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All I can think of is that the trend towards open plans will continue..Great Rooms, Open Kitchens and Dining areas...communal living. What I think will happen is that ceilings will become lower. Rather than very high ceilings, I think we will trend towards the cozier/sheltered atmosphere, such as those in Frank Lloyd Wright houses.
I've been wondering this too. I'm thinking people will spend less on more expensive things like travel/vacations, big ticket items but will put more money into their homes to make them feel better about depreciating values and their increased time spent at home.
I can only really speak for the Salt Lake Area, but we are great trend copiers (though we are often a year or two behind California and the East Coast). New construction has gone to retro-turn of the century on the exteriors with develpments like this: New Homes Utah | Daybreak | Houses, Shops, Offices, Parks, Schools at the top of the trendyness heap.
Luckily the faux-Tuscan look is nearly dead; our real-estate boom was almost all cultured stone and plastic stick-on "Italian-ish looking" $&!t.
Faux aged "traditionalized mass-produced modern-ish" (I don't know how else to describe it) is big. If you put modern and high victorian furniture in a blender, then took the result and banged it up stylishly, parked a vase or 2 full of sticks on the end tables and put it in a drywall clad room with some cool texture paint job and plain square painted mouldings you'd have what I'm talking about. (the link will show it too)
Luckily the faux-Tuscan look is nearly dead; our real-estate building boom was almost all cultured stone and plastic stick-on "Italian-ish looking" $&!t.
As for real styles... French Country, Craftsman and Rustic are what the rich folks seem to be building most these days. I'm hoping the turn-of-the-century look will migrate from only the outside where is now to the inside as well, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
I think other people in my age bracket late 20s - early 30s are buying houses we can afford while older folks are retiring. Since the older guys can sell their houses cheaper, there are a lot of 60's 70's 3BR houses on the market for the "right" price.
My old-new house gave me freedom to move in a "new" design direction, and I think other people probably want to decorate the "old" new homes they have while being true to the "period" (if you can call the 60's-70's a period LOL):
1. Mid-Century Modern - A lot of people seem to love it.
2. Tile - If the house hasn't been renovated and you still have the pink or blue tile, a lot of people are re-discovering the awesomeness of weird pastel tile.
3. Pastel Appliances - Back in Vogue.
4. Modern - Whatever that is. In my house it's simple furniture in strange shapes that is usually lower to the ground. I think it goes better with the proportions in the house.
5. Chinoiserie, Japanoiserie and Koreanoiserie - LOL I personally am a freak for all things Asian, and I love the low proportions of the traditional furniture. I also love how FengShui'ing my house was not only expensive but has made me feel that I have control over my life...and I know I am not alone!
6. Caribbean! - I am biased, but I do think that the snowbirds who are leaving the colder states are going to decorate their homes as well. Based on the snow chickies in my wee circle, I say they will go ALL out with pastels, brights, rattan, palm trees, breezy curtains. You name it, anything that reminds them that they're happily retired.
7. Bright Colors - In general, I have noticed that people in all kinds of homes seem to be more willing to try bright colors on the walls. And why not? Beige is boring. I see more navy blues, turquoise, yellow, red, orange and magenta...
Wow lots of steriotypical assumptions about older people. We retired 2 years ago and we sold our house for what we were asking (we had 4 offers) in 3 weeks - everything had been updated/remodeled and was fairly traditional in a neutral kind of Pottery Barn style. We didn't sell our house for cheaper and our house was move-in ready, model-home worthy including the outside and inside - new bathrooms, kitchen, all hardwood floors, roof, moldings, french doors, custom plantation shutters, professionally landscaped, all new systems.....not all older people are your typical grandma and grandpa type who haven't updated their homes in 40 years and retire to warm-climate homes decorated with pastels/bright rattan Caribbean decor (yuck). We sold our home to a professional couple in their early 30's who were thrilled that they didn't need to do anything to our house. The most beautiful and stylish homes I have ever been in belong to people in or near retirement (they have the experience, resources, finances and taste lacking in many younger people).
I am also aghast that there are people that actually think that having control of one's life has anything to do with decorating - you have got to be kidding!
As far as low to the ground furniture - not for this tall family - my husband is 6'7" and I'm 5'9" - low to the ground is definitely not anything we would ever consider - not even when we were younger.....just not practical for tall people.
Amen! I am not near retirement nor am I in my 20's 30's..but I think that style/ color depends on where you live and the type of home you live in. I've owned a cape, farmhouse, colonial, ranch and now a home on the lake. I have relatives in Arizona that definitely decorate much differently than I do here in Maine. I love what they do, they love what we do. I personally do not like a home with all pastels and palm tree decor, except when I am in the Keys.
"I am also aghast that there are people that actually think that having control of one's life has anything to do with decorating - you have got to be kidding!"
While your statement made me laugh, I do think the condition of one's home can affect how much they feel in control. The home is the "control center" and I think it can definitely create a "feeling", whether accurate or not, one way or another, about the state of one's life.
I have to disagree with the idea that lower ceilings are in. I can see lowered ceiligns in certain areas such as nooks, bays or at an entry to a room/hall. But 9' has pretty much become the new minimum for living spaces in my area. I actually think vaulted ceilings are out and 10' is the new desired height. (Not that everyone will have that.)
I also see people wanting a cross between the open plan and discreet rooms. Such as the living opneing to dining and dining to the kitchen but not kitchen to living room. Or an open kitchen-living area with a separate dining room.
In my area the oversized/overrought luxury condos and the super small infill houses/faux loft condos are both on the way out. Which is sad when you consider the original stock of both never actually sold out.
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(though we are often a year or two behind California and the East Coast). New construction has gone to retro-turn of the century on the exteriors with develpments like this: 
