Would you like fries with that home?
The great recession has affected the design world in ways that most may not have realized. The times have always been reflected in design, and this post great recession era is no exception. There is, however, a silver lining in terms of the byproducts of the recession. For example, gone are the “McMansions” of yesterday. Today, it is all about simple, clean lines and purposeful design consideration. The days of “Taco Bell Architecture” are gone and we in the design community are thrilled to see it go.
One of the most obvious ways to determine there has been a style shift is by driving through any planned community here in Florida. Many of these communities were built in the mid to late 90’s and suddenly now they all feel dated and threadbare. Huge rambling homes that were originally intended to be four-bedroom homes are overworked, under-designed, and now have six bedrooms or more.
These homes typically are marked by numerous 45-degree angled walls that create additional wasted space through the nonlinear domino effect they have. These bloated structures of the previous two decades unfortunately now are energy-wasting money pits that are difficult to sell.
Good-bye McMansions, we are happy to see you go!