Interior Design Trends :The End Of The Study/Home Office . The Rise of The Kitchen Work Place.

Your Kindle and Nook are letting you know that Books are the antiques of the Future . Along with  “real” books  becoming obsolete over time , we will see the end of the Study. Maybe faster than the demise of  books. There are many different changes in technology and lifestyle that have contributed to the death of the Home Office. Here briefly are the main culprits.

1. Smaller homes . The ever growing National Trend toward down sizing of houses has limited the square footage available for a “luxury” space such as a Study.  Why have another room built   when a  desk in the Kitchen will do?

2. Open Kitchen plans. Following in  the  style of the Europeans , we have finally embraced a more casual , comfortable extended Kitchen /Family room area. The Kitchen is now the hub of all activity  , including being the main docking station for our phones , iPads , iPods , lap tops , etc.  People sit at the counter or on an adjacent sofa with their lap tops or other devices , and never make it to the Study. The island and bar counter areas are expanding and becoming tables as well . Not just surfaces  to be used for eating  , but work also. One large area is serving many different purposes , eliminating the need for several individual rooms.

3. No more paper trails . With printed materials being able to be neatly stored in your computer folders ,  and the increase in on line banking and bill paying , file cabinets and the place (Study) needed to put them  in are a thing of the past.

4. Advanced Kitchen technology. Refrigerators with computer screens and televisions on their doors. Under the cabinet mounted computers and T.V.s. , and the Whirlpool Plug and Play  with it’s” Central Park ” iPod docking feature. There are a myriad of ways both big and small that future technology will shift the  focus to the Kitchen as the Work Place .

5 .Lifestyle changes . Due to the Economy ,  Multi- Generational families living under one roof have led us toward a more interactive and modern “tribal” lifestyle . The group gathers together at meal time , and the younger set never arrives with out some Electronic gadget. The older folks are actually starting to follow suit , as Social Media continues to sweep the country. We  like to be in touch with our 300 friends on Facebook at all times.

Find this annoying , depressing , or unwanted ? Love the quiet lure of the Study , the feel of a leather bound book , the crispness of paper? Me too.  I  am sure that it is something that my Grandchildren will fondly recall about Nana , in their Den -less , Book -less , Minimalistic yet Open Homes

.Peggy Oberlin ASID , LEEP AP , Registered Interior Designer #4986