The Demise of the Dining Room

In 2000, Sarah Susanka, author of the best-selling The Not So Big House, wrote a new book entitled, Creating the Not So Big House. The new book took 25 homes that applied the principles described in her first book.  Those principles of home design valued quality over quantity with a high level of detail and a floor plan designed for today’s informal lifestyle.  Unfortunately, none of the home examples were in Anchorage.

Over the past ten years, Anchorage homebuilders and buyers have paid little heed to this growing trend and have continued to build large, expansive homes, many of which were overgrown smaller homes with a third car added garage or blown up footprints of smaller homes.  Floor plans still had living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and family rooms (in that order) which were all reminiscent of the mid l980’s while a growing number of buyers were seeking the flex space created by the great room. Thus, we have the slow demise of the formal dining room whose four walls have been replaced by open space, frequently defined if at all by an area rug, that can be expanded to seat six or twelve and a kitchen island with stools or chairs, but not a raised breakfast bar.

Today’s modern family is frequently a blend of two households and in many cases is multi-generational.  The kitchen remains the gathering point of the home, even though the family dinner may be take-out from the local diner or super market.  The formal dining room, previously only used for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, has given away to more informal settings and casual lifestyle and frequently does double duty as a gathering room or family sit down area for supper. The new home of the 21^st century has just two eating areas—not three, unless you count in front of the flat screen.

Along with the demise of the dining room is the Jacuzzi in the master bathroom.  Every buyer I’ve met over the past year would prefer a spacious double headed shower with glass doors or glass block walls.  Jacuzzis take up a lot of space and are expensive.  They’re a nice amenity upon request but with today’s busy life style, the big shower is almost every buyer’s preference in the move-up market.  (I know one homeowner who puts her laundry baskets in her Jacuzzi.)  Remember the sauna? So, too, will we remember the Jacuzzi in the not too distant future.

And along with the dining room, the Jacuzzi and the sauna, will come the passing of the empty living room.  That’s the room with the expensive sofa that no one has sat on in the past year.  It’s the room connected to the dining room that’s used only for the holidays. These traditional two-story homes have worked well for many generations of families.  But, lifestyles and families have changed dramatically over the past twenty years and our housing styles need to reflect those changes.

Today’s buyer wants open, flexible space that can do double duty for various uses. They want to bring the outdoors in and vice versa.  They’re sensitive to site and light.  And most importantly of all, they want an open plan for living that reflects their flexible and casual lifestyle.

When it comes to resale, the great room design will have greater overall value than the traditional two-story model because there will continue to be more demand for that casual lifestyle.  Square footage is not the only measure for the quality and value of a home.