As part of our 100th anniversary, we’re looking at trends that will see us through the next decade and beyond. It’s easy to think the home of the 2030s will be hugely different from the ones we live in today, but that doesn’t really seem to be the case. We will definitely be looking for our homes to work harder, but not by installing robot helpers. Here, we take a look at how the home is likely to evolve over the coming decade…
Biophilic Design
This architectural style – which essentially connects a building’s occupants with the natural environment – is set to continue apace. Homes will be built or renovated to include more natural light and ventilation, as well as nature-inspired elements. They will be built to be sympathetic to the surrounding environment and will take advantage of it, such as with huge picture windows, skylights, and even walls that slide open. Inside, we will be harnessing nature too, with living walls, an abundance of house plants, and nature-inspired prints on wallpaper and fabrics.
Natural materials
Feeding into the biophilic trend, we are going to be looking to include more and more natural materials, such as wood, jute, stone, copper, iron and terracotta into our homes. Cork, too, is coming back in a big way, which makes a lot of sense when you consider how environmentally friendly and sustainable it is, plus how good it is at insulation.
Built to last
We are increasingly looking to the future and considering how and where the things we buy are made, who is making them, and what will happen to them once they have reached the end of their life with us. We want to invest in pieces that will adapt as our lifestyles change. We’re moving away from short terms trends or fads and into a period in which we invest in something that will stand the test of time, both in design terms and actual longevity. The AGA cooker is a great case in point. It’s a design classic with looks that will never go out of fashion and – because newer models are programmable – as your lifestyle changes, the way you use your cooker will too. For example, if you’re going through a period of working from home in the depths of winter, you might choose to work in the kitchen and allow the AGA to multi-task, cooking supper while also gently warming the kitchen. At other times you might choose to switch on only one hotplate for a quick weekday stir-fry.
Wellness
Our homes are changing and one of the biggest shifts is our desire for them to be part of our intrinsic wellness. From naturally cleaning the air we breathe indoors with plants though to choosing paints with low VOCs and shades that are good for our mental health, we’re making decisions that impact our health as much as the look of the spaces we live in. Home gyms, too, are on the rise, as are dedicated meditation spaces. Aging in place will also become more important, with areas such as the bathroom adapting to our needs as we grow older. This might include more wet-room style bathrooms for example, but the emphasis will be on aesthetics as well as accommodations.
Luxe outdoors
Gone are the days when we want an outdoor space that is simply a lawn bordered with some flowerbeds. Now – and into the future – it’s much more about creating beautiful, considered extra living space. Luxury lighting, high-end furniture, and outdoor kitchens are high on the agenda when it comes to today’s garden. AGA Outdoors offers a range of cooking solutions for those who want to take great food and a peerless cooking experience into the outside space.
Study nooks
The pandemic has changed the way we live and work forever. Most companies are now offering hybrid working as a minimum and that means many of us need workspaces at home. Initially, we managed with a desk in a spare bedroom or a corner of the dining room table, but now we’re looking for something a little more designed. Kitchen study nooks are becoming ever more popular as they are located in the heart of the home and can easily be used for home hotdesking. They might serve as a homework area, somewhere to do the banking and bill paying, or as the office on work from home days.
Carpet
While wooden floors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, carpet is making a notable comeback. So much so that many designers are encouraging us to work ‘from the ground up’ by choosing a bold patterned carpet or rug and then building the scheme around it. Carpet companies have innovated hugely over the past few years. With 3D textures, natural materials, stain resistance and waterproof options, carpets have become way more desirable and practical. Plus, they offer up to 10 times more insulation than hard floors, so are great when it comes to energy use too.
Fuel independence
From solar panels to ground-source heat pumps and woodburning stoves, we’re looking for ways to rely on energy we can generate ourselves rather than relying solely on the national infrastructure.
Comfort
We’re going to be looking ever more for comfort when it comes to buying furniture and choosing colours. Chairs and sofas will take on a move curvaceous or ‘chubby’ feel and there will be childlike touches, such as soft pastel colours. This trend is part of the move toward ‘neotenic’ design, which, in interiors terms, translates to inorganic shapes that take on a childlike quality. Think gorgeous puffy sofas and paint shades that might initially have been reserved for the nursery.
Flexible spaces
We’re asking our homes to do a lot right now and this will continue. While open-plan living isn’t coming to an end any time soon, we are looking for more privacy and spaces to call our own. We’re likely to want to invest in furniture that can be easily moved from room to room, to incorporate screens and partitions into living spaces, and to create rooms within rooms using zoning.
