Future Houses

Houses come and houses go. If we walk into certain houses in the area, it is sometimes stepping back in time. From the 1970’s (shag carpeting, dark paneled walls, etc.) to the 1980’s (country kitchens, stenciled walls, and mixed geese and ducks), the 1990’s (faux wood kitchen floors, white appliances, and oak cabinets), to today (granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and brushed nickel fixtures). In 2030, what will my kids think when they walk through their first open house that was built and decorated in 2006? What will the home of the future look like? According to a recent survey of the National Association of Homebuilders, here are some of the things the house of the future might have (keeping in mind some the items are already here):

• Dual closets in the master bedroom
• Wider entry doors throughout the house by at least a half foot
• Bigger garages, some with tandem parking due to smaller lots
• Larger shower stalls with multiple shower heads
• Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces will become standard
• Staircases moving to the middle or rear of the home
• Total disappearance of living rooms (dens, parlors, libraries will replace)
• Rear walls will be glass (opening to the outdoors)

I guess one day, our kids will walk through a house and laugh at each other and say “this house is so early 2000’s.”