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OUTSIDE THE BOX: movable walls to make open spaces flexible or more private/cozy.
DEFINITELY a walk in pantry and/or cold storage. I'm short and overhead cabinets are the bane of my existence--if I'm lucky I *might* be able to reach the second shelf. And as I'm getting older, stooping down to get items from the base cabinets is starting to get harder. I'd love a pantry room where I could store my canned/dry goods AND my small appliances/heavy cookware at eye level.
I used to live in a 60s cape and the layout was horrible. The stairs going to the second floor chopped the downstairs layout in half so the kitchen was completely cut off from the family room. The "formal" living room was long and narrow with a huge picture window which made furniture grouping problematic. No one ever used the "formal" dining room unless we had out of state relatives we were trying to impress.
So for me formal dining rooms are OUT unless people entertain a lot or have huge family gatherings. I once saw a picture of a condo that had a separate kitchen but the counter extended beyond the pass through. So instead of a breakfast bar, the counter continued out to create a dining table. I thought that was an interesting idea especially for a rental as that would be one less piece of furniture to worry about. I can't find a photo of this but if I ever do come across it I will certainly post.
There will always be a need for a open kitchen/dining/family room area, especially for a family with kids. When you think about it, when is the "formal" living and dining rooms ever used except for company?
New apartment/condo construction is getting tinier and tinier. 400-500 sq ft for a 1 bedroom? UGH! So I see foresee built-ins and multi functional furniture.
A trend I'm hoping for is less "living" space and more storage space/built-ins which would minimize the need for furnishings.
How about bringing pocket doors back? When I was young and single, I lived in a house that was 75 yrs old, at the time. (Late 70's/early 80's. It was a 2 story house and it had been converted to an apartment unit upstairs, and an apartment unit downstairs. I lived downstairs. My living room was closed off from the formal entrance to the house, with a pocket door. I always kept the pocket door closed, except on Halloween.
Pocket doors could be opened or closed, as the need and the mood suited people. Or maybe those sliding barn door thingies...forget what they're called. lol
Working from home...sitting a lot...need to come up with reasons to walk around.
So I start walking around the perimeter of my yard and I end up noticing/discovering little things I wouldn't have noticed. Like a leaky gutter seam, a patch of problem weeds, an outdoor outlet I didn't know we had, a crawlspace vent that needed adjusting.
Maybe we'll see an uptick in, if not DYI, people knowing their home and how it works better. Noticing things before they become a real problem, etc.
How about bringing pocket doors back? When I was young and single, I lived in a house that was 75 yrs old, at the time. (Late 70's/early 80's. It was a 2 story house and it had been converted to an apartment unit upstairs, and an apartment unit downstairs. I lived downstairs. My living room was closed off from the formal entrance to the house, with a pocket door. I always kept the pocket door closed, except on Halloween.
Pocket doors could be opened or closed, as the need and the mood suited people. Or maybe those sliding barn door thingies...forget what they're called. lol
My house has two pocket doors. They haven’t gone away. But I think you envision them as being used as temporary partitions. I think that is a good idea.
I wonder if people will want homes that dont have open concept. Having families together 24/7 definitely makes you want space and quiet for yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
I think open kitchens will go out of favor, and also white subway tiles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassybluesy
How about bringing pocket doors back? When I was young and single, I lived in a house that was 75 yrs old, at the time. (Late 70's/early 80's. It was a 2 story house and it had been converted to an apartment unit upstairs, and an apartment unit downstairs. I lived downstairs. My living room was closed off from the formal entrance to the house, with a pocket door. I always kept the pocket door closed, except on Halloween.
Pocket doors could be opened or closed, as the need and the mood suited people. Or maybe those sliding barn door thingies...forget what they're called. lol
As a potential design project I’ve been working on for a while, four house designs to be potentially used as models for a small development, my previously more open concept kitchens with islands open to great rooms I have redesigned three (one design is an accessible, one level model that needs to be more open) to instead have eat-in kitchens. The designs also feature hobby rooms, libraries, dens and lofts, i.e. some places to have more intimate gatherings and designated uses while other activities are taking place. There are pocket doors wherever they make good sense for flexibility; the new kitchen walls have both a large swinging door and a pocket door which opens them up quite a bit to the great room area when desired as well as plenty of closets and large pantries, one model even has his & her bathrooms-even ADU possibilities - all in regular sized houses.
I think I may be on to something here catching some trends
Comprehend the title of the article-
Almost anyone can take an idea and design a house; but you gotta sale it to make it viable AND profitable.
Its getting so "over-hyped" already!
Not many people around today that were around for the Spanish Flu- though it killed tens of thousands, it didn't effect people's everyday living at the time as much as the Great War.
Is having all these changes to a residential dwelling really necessary for the next 100yr pandemic? Especially since the average life span of a house is about 70yrs?
My pet peeve, and I’m correcting this in my own house now, is I want NO tv in the great room/living room. We are keeping the living room for quiet conversation, reading or whatever, and having the tv in a separate area.
My pet peeve, and I’m correcting this in my own house now, is I want NO tv in the great room/living room. We are keeping the living room for quiet conversation, reading or whatever, and having the tv in a separate area.
Our main living room in our cottage, used every day from morning to night is designated a no TV zone, and is a place for morning newspapers (it has large arched focal windows that face East), afternoon naps or tea and reading, evening cocktails and conversation and then cranked up Grateful Dead shows from the Deadpod https://deadshow.blogspot.com/ for shelter in place dance parties with just the two of us
We’ve got a cozy den in the lower level for TV, but it is mostly ignored because we are enjoying the living room activities so much haha.
We have 2 people in our house, i love separate rooms, our house is over 3000 sq ft and yet feels cozy. We have a large kitchen , which i love. But i really do prefer separate rooms rather than open floor plan. Our grandkids sleep over (before corona virus) a few times a week. They can listen to their music and it doesn't bother us.
And here I want to open mine up. It's got a separate living room, dining room and kitchen, and we never use the dining room. Just walk right by it on the way to the living room, which is a touch too small, even for just the two of us. And the living room and master bedroom are the only rooms with TVs, as there is no separate "den" or family room. Opening it up would give us more room and better flow, along with being able to see the big screen TV from the kitchen while cooking and from the dining room if we wanted to eat and watch the news. We'd actually get more use out of the space than we do now.
And here I want to open mine up. It's got a separate living room, dining room and kitchen, and we never use the dining room. Just walk right by it on the way to the living room, which is a touch too small, even for just the two of us. And the living room and master bedroom are the only rooms with TVs, as there is no separate "den" or family room. Opening it up would give us more room and better flow, along with being able to see the big screen TV from the kitchen while cooking and from the dining room if we wanted to eat and watch the news. We'd actually get more use out of the space than we do now.
We for years have had a small TV set up in the kitchen that is easily watchable while cooking or at the breakfast bar, the only TV we have on the main level. And if you never use your dining room why don’t you set it up as a den? Yes, there is some design thought to that and it may never be perfect for its newly designated use but at least it will be a room you use. Instead of a major, likely structural remodel maybe just repurposing rooms or maybe opening/lining up openings between them is a possibility.
I am always a bit puzzled by people who complain (and I’m not singling you out, this is a common comment) about not having enough room in their house but have rooms like a dining room or “formal” living room that they rarely, if ever use. Change it up so it is comfortable to your lifestyle and aesthetics and use away.
It’s not like we have to be old school Italians with a matched set of clear plastic covered furniture and a couple of prints of the Pope on the wall in a room you merely glance at while crowding uncomfortably into the remaining rooms of your house.
Last edited by T. Damon; 04-13-2020 at 02:45 PM..
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