As U.S. homeowners continue to downsize, furniture styles are becoming more scaled down as well, to better suit the dimensions of a smaller home.
Fortunately, reducing the scale of your home furnishings doesn’t mean scaling back on quality or style.
Simplifying Can Add to Your Quality of Life
As many people are discovering, large homes take time and money to maintain and keep clean.
By moving to a smaller home, you may rediscover beloved hobbies (or develop new ones) that you didn’t previously have time or money for. The movement toward simplifying life means that quantity (of square footage and the objects we use to fill it) is replaced with a much greater quality of life.
It’s no wonder this trend is growing in popularity!
Home Builders Already Have Caught On
As the Baby Boomer generation marches closer to retirement, home builders have already begun to adapt.
Today’s new homes are smaller and more efficient, but designed to feel open, bright and airy. In fact, you probably won’t even notice or mind the smaller spaces.
Many empty nesters have traded their large, single-family homes for low-maintenance townhomes, condos and patio homes. The ability to lock the doors and take a trip whenever the mood strikes without worrying about shoveling snow or putting out the trash is a powerful incentive. Trading in the lawnmower and tools for the ease of a common area and security means less worry and hassle all around.
Fine Furnishings Meet New Priorities
If you’re considering downsizing, you may have to include your furniture in the process.
Large homes demand large-scale furniture, and it may not translate well to your new, more diminutive lifestyle. Fortunately, fine furniture manufacturers and interior designers are onboard with the transition.
Today’s furniture is gravitating toward sleek and streamlined, while still maintaining design and quality. Whether you prefer furnishings that are modern, contemporary, traditional or regional (southwestern or Santa Fe, for example), you can find high-quality, fine furnishings to suit your style.
Upcoming Trends to Watch
To facilitate the trend toward downsizing, interior designers recommend quality pieces that can do double (or triple) duty.
In the living room or great room, this may mean choosing sectional pieces that can be reconfigured to accommodate a game night or overnight guest.
Look for pieces that offer storage for extra bedding or linens, or other items you won’t need frequently. For example, use a storage chest as a coffee table or a bedroom bench.
In the guest room, trade dressers and chests of drawers for bookshelves. Use nightstands for displaying and storing keepsakes and mementos.
If you have a home office, choose a desk design that can convert to a crafting or game table.
Here at Utah’s Guild Hall Fine Furnishings, we understand that life transitions don’t have to mean compromise. Stop by our beautiful Salt Lake City showroom and let us show you some of the newest furniture styles for the next chapter of your life.