Formal living rooms — those special places from which kids and pets were barred — have been on the decline for years and have largely gone the way of a coal chute.
These days, high home prices and interest rates appear to be cutting into more rooms. The dining room appears to be on the chopping block as homes get smaller and more efficient.
According to Livabl by Zonda, the average unit size for new housing is 2,240 square feet, a decrease of 10 percent. And Zillow reports that new homes with fewer than three bedrooms increased 9.5 percent since 2018.
Among the disappearing rooms: Dining areas, separate living rooms, loft spaces and extra bedrooms and bathrooms. Even bathtubs are disappearing in favor of showers. Builders are concentrating on shared spaces like bunk rooms and bathrooms, and adding features like kitchen islands in great rooms for eating.
Meanwhile rooms are being designed for multiple purposes. A large room might be used for dining, lounging, and entertaining.
Outdoor spaces are also popping up in new construction, focused on privacy, beauty, and multiple uses.
More trends you'll see in new construction include attached homes, where you share a wall with a neighbor, making more use of the lot and saving cost. More townhomes are popping up with floor spaces of 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, according to The Wall Street Journal.
