As we look to the future of home design, it’s clear that we’re entering an era of personalization. Homes are becoming less about following trends and designing to sell, and more about creating spaces that reflect the personalities, experiences, and values of their inhabitants.
This week on Disruptive Design, Ashley Wainscott, founder of Simply Home, a Texas-based building and renovation company, delves into the industry-wide transformations she is witnessing, her experience as a woman in the historically male-dominated home-building industry, and building the foundation of a successful firm. Click play on the video below to watch our discussion:
Embracing individuality
“Everybody wants their home to be unique,” Wainscott says. This craving for uniqueness is manifesting in design choices that would be considered risky if the intent was to flip the home. But new, younger homeowners are buying and planning to stay put for longer.
Wallpaper has made a huge comeback, often in patterns that serve as focal points. Clients are investing in custom millwork and cabinetry, with budgets doubling or tripling compared to previous norms.
Sustainability and wellness
The wave of home design is also heavily influenced by sustainability and wellness concerns. Wainscott notes an interest in materials and design elements that promote well-being, such as improved indoor air quality. This approach reflects the growing awareness about how our living spaces impact our health.
(Further reading: Wellness Home Design)
The hospitality influence
This trend towards personalization is also heavily influenced by the hospitality industry. Homeowners, inspired by travels and hotels, often ones discovered on Instagram, are seeking to recreate those experiences in their everyday lives.
The result is homes that feel like boutique hotels – little elevated everyday luxuries and thoughtful details, intuitive floorplans, and flexible lighting schemes.
(Further reading: The Rise of the Hotel Lobby Home)
Technology in home design
We’d be remiss if we didn’t address the way in which technology is playing a role in this evolution. Central to Waiscott’s effective leadership style is her enthusiastic embrace of the new and novel. She expressed enthusiasm for AI-assisted design tools, and sees them as complementary, rather than replacements for existing construction methods.
These technologies can help visualize designs before construction begins and generate infinite ideas in seconds. Reducing risk associated with bold choices, these tools will likely lead to more outside-the-box thinking.
(Further reading: Isla Porter is disrupting the kitchen cabinetry industry with AI)
Challenges and opportunities for the industry
This shift presents both challenges and opportunities for the design and construction industry. The demand for unique elements requires a high level of craftsmanship and creativity.
For furniture manufacturers and interior designers, this trend signals a need for flexibility and customization in their offerings. And, perhaps most importantly: Wainscott, implores us all to take more time earlier in the design process and not to rush.
The future is female
Wainscott and I discussed the lessons learned as a woman in the male-dominated construction industry. She takes an approach reminiscent of Sheryl Sandberg with “Lean In,” emphasizing the importance of education and self-advocacy. She encourages other women in the industry to ask for raises and promotions, the way men have been conditioned to for generations.
She also stresses the importance of finding mentors and business coaches to help navigate the industry, something she was initially resistant to, but was ultimately the key to scaling her business.
The future of home design and building
For professionals in the home design and construction industry, this evolution presents an opportunity to push the boundaries of creativity and craftsmanship. It challenges us to think beyond the conventional, to embrace sustainability and wellness as design principles, and to leverage technologies in service of creating unique living spaces.
As we move into this new era of home design, one thing is clear: the homes of the future will be as diverse as the people who inhabit them. And that’s a trend worth celebrating.
