have loved one of these. She was a big novel reader in the resting room.
The decade draws to a close now, so we imagine what might come next in the realm of home design and homebuilding. We can be sure before it’s over that this decade will be remembered for its distinct and unique design touches. Now, let me take a 21-jet bath so I can meet you in the backyard kitchen. We’ll whip up some sushi and then get ready for the game.
