WHAT SHOULD WE ANTICIPATE NEXT?

What is architectural design to you? Depending on what region of the country you grew up in or live in currently is going to greatly impact your vision of what is the norm. In the the early part of this country's beginning sprawling plantations were the icon of the South. Head out West and you're bound to find home after home designed in an adobe style with clay tile roof. Journey to the Northeast and you may get visions of the Cape or Colonial. The simple truth is, "styles" were created for each region because of the materials that were available and the type of weather patterns that affected it. Today, because of technology we can have people live anywhere they want in any style of home they want because we don't need to rely on the local materials, nor passive heating and cooling.

Just as the exterior "style" has changed, so has the interior use for so many homeowners. In the '20s every home had a formal Parlor room. The importance of this space grew smaller and smaller as the decades went on throughout the 20th Century. Homes became smaller and more importance was placed on practical use. The luxury of having a room that only saw use when guests were invited became obsolete. With the 21st Century here, the dining room is quickly becoming the "dinosaur" room. More and more the dining room is being designed out of homes with many architects and homeowners opting for an enlarged eat-in kitchen which provides the opportunity to expand the dining area for large family gatherings. Efficiency is the name of the game allowing homes to be smaller in square footage. With the cost of fossil fuels continuing to increase, a more efficient home costs less to run as well as being more ecologically friendly.

Each generation places importance on one room over all others. What will define the 21st Century? The kitchen, the home's main gathering space? The master bathroom, the definition of indulgence? What gets your vote?

- Design is what you make it.