Home design is constantly evolving as our society changes. In today’s plugged-in world, homeowners are looking for a place to unwind and spend time with family and friends. Many are also looking for a sense of community. And an increasingly aging population is also influencing how homes are designed.

Today’s home designs are all about casual living. Gone are the formal parlors and living rooms. Instead, the kitchen has become the heart of the home. Kitchens and their surrounding gathering spaces are being given maximum real estate by home designers. Dining rooms have become nonessential, as kitchens expand and absorb family seating areas.

As the kitchen becomes an increasingly important part of the home, the trend is also to add more technology to the area. Wi-Fi-enabled home automation technology is becoming standard in many new homes, and plug-in stations in the kitchen are also a must.

The other increasingly popular place for the family to hang out is outside. Outdoor living areas — often with fireplaces or fire pits, sofas and televisions — are becoming more and more essential in home design. And as the action moves to the backyard, the line between indoors and outdoors is becoming more blurred through the use of stacking or accordion-style glass doors that can turn a wall into an open space.

Look for more areas in the home that don’t have a dedicated purpose. That extra room could become a suite for an aging relative or a quiet office for a family member working from home. In 2016, 43 percent of the nation’s workforce spent part of the time working remotely, according to a Gallup poll released in February. Flex rooms can be easily transformed from one purpose or another without costly renovations. Lifestyle trends help shape the new ‘must-haves’ in new homes – The San Diego Union-Tribune