According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of multi-generational homes (with 3 ore more generations living under the same roof) grew 38% between 1990 and 2000. That number is expected to have grown dramatically by the 2010 census. 

The trend for a single home to house more people is an undeniable trend based on a perfect storm of current issues and events.

Kids who leave for college are increasingly coming back home to live following graduation. A university degree no longer guarantees a job, especially during the current recession. Already labeled ‘the boomerang generation’ (those born 1975—1986), this group is also prone to wanting to keep their options open. More transient and less loyal to an employer than generations past, they find freedom by living at home longer. This allows them to quit a job if they don’t like it, save money for a house or get work experience through unpaid internships.

Baby boomers themselves are getting older and with the rising costs of healthcare and now much-depleted savings accounts, they’re looking for ways to save money. As the ’sandwich generation’, many of them are caring for both aging parents and unemployed children. More boomers are considering pooling their resources and having elderly parents move in with them.

Home foreclosures are also causing many to pool resources with relatives and live together.

The trend continued on January 20th, 2009. Barack and Michelle Obama brought more than their two young daughters into their new home. Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson now lives with and assists with the family’s hectic schedule; the first grandmother to live in the White House.

The number of multi-generational households increased from 5 million in 2000 to 6.2 million in 2008, or 5.8% of all households. The AARP reports that 24% of baby boomer believe their parents or in-laws will move in with them.

The empty nest has become the crowded nest, and is raising new questions about home design. Private areas and places to be alone will be balanced with more open areas, central dining and gathering spaces and recreation areas on second floors.

What does it mean for home furnishings?

1. more second master or junior master bedrooms rather than just kids bedrooms

2. larger or expandable dining tables

3. places for privacy, including sitting and work areas in bedrooms

Check out the new Ready-to-Assemble furniture introductions that received a 2009 Housewares Design Award… click on ‘Furniture” at  www.housewaresdesignawards.com/hda/links/finalists.asp?yr=2009.

Among the winners… a folding table and chairs that’s a ginormous step up from the old metal versions (by Meco Corp)… a massage chair you might even put in your living room (by Panasonic), an uber chic RTA chair  (by Avenue Six) and a TV stand that gives you the look of a wall-mounted TV (by Whalen).

According to Metropolitan Home magazine (Dec ‘08) - nearly 50% of American children have a television set in their bedroom. The statistic included children from age 6 (!) to age 17.

The stat might reflect a more urban population … but if it includes suburbia, what happened to the family room?

Once I got over my shock, as a furniture gal, I wondered where the TV sets are going. Assuming these kids aren’t all getting flat screen TVs installed on their wall (that might be the next shocking statistic), where are the TV sets being placed? On the dresser? desk? a separate TV stand or gaming device? 

Something for furniture manufacturers to think about. 

The body count continues… this time the uber hip Domino magazine. Under the umbrella of Conde Nast, Domino joins House and Garden, the first in a string of interior design magazine deaths that began in November, 2007. Other magazines to cease publication in 2008 included Home, O at Home and Cottage Living.

Domino magazine was launched four years ago and had grown to a circulation of 850,000 - respectable for a shelter magazine, but even its growing base of younger readers couldn’t save the publication.  Reasons for the Domino closing were the same as for the others… the poor economy couldn’t support the loss of advertising dollars.

It’ll be interesting to see who will pick up Domino’s readers - an eclectic group that liked the designer-name-dropping and eclectic mix-of-modern-and-traditional style that the magazine made popular.

It’s more than our waste lines that have been growing over the years. Some interesting info in the last issue of O @ Home (sadly the publication ceased publication in December); their “Living Large” article compared the size of things around the home today to what they used to measure. 

Size of homes
1950 - 1,000 sq ft
2007 - 2,521 sq ft

Depth of Sofas
1978 - 20″ deep
2008 - 25″ deep

Plates
1980s - 9″ diameter
2006 - 12″ diameter

Mattresses
1950s - 9″ high
2008 - 18″ high

Television Sets
1950s - 19″
2008 - 42″

Bath Towels
1966 - 24″ x 44″
2008 - 30″ x 56″

Wine Glasses
1950s - 5 ounces
2008 - 12 ounces

According to the article, the only thing that’s getting smaller is our LOT SIZE. In 1976, the average lot was 10,125 sq ft; in 2007, it was 8,991 sq ft.  The other growing trend is to ’smaller’ (though hardly small) homes. After decades of growth, energy costs and home affordability are causing them to stabilize around 2500 sq ft. That’s still a 250% increase on home size in 1950.