‘Home is where the heart is’ - an old saying that originally meant that the word “home” had a greater, more philosophical meaning than just bricks and beams. Today, that meaning has shifted slightly, with more people using their physical homes as an extension of their identity and personality.
As the millennial generation ages up to be homebuyers, they are using their increasing purchasing power to influence living trends. From separate remote controls and switches for every machine to ‘fast’ furniture that was inexpensive but harmful to the environment, millennials are phasing out outdated trends in favour of high-tech and eco-friendly options for their home.
We take a look at how millennials are changing the course of home decor trends in the areas of design, eco-friendliness and technology.
Design
Natural seems to be the key when it comes to home design for millennials in recent years. Natural light, wood and air, and earthy tones are all things that millennials are looking out for when choosing and designing their homes, bidding adieu to the cool monochrome minimalist trend that reigned in the last decade. Old is gold, at least when it comes to furniture, as antique and vintage furniture become all the rage in millennial homes. As homes in urban cities grow smaller, multi-functional, flexible and multi-storage furniture are also getting more popular, for practicality and the maximising of space.
Eco-friendliness
As the world’s most eco-friendly generation yet, millennials place sustainability high on their priorities, even and especially when building their homes. Ethically produced durable furniture that has minimal impact on the environment is the top choice for millennial homeowners. Even before designing their home, they ensure that the home they have purchased is built with environmentally-friendly materials and support real estate developers who minimise their negative impact on the environment. Sansiri is dedicated to environmental responsibility and regularly recycles its construction waste. 98 Wireless, its flagship property, was also awarded the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and is recognised as a green building.
The BASE Saphanmai, a Sansiri project in Greater Bangkok, also has an electric car charging station, catering to residents who own electric cars in their part to reduce their carbon footprint. Other green initiatives by Sansiri include an energy trading platform powered by blockchain technology in partnership with BCPG and Power Ledger, as well as the incorporation of Farmshelf, an indoor farming solution, into their projects.
Technology
Having grown up with technology, it comes as no surprise that the millennial generation’s home will have many elements of technology - a smart home. Gone are the days where there would be separate remote controls for the television, home entertainment system, fan and air conditioning. Advancements in proptech mean that they can all be controlled by a single app on a smartphone. Home devices like Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s Homepod can also communicate with other machines in the home over a wireless network.
Sansiri’s Siri LifeTech innovations, which include AI Box, a AI-powered personal assistant and Samitivej@Home, a wearable smart watch that can monitor health risks, aim to make the residents’ living experience as seamless as possible.
The relationship between the advancements in technology and the evolving preferences of millennials and Generation Z, will dictate the course of living trends in the coming years. The real estate industry will need to constantly adapt and stay ahead of the curve to cater to their customers.