Latest news with #home design
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Architects' Survey Finds Ongoing Market Stress In 2025 Housing Sector
Lot sizes and living areas are getting smaller, according to latest architect survey. The American Institute of Architects' second quarter 2025 Home Design Trends Survey reveals home and property design shifts over the past four years. The findings from this latest online survey of the association's member firms looks at home size, layout, design and exteriors. The trend lines show ongoing market stresses, especially for first time and move-up owners, but most homeowners are making do with less, it appears. Home Size Trends This is a split screen result, depending on whether you're looking at entry level or custom or luxury residences. A stunning 25% of architects designing entry level or affordable homes reported that their home sizes have decreased, compared to an increase of 8% reporting upper end home sizes increasing. Overall sizes are trending downward, according to 12% of all respondents, (compared to 3% last year). Even additions or remodels are showing a decrease in size, according to a small percent of the responding architects. At the same time, there was a 5% uptick in accessory dwelling units and rental units to 62% of responses from 2024 to 2025. Micro housing options also ticked up eight points to 31% from the same timeframe the year before. Taken together, these trends could indicate financially stressed homeowners looking for extra income to offset increased mortgage, maintenance and insurance costs. Home Layout/Design Trends A striking result from the survey was a strong decrease in both designs for aging in place (from 62% to 49% year over year) and easier accessibility within the home, (dropping from 54% to 31%). That bucks the accommodation for graying of society trends seen in many other surveys. The two conforming trends from last year to this year include easier accessibility into and out of the home, (up by 1% to 44%) and single floor design, (up from 38% to 39%). It's difficult to discern what these might signify other than strained budgets deferring costs that could be borne later and lot sizes making desirable single floor layouts harder to achieve. Decreases in informal space (30% to 26%), larger or multiple living areas (23% to 19%) also account for the decrease in home size, possibly due to increased financial pressures. Home Exterior Trends Outdoor living spaces, including covered areas and outdoor 'rooms' also dipped from 2024 to 2025 by 5% to 55%. Blended indoor/outdoor spaces also bucked popular trends to drop by 11% to 40% and outdoor fire features dropped from 38% to 21%. Outbuildings like pool houses, sheds and barns also dropped sharply (from 38% to 21%). Outdoor security lighting and sound systems dipped by 2% and 4% respectively. Pools remained steady at 6% of reporting architects. These too likely indicate financial stress and may rebound in the next year or two. The drop in outdoor fire features may be indicative of a trend shared by Los Angeles architect Dean Larkin in a recent trade magazine article that the wildfires have suppressed locals' desire for fireplaces and fire pits. While the AIA survey is national, regional spikes might skew results. There's also the possibility that outside of LA, homeowners are leaving room for these features to be added later when inflation and interest rates are less pressuring and funds are freer. Lot Size Trends Low irrigation landscaping dropped from 45% to 37% from last year, while difficult lot preparation bumped up 2% to 49%. Lot sizes dropped both last year and this year, according to 24% and 23% of reporting architects in 2024 and 2025 respectively. It appears that homeowners are making do with smaller, more difficult lots in a seller's market and saving money on improvements like enhanced irrigation. Economic Trends First time and affordable home buyers are getting slammed. Architects reported a dismal 32% decrease in 2024 and an even worse 53% decrease this year. Move up homes are also in negative territory, with a 14% deficit last year compared to a 35% decrease this year. Remodeling and additions reports are in the positive range, (though less than half the architects reporting improving conditions (14% vs. 34% in the same quarter last year). Kitchen and bath remodeling are also in positive territory, but also half as bullish as last year with 13% vs. 30%. Custom and luxury home projects moved from negative 17% to positive (4%) side and townhomes and condos also moved from negative 11% to positive 9% in the last year. Vacation homes were down 45%, compared to negative 14% last year. Even the well-to-do are cutting back.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chip and Joanna Gaines Get Candid About the Secret to Staying Married for 22 Years
Chip and Joanna Gaines Get Candid About the Secret to Staying Married for 22 Years originally appeared on Parade Home & Garden. When you're two of the biggest home design and construction stars in the renovation business, not to mention entrepreneurs and jointly parents to five kids, being intentional about your marriage is a must. At least, that's what Chip and Joanna Gaines, the founders and stars of Magnolia Network, recently told People in an interview. In May, the two celebrated 22 years of marriage and opened up about how they tackle challenges as a couple as well as how they keep the "spark" ignited. The main thing: Trying new things together.'What we've realized in 22 years of marriage . . . is we still feel like newbies. Anytime you unlock a new thing, and you do it together, it only grows your relationship,' Joanna told the outlet. She added that recently she hired a couple to come to their office to teach them how to dance, which Chip then joked was just a little bit "awkward." The star went on to say it allows her and her husband to see qualities they may not otherwise see. Chip later elaborates saying that the dance lessons did just that for them. '[When we started] we didn't know how to hold our hands. It's hard to make eye contact with even your best friend and wife of 22 years," he admitted. "I feels really strange, awkward. But then after two or three weeks, we started looking forward to those lessons, It was this sweet reminder that all of us could use refreshes and challenges in our relationships.' Considering the two have accomplished so much during their long marriage, it's safe to say the advice is pretty and Joanna Gaines Get Candid About the Secret to Staying Married for 22 Years first appeared on Parade Home & Garden on Jul 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade Home & Garden on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
