Comfort remains high priority and has been pusued by designers through the open plan design. Although this is not a new idea, it is affecting how new homes are being built and older homes are being renovated. It creates spaces that are more flowing, functional and subsequently, comfortable. Design-wise it requires commitment to a particular style as you can practically see the entire home at a glance.
The function of these spaces have also changed considerably. Today's homes are the new sanctuary and here you will find home meditation or yoga rooms, spa-like bathrooms, and kitchens suitable for a four-star restaurant.These new kitchens are multi-functional spaces for eating, entertaining, and even working, while rendering the Dining Room obsolete. Ideally, it opens to the Great Room, which has replaced the Living Room for comfortable entertaining and an alternative meeting place. Living Rooms are now better served as a Library or Home Office. As for home entertainment, trends in big-screen televisions and multi-point, high-quality sound systems has opened up the need for Home Theatre Rooms, replacing the out-dated Family Room. Ideally, this new space provides a means for the busy family to return, re-group, re-energize, and be entertained together. The growth of home-businesses due to new techn
ologies allow us to remain connected with the outside world while carving out a new need for an well-planned space. The ideal place may be the old Living Room, but it is perhaps challenging to keep it functioning, organized and smart. The design marketplace is addressing this need by continuously producing an array of innovative products to contain our clutter. Essentially, this ideally paper-free, well-functioning and tight-knit use of new space is the perfect environment for the new millennium family.
Style wise, there is now a greater focus on individualism as a means to set the home apart. This is a goal that many Interior Designers can not emphasize enough. It can be achieved with a unique piece of art or antique which is positioned as a focal point. When surrounded with furnishings of an unrelated period the effect is unique, even though it is still actually part of a bigger trend. We are also seeing a fusion of contemporary and classic designs throughout the home to reflect a knowledge and appreciation for both past and present.