Not long ago, most homes had a similar layout. Nearest the main entrance was the living room for receiving guests. Next was the dining room for serving formal meals, and the adjacent kitchen was reserved for preparing food, as well as eating more casual meals like breakfast. Nowadays, the kitchen has become the major hub of the household and active living space has become more in demand for casual round-the-clock snacking and socializing. The logical solution in many homes today is to sacrifice the formal dining area by knocking out a non-supporting wall to create a great room or family room, sometimes replete with amenities such as a harvest table, eating bar, cooking island and modern appliances.

Another shift is occurring in modern homes with the repurposing of the common space formerly called the living room. It’s now regarded as a family entertainment center, with upgraded wiring and lighting for a big-screen television to enjoy movies, gaming and e-sports, as well as other creative hobbies like music-making and video-editing. With home technology tools advancing so quickly, today’s household structure is no longer departmentalized into designated spaces. Mobility and adaptability have become the operative words in modern functional living spaces.