There is much on the horizon for homes. As these changes infiltrate upscale design, they will also slowly make their way into mass-market homes. As consumers, our lifestyles are changing. With these changes come increased desired for different living patterns.

With technology becoming more and more important watch for completely different ways of wiring homes to accommodate the increased demand for energy. Wireless technology will also demand alternate forms of power. While we want enough power and energy to run all of our technology, we don’t want to see it. Wiring will be incorporated in ways that become invisible.

Since we have simultaneous needs for multiple uses for our living spaces, we’ll be seeing more side rooms that could be used as mini-apartment, senior rooms, or additional home office space.

Security is becoming a key issue and will be addressed in our doors and windows. While there will be more and larger windows to give the feeling of large, open living spaces, they will be wired with sensors to respond to unwanted intruders.

Senior living will give way to matte finishes that don’t reflect light and blind the home-owner, ground-floor living spaces eliminating the use of steps, wider walkways and more open spaces to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, and appliances with simple, large buttons and writing that can be easily seen.

Bathrooms will become ‘spa-like’ areas including steaming showers, large soaking tubs, aromatherapy devices for renewing or stimulating the senses, and pampering areas that include mirrors, seating areas, and massage tables.

Look for a renewal of the home library that has been refreshed to accommodate new forms of information systems. You won’t need several shelves to house the encyclopedia, but you will need storage areas for all forms of technology disks.

Transforming Tomorrow

Exaggeration is one way to move yourself into new avenues of creativity and innovation. If you keep your thoughts on the same level as the current best seller, you won’t expand beyond today’s bestseller and you’ll never find the best seller of tomorrow.

Try thinking BIG! What if the idea were: 2,000 times bigger, 100 times louder, 25 times stronger, 12 times faster, 5,000 times brighter? With these properties, what could the product do?

Then think SMALL! What if you could cut the product down in size 500 times, or it were so quiet the human ear couldn’t hear it, or it could be used on the head of a pin?

Where would this brainstorming lead you?

Published: April 18, 2001

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