Humans are naturally drawn to certain shapes, curves, and colors. We can see design trends as far back as human history goes. In modern-speak, this innate desire creates a need for creative individuals and companies to give us what we want. Our tastes, however, change dramatically over time.
Take homes for example, the easiest trends to spot over the centuries. There was a time when we made gigantic stone castles that would serve Royalty for generations.
There was a time when we switched to lumber for our building needs. Paint, plaster, brick, and other materials were switched to as tastes evolved. There was even an unfortunate time when we thought that fake wood paneling would look great all around our homes. We've wised up a lot since then, but it begs the question: what will our design tastes be like in another hundred years?
Great looking homes aren't the only thing that we can't live without-- we also require a certain look and feel in our household and electronic products. In fact, product design is one of the biggest industries out there. Estimates of the top companies dictate that over 30% is dedicated to the sole purpose of design. Take Apple, for instance. Their world class-design team has made some of the most iconic gadgets ever produced. This isn't by accident-- they realized early on that people care as much about how something looks as how well it performs. Recently that human trend has created some major flops though. Emerging markets realized this quickly, and created shabby, cheap products that have a great look, only to find that they were severely
lacking in every quantifiable way. Don't make this same mistake when looking for the place in which you will choose to live.
When you're looking for a home, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration, knowing how much we value design. First off, the general look has to be tolerable. You are going to live there for heaven's sake! After it passes the initial look test, one has to consider how the flow of the home will fit into your daily life. Does it have a space for a home office? How many rooms are there compared to your needs this year and 3-5 years down the road? After the inside is checked off, you can make plans for how you want to change the look and feel of it. Remember, the way it looks now can be easily changed, especially easy things like colors, appliances, and decor. As any REALTOR® can tell you, these small elements can drastically change the atmosphere of a home.
Take note of how your home's design makes you feel. Does it have a friendly, open floor plan, or is it smaller boxy rooms? People prefer different things of course, but it's always important to realize this before you move in than six months down the road.
