If my friends and coworkers are any indication, then I don't think houses will shrink in size too much. I do think more and more people want to live as close to the city center as possible. So I anticipate more condo and loft projects. Overpriced for the quality the builders put in.

I'm hoping for a shift away from the all gray or all white homes. I agree the main spaces should be connected by one color but what is wrong with bedrooms or offices or gyms taking on some personal flair?

In the kitchen I see people designating more pantry space and forgoing all uppers... Countertops wood and quartz. I still think there is a stigma of "cheap" or "dated" with Formica. Although the stuff is easy to maintain and we may consider. Stainless appliances may be on the way out. We are probably opting for a colored stove and fridge. But I know plenty who have bought white ice, black or slate appliances in the last year. I think the kitchen island has a few more years left in it, but think I'll be on the trendsetting return to a kitchen table. Do we really need breakfast nook, island with seating and dining room? I know my family does not.

I think energy efficiency is becoming more important and I anticipate that trend to continue. Less two story foyers. More emphasis on geothermal heating or minisplits or dual zone ac and heat. More tankless water heaters. I'm not sure people are embracing the gray water idea.

As for decor? I don't follow the trends because I don't have the money to redecorate every 5 years:) I plan on buying the best quality in a more timeless design and purchasing upholstery and leather we love. In the bedroom We are planning for more built in closets flanking windows with built in desks or windowseat in between something we learned from the not so big book series. It makes great use of a space. Not sure if it's a trend, but I love it.

I don't talk to enough people to know what they think, other than reading the views on these forums.

But for me, I think the trend should go to more efficient homes. No more granite for me, though I do love my undermount sink. In fact I adore that sink. Maybe solid surface for me next time.

I think people will look for homes closer to cities too as the price of gas continues to rise. I also think carpet is going to be used less. In searching homes for sale, I have seen a LOT of homes that are all tile floors. I can't do that. It's just too hard and too cold. I think I will do wood look vinyl next time. I may change my mind if it rips or dents like our last vinyl did though.

I don't know about others but we decided that we don't care how big the bedrooms are. We don't spend any time in there, except to sleep. This might become a trend, smaller bedrooms. We only have one child and we made sure that we have a bonus room for him and his friends to hang out in when he gets older (he's only 7 right now and we can't finish that bonus room until later).

Agree... big bedrooms are a waste so long as you have adequate closet space.

I think oak (including in kitchen cabinetry) will make a comeback, and open concept living/dining/kitchen will become stale.

Thank you for the responses!

Personally, I think the white kitchen is on the way out. That being said, I still hope to have one, when I remodel the farmhouse...but I think the big white, marble, Edwardian kitchens (so popular in magazines) are going to be seen as too fussy and too difficult to maintain. Softer counter tops and floors will probably be more popular and I think some separation between spaces will be seen. Maybe the peninsula will make a comeback?

Also, I've predicted for some time that draperies will be back, partly for privacy and color, but mainly for heat efficiency. I think people are going to need those energy bills to be more affordable and that will probably be reflected in home plans and design trends.

For colors, I think wood will make a comeback, so greens, golds, orange, basically anything that really looks great with wood (even berry purple for accents) will be showing up more often :)

I guess it depends on your definition of small for the bedrooms. Ours are 10x10, and they were tolerable when the kids were young and had twin beds, except when one had a friend spend the night and the trundle took up the rest of the room.

But I hope bedrooms would be about 12x12, enough room for a queen bed and room to open a suitcase.

People are working more and have less time for vacation travel and housework. They will want floors that are durable and easy to maintain so I see carpet becoming less popular, as well as painted woodwork.

Outdoor areas will become retreats, with improved landscaping, cooking and seating areas.

I think people will prefer more liveable space, so bigger kitchens and living rooms, smaller dining rooms.

If the asthma rate continues to increase in this country we will see less people considering basement areas as living areas.

Although I am all in favor of more color in the home, I sincerely hope that the "Pantone 2014 Color of the Year" -- Radiant Orchid -- doesn't catch on. Sorry, Lavender Lass!

Oh come on...how can you not like Radiant Orchid? :)

It is a bit bright, but I could see it in certain spaces. Probably not a family room, but maybe a powder room or kitchen....somewhere with a lot of white. Not a 'wood' color, if you know what I mean.

Have not posted much lately, but built a new home six months ago, 1300sf, one level. Two bed (one used as 'office'), two bath. Open living/dining/kitchen. Tiny yard, lawn maintenance provided, infill in a suburb of Kansas City.

What is not being mentioned is the changes I see in these patio/villa homes. In this area, for so long they were reverse 1 1/2 story, 2500-3000 sf or more, high-end everything. Granted, homes in this part of the mid-West are so very affordable. However, with the 'recovery' going slow, even the luxury builders are now touting 'right-sizing.' The market certainly changed.

Our population is aging... fast! At 70, I just don't want/need large. After all the years of hosting holiday dinners, it was time for the younger (40-50) ones to take over. My last house was 1950's... a small, cute cottage. But, this one is built tight, insulated, efficient.

Around here, retired people don't want city, high-rise condo living. They no longer head to an office! There are many amenities (restaurants, arts, cultural events) close at hand, and with a 20 minute trip to the city, not a problem.

Mindful of energy costs, just large enough for comfortable living, good storage, affordable, and ease of maintenance are the important factors. As stated above, fewer carpeted areas, insulating window coverings in colder areas, less exterior maintenance.

Transitional things like colors, cabinet finishes, granite, stainless... those will always be changing. Merchants NEED to advocate 'latest and greatest' in order to sell their product. Again, with an aging population, easy care matters more than trends. While I'm definitely not advocating stodgy, orchid will be passe next year... correct?

I think you are right kitykat. I love my home and yard, but I am so tired of yard work and home maintenance. Talked to a neighbor yesterday who is on 2 acres and they are talking about moving too. He still wants a big yard, but only 1/2 -3/4 acre. I'm ready for much smaller.

My mom says she always wanted a 'trunk room' which she describes as a small room that's all storage. It seems that everyone needs more storage, regardless of their house size. As long as we decorate for holidays, have seasonal clothes and need to keep tax records, etc...we all need a good place to stash all these things out of the way, but easy to access.

Well I LOVE "Pantone 2014 Color of the Year" -- Radiant Orchid LOL Do not really have a place here to paint that color but I do have two rooms in a lighter version. It actually becomes a rather neutral color like our pale greens do. Still have a hallway bathrooms and laundry room left to paint here. Hall will be the light green already purchased the paint. Waiting for hubby's lungs to finish healing before I do the job. LOL Not much to paint as I will be doing wainscot on the lower wall on one side.

I am very happy with our 12 1/2 by 14 1/2 master bedroom. I get a stuffy feeling in smaller rooms when sleeping at night. I am sure this is just me. I do enjoy the luxury of the larger room. Over all our house is about 1375 SQ FT so not a large house. The skimping of space is in the guest room and guest bath.

I guess trends do not matter much to me. I do not think there is anything trendy in our house. Hahaha A designers nightmare would be more like it. But I love it just as it is so that works.

Chris, your house is so "you" that if you gave me 100 manufactured homes on country lots in the middle of the US, I could pick yours out on my first tour, just from having enjoyed your photos. 20 years after you are gone, Idahoans will be trading beauteous glass-covered furniture, toilets, and whatnots in art galleries and flea markets and remembering (or wondering) what the story was behind their find!

I rather like the orchid color, if you tone it down to about 15%! I have never been a trend follower, but on a lark, I just may paint one wall in our main hall, behind my Carmel Foret Pansey print, a violet. I have to scare up the fabric I bought to glue to my wood blind and see if it matches. I have a wood blind for the end of the hall, where it meets the foyer. Our foyer faces the bedrooms. We scurry across that hall to get to the bathroom in our skivvies. So I got a blind from a clearance bin at Lowes. It hangs up high, out of sight of the foyer, unless I lower it. Trouble is, if the lights are on behind the blind, one could see through it a bit. So I bought fabric to glue to the inside of it. My favorite choice had violet. I think I ended up with my second choice.

Does anybody else spend an hour at Joanns, then go home and never actually DO the projects you dreamed up for yourself while you were there "saving money" on all those sale items?

No one is building that much around here yet to judge trends. I think there are a whole new class of working class folks doing service jobs who will never own a home, though.

Younger people hate carpets. My 28 yo niece thinks my linoleum is wonderful and calls them "cork" no matter how many times I tell her that cork is one ingredient, but fully cork floors are different. I think that solid surface floors of any kind will help you sell in the future. People see carpet as filthy now.

LOL thanks Nancy. I think it would be fun to see what happens 20 years down the road to our little house. People either love what I do or hate it. I enjoy seeing it and do not think I will ever tire of all the glass and color around me. Heater guy was here the other day and he said I was a glass laying machine. Not sure if this was good or bad.

I LOVE our vinyl floors. My biggest question now is WHY do the dogs head for a throw rug when they have to barf?? Why not all on the vinyl?? RRRRRRRRRRR

We do have a few area rugs. One in the living room one in dinning room guest room and master bath away from the toilet. I figure when they are beyond carpet shampooer cleaning them they will go away. I will buy a new one, they do not seem nearly as icky as the full carpet was. Maybe because there is no pad and I can lift one end at a time and vacuum under them. And they do need that once in awhile.

Forgot about the "Spending and hour at Joanns" YES I have done that. I bought perfect fabric to re-do our old laundry cart. I wanted a larger bag on it and the old one was shredding from age and use. Bought the perfect fabric then felt so intimidated to start. I did finally get it sewn and did a clothes pin bag to match. Even made a large rice pack for Joe too. LOVE the fabric. I think I had it 6 months before I finally got it put together.Took me a long day to do. LOL

"Does anybody else spend an hour at Joanns, then go home and never actually DO the projects you dreamed up for yourself while you were there "saving money" on all those sale items? "

how about multiple hrs and 30+ yrs ago... I have a good sized bin of yarn and craft cut out things (abt 10 'sheets of that all with same stuff on it). and another bin of fabric. I think I have another bin of fabric somewhere... I did save a bunch of money back then - those 'sheets' of craft cut outs are Christmas stuff - so must have bought on after Christmas sale. I told Jed that when his wife wants to start sewing she can shop here for free. I also found tons of thread - more than I've ever seen outside of a store.

Oh, I had that problem. I gave a lot of fabric to a friend with small children, hoping she could use it. I have the best ideas, but then I never get around to making the clothes! Partly because I work from home now...but it would be nice to have a few of these projects completed.

My grandmother loved to go fabric shopping and we had a wonderful time planning our projects. I really don't regret any of it, because now that she's gone, I think the fun we had planning everything outweighs the 'not getting it done' part.

Honestly, I now want to lose about 10 pounds before I sew anything new. I hate to alter things and my winter weight is slowly giving way to my summer weight. Darn snow! LOL