What will be the global trends that will impact our societies and we should consider when designing our homes?
When considering trends, I am not talking about what I call “fashion trends”. To me, it does not really matter much what is the new furniture style or color palette pushed by the trade. Those to me are much more fashion rules than real societal trends and, fashion rules if anything are meant to be broken, don’t you agree?
You’ve heard me saying innumerous times that I truly believe that our place should feel like home and that the most important thing when designing a home is to listen to personal tastes and needs, bringing together pieces and colors with emotional meaning with new things that complements the layout and look pursued.
However, if on one hand I see change of styles as movements to be left behind, on the other hand there are global trends that should drive our spending decisions in the next years that certainly will influence how the design of your homes should evolve. One source that I found interesting is “2030 Consumers Trends” published by Mintel.com (a Global Market Research & Marketing Insight company).
Here are the ones I believe are relevant for our homes:
1. Seeking well-being
In a very simple term, well-being can be defined as judging life positively and feeling good in a very broad way that includes physical, economical, social, emotional and psychological satisfaction. How could our growing seek for well-being influence our home design?
Nature indoors.
Being closer to nature is one of the key factors to achieve well-being satisfaction and since we spend most of our time indoors, the need to bring nature inside our homes only increases.
The thing is, nature indoors is much more than a pot of plant, it involves natural textures, materials, lights, views and, of course, plants! If you are interested in this subject you might want to check this article on decorating with plants.
Home office.
One of the biggest shifts in our lives will be the alternative ways of working and increase which should lead us the rethink the home office. This means that although the thought of working from the sofa can be tempting, it is becoming crucial to have a dedicated space in which you can really get into the right mindset to get work done with maximum productivity. No more improvised corners. Office room is becoming as important as any other room in the house. So we better plan for it, so that we do not add unnecessary tension to our daily lives.
2. Connection with the environment
Although not in the scale we would wish for, the increased population and climate crisis are forcing us to be more aware of the threats to our environment, to rethink our consumption and reduce our waste and energy use. The ways this impacts interior design are several:
Sustainable design
We all want to do more conscious and sustainable choices. This means that old pieces of furniture should be repurposed, local vendors together with vintage and recycled options should be prioritize and, more than ever, quality products that could last longer should be our 1st alternative. If you are interested in sustainability and interior design check this article.
Minimalist treatment
The name of the game is simplifying. This concept should be more and more observed into our home design by simplifying our furniture and storage. Of course, we can go “maximalist” on patterns, colors, textures, and all things over-the-top but our choices should prioritize form and function and décor pieces should be mostly relevant and useful.
3. Technology as part of everyday life
The incredible development of technology has changed and will keep changing our daily lives. All kinds of gadgets connected to the Internet have altered completely the way we communicate, use humor, study, work, shop, play and behave in general. Surely it will keep also changing our home designs.
Smart technology is already part of our home designs and quickly is ceasing to be a luxury to become a necessity. Homes can already benefit from smart bulbs that are voice-controlled while also being dimmable and multicolored; online home security systems that are much more reliable and affordable; and thermostats and home appliances can be remotely controlled bringing convenience and energy savings. This is certainly only the beginning.
4. New ways to interpret identity
Identity is something uniquely personal. New generations do not accept the status quo anymore and are challenging rigid definitions of race, gender, and sexuality. By doing so, young people are choosing a more flexible approach to identity. With this new vision of identity, comes the desire of products and experiences that are authentic and unique to them.
As far as our homes are concerned, this trend reflects the need for spaces every day more personalized and less ruled by fashion statements: the design of our places should reflect the type of life we want to lead.
Fortunately, we should feel more and more encouraged to find the things, colors and textures that make us happy and calm, and then fill our home with them.
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So yes, the future in our homes in this new decade might be different to how we lived in the past. With connectivity 24/7 the lines between working time and personal time might be getting blurrier still. The way we impact our environment will get more focus and probably we will need to make smarter choices. Our families might be having increasing conversations with Alexas, Googles and Siris. Some of these changes might be unsettling, or even troubling to some. But it is always good to consider what might come ahead, so as to be prepared to deal with its implications when future comes. By the way, it has already arrived. And knocking at our doors.
My suggestion is opening the door to the future, welcome the new decade into your home, embrace it and make it your own.
Happy new decade!
