Knowing what furniture choices and layouts work best to accommodate different generations and their interests can help everyone feel welcomed and comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three key takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our homes provide an opportunity\u2014and the space\u2014for connecting with one another. In many homes, a designated room like the kitchen or a living space often serve as places of conversation and quality time. What helps make such bonding possible is a sense of comfort and joy between the parties, but also within the space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The craving for connection was intensified by the isolation of the pandemic, and in a country where loneliness is considered an epidemic, creating an intentional space for family and friends to linger and bond offers a salve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certain common denominators in a home\u2019s ambiance can help. The design team headed by Amanda Wiss at New York\u2019s Urban Staging<\/a>, a boutique home staging firm, says striving for an open, warm feeling through the use of the right lighting, intimate furniture groupings and layers of texture and accessories makes a difference. Items like books, candles, plants and blankets convey a lived-in, loved look. Homeowners can pull inspiration from vignettes in home furnishings stores, photos of rooms in home magazines, online at staged listings or from our pundits who shared the following five scenarios to achieve variations on conviviality. There are also tips to avoid disconnection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right size table in the right shape can make a difference in encouraging conversation and lingering, says designer Sharon McCormick of Sharon McCormick Design<\/a>. \u201cBoomers are entertaining for the joy of conviviality. This is the generation with all the gracious accessories such as fine china, silver and crystal, some of which are family heirlooms. There is a sentimentality and history evoked by using them, so bring them out and even update the look by mixing mismatched items together,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McCormick likes a round or square table to encourage conversation so everyone can make eye contact for a more intimate, communal experience. Lighting is important to set the scene, whether with candles or battery-operated lamps and dimmers that can be lowered for ambiance. People are more inclined to open up when they don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re under a spotlight, she says. She also recommends upholstered chairs, spaced 10 inches apart, for comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What discourages connection? <\/strong>A tall centerpiece so diners can\u2019t see across the table; seating two introverts next to each other; a rectangular table that limits conversation to those next to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forget this generation copying their parents\u2019 formal living room, where people mostly pass through rather than linger. Designer Claire Staszak, principal at Centered by Design<\/a>, favors focusing on a family room as the main space to connect by making it ultracomfortable, flexible, and family- and kid-friendly. She achieves such with practical upholstery and enough seating for everyone. An ottoman rather than a traditional coffee table welcomes resting feet and also holds food on a tray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staszak recommends a side table or two or a console behind the sofa and a floor lamp rather than a small lamp that kids might knock over. She also may include built-in storage, with decorative items on top and games within, with a rolling toy chest that moves into and out of cabinetry, which helps children enjoy the room, too. A rug protects the floor from furnishings, while throws and pillows encourage comfort and add style but aren’t precious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What discourages connection?<\/strong> Rooms that are devoid of personality because they lack collections of art or novel furnishings; rooms that are too white and delicate with silk and velvet fabrics. \u201cIf you want white, do it in a performance fabric,\u201d Staszak says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broker Paul Barker of Baird & Warner Barker Group<\/a> says millennials with children like new construction that includes an open concept. Family rooms that open to a kitchen make keeping an eye on children easier, he says. Spurring connections are a wet bar in the family room and an island or breakfast bar in the kitchen for homework and meals. If a home office isn\u2019t an option, work at home can move into bedrooms, he says. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible for parents to get work done in an open-plan layout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But all that could be changing as Gen Z, born between 1996 and 2010, drives the housing market. \u201cThey value privacy, even from family members, so I won\u2019t be surprised if they desire the big open shared space less,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What discourages connection? <\/strong>Older layouts where the kitchen isn\u2019t adjacent to a family room or casual living space, which makes it harder to keep an eye on children, especially young ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islands serve several needs at once: a place to congregate, prep food, cook, serve, eat, do homework or simply converse, says designer Monica Lewis at J.S. Brown & Co. Comfortable seating\u2014whether chairs or stools\u2014should fit the island\u2019s height and overhang. Generally, chairs require more overhang for knees, since feet rest flat on the floor; stools typically allow feet to dangle. A low rail on the back of an island adds a resting place for feet in such cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If equipment is installed in the island\u2019s top, Lewis suggests making sure there\u2019s room between working space and guests\u2019 space. \u201cGuests won\u2019t appreciate getting wet from sink spray or spattered with cooking grease,\u201d she says. Material choices are a personal preference with each choice offering degrees of durability. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to use anything too fragile for guests to be wary of,\u201d she says. Lighting above an island should dim for intimate conversations. Pendants should not obscure sight lines. Appropriate lighting also makes cooking safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What discourages connection?<\/strong> If the room design deviates from the home\u2019s architecture, it can be jarring; if there\u2019s no seating, guests won\u2019t want to stand for long; bad lighting, such as a big fluorescent fixture or lamps that don\u2019t dim, creates an uncomfortable mood; an island too large to reach across and pass items can be annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Marc Nissim of Harmony Design Group<\/a> designs an outdoor room for clients, he plans for the various functions the space provides: relaxation, cooking, eating, playing games or taking advantage of nature\u2019s restorative effect. He usually anchors an outdoor dining area with an adjacent kitchen that typically incorporates a grill, refrigerator, trash center and large enough countertop to prep and set out food. He helps select a dining table that accommodates at least six to eight people and includes an umbrella for shade. He also designs seating with ample room to walk around and be near or within view of a fire pit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nissim favors making the outdoor living area 20% larger than what\u2019s needed, to encourage flexibility. In some cases, he adds storage, a water feature, a wall where a TV can be placed, and lighting both for day and night use. According to System Pavers<\/a>\u2019 Outdoor Living Trends Index, a fire pit is at the top of 2024 renovation wish lists, followed by a kitchen and a pergola. Also on the list is replacing concrete with pavers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n#1: Boomers Love a Dining Room That Makes Sense<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#2. Multigenerational Hubs Make Millennials Happy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#3. Millennials and Gen-Z Differ on Privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#4. Make the Kitchen Island a Magnet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#5. Outdoor Space Is High Priority for All Generations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n