Trendspotting: Homes of the Future

Irwin Weiner ASID - Hats off to the architects, contractors, and city planners who are forward thinking enough to encourage dramatic bursts of new home building that, shall we say, totally breaks the mold.

We're used to seeing the vernacular box house with pitched roof and porch and a yard with the usual outdoor rooms. But today's "homes of the future" are anything but traditional. 

Here are some trends worth noting:

1. Many new communities are being built with low or no carbon footprints. Rainwater gets recycled, sometimes dramatically so as in Meixi Lake, China - a high-rise eco city filters the water that goes into this planned community's lake (below, bottom photo).
2. Dynamic modern architecture from top residential designers (top photo, home designed by architect Mark Koehler and second photo, glass house on stilts designed by Benthem Crouwel) is showcased in planned cities of the future, like beautiful Almere, Netherlands.

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Modern Christmas Trees

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's fun to think that Christmas decorating can be non-traditional if you have a contemporary design scheme. The Modern Christmas Trees people have some interesting decorating solutions for the holidays, as you'll see in the following video.

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Holiday Shopping Begins for Home Goods

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's time to start spending money on presents. Traditionally, we've squirreled away gifts for family and loved ones, but these economic times have created some new trends. I'm seeing a lot of paring down on gift giving ... more caps on spending amounts, one gift only, and so on. And there's the big trend of spending money - splurging - on gifts that you buy for yourself. 

Skitsch Home Kit Large Bookshelf

Design2Share wants to inspire you with some of our home goods favorites this year, and we're kicking off our Wish List series with home goods from Skitsch. (Click on the photos for more product information.)

Skitsch Fire Kit Table Lamp

Skitsch Cinderella Broke a Leg Bed

MORE FAVORITES: Click here for more of our favorites from this design-worthy purveyor. 

Skitsch Villa Julia kids cardboard playhouse 

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Train Your Brain to Be More Creative

Irwin Weiner ASID - Recent studies into what the human brain can do and how people learn show us that being in a rut isn't very good for your head. You need to break out of old patterns and try doing things in new ways ... every so often ... to stimulate your brain and stay on your toes. Here's an example: Neurobics is a system of brain training and fun learning exercises that can keep your brain stimulated (at any age). I believe they can help stimulate creativity, too.

One neurobic exercise is to shop at a different grocery store. Think about it - that will cause your brain to make new associations and become more perceptive and sharper. Or I like the neurobics exercise of combining two different senses at the same time, like closing your eyes and listening to music while smelling a fragrant flower. Brain studies show that you're stimulating your mind and helping to strengthen your ability to perceive, understand, and process information.

There's always an interior design application for me in this type of activity! I believe it's a valid neurobics activity to

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