Recent surveys reveal that more than 65 percent of American families have their own primary residence. In that, real estate represents a significant portion of people’s wealth in the United States. Even in most parts of the world, with the number of homeowners increasing, most of them are trading financial and environmental costs of space for monetary, social and ethical gains of compact living. Let us have a look at some of the factors affecting the real estate market and what are the different types of options available in design in urban living.
1. Repurposed Living
Most of the households today are shrinking and the homeowners are looking for dwellings that are more flexible. This is likely to increase the demand for movable walls or room dividers to allow room conversations and also for adaptable and convertible furniture.
2. Smaller Kitchens
Today’s kitchens seem to have been evolved from being utility rooms to entertaining and social spaces. Butler’s pantries and prepping kitchens will be on trend for new home designs with the increasing popularity of restaurant and café culture.
3. Shared Spaces
Modern dwellings are looking to add both space and value to the available space and are incorporating shared rooms such as a yoga studio or a laundry room. Also, most of the rooftops today are becoming glamorous with entertaining spaces and landscaped gardens.
4. Reduced Parking Space
Increasing environmental awareness, expanding public transport, dedicated bicycle lanes and growing ride share services are changing the way we commute and a dedicated parking space on the title is rapidly decreasing.
5. Maximizing Space
Most of the architects today are departing from traditional square shaped ceilings with curvy facades and spherical structures to maximize the illusion of space. As these structures are also good at bolstering thermal efficiency, most home owners are adapting to decorate ceilings with mirrors and injecting personality into homes.
6. Going Green
Sustainability is having a major impact on home design. Increasing use of solar energy in homes and rising interest in battery power reflect the eco-conscious buyers of today. Further low-cost improvements include low-flow shower heads and taps, low-wattage lighting, window shading, draught sealing and insulation.
Home owners are realizing that they do not need four bedrooms and massive lawns to mow. Instead they are adapting to urban home designs that create more space in tune with their growing needs while increasing the efficiency of the available space. These rising trends will completely change the way we look at urban residential design.