‘Great Rooms’ May Be Trend of the Future

Say goodbye to living rooms and dining rooms. Say hello to open, multifunctional rooms and large home entertainment centers. These are the predictions of interior designers who recently published their ideas about what type of living spaces Americans will occupy in 2020.

According to the results of a survey conducted by the International Furnishings and Design Assn., future homeowners are expected to live in smaller houses that utilize movable walls to accommodate an increase in home entertaining.

As adults spend more time working, exercising and socializing at home, “great rooms” will replace living and dining rooms. Large kitchens will become a focal point of dining, wine collecting and home entertainment.

“Our homes will no longer be clearly separate from work, hobbies, passions, education or entertainment,” said Dawn W. Brinson, executive director of Furniture Discovery Center in North Carolina.