Why Are Younger Homeowners Turning Toward Minimalism?

August 23, 2017

Those of us who follow the design industry have noticed an interesting trend: Younger homeowners tend to have more minimalistic taste than today’s older homeowners. Why is this? That may seem like a rhetorical question, but at Half Price Drapes we actually have some ideas about why this may have come to be.

Younger people rebel against their parents

Today’s millennials often had parents who were part of the baby boomer generation. They were people that acquired a lot of things and held on to them. As their parents get older, the younger generation is finding that they’re the ones that have to deal with all this “stuff.” They may choose a minimalist lifestyle with the express purpose of counteracting this.

Younger generations have less economic security

Today’s economic environment is nothing like it was 40 years ago. In the past, it wasn’t unusual for a person to stay at the same company for 50 years. Today, companies aren’t offering these long-term positions or incentives for workers to stay. Instead, it’s now considered normal to have held a dozen or more jobs by the time a person turns 40. This economic uncertainty leads millennial to look for big savings on décor – and to keep less stuff around.

Younger generations move more frequently

Just like their parents often stayed at jobs longer than younger generations do, they also stayed in their homes longer. Today, millennials move more often than any past generation. Partially this is due to the rental market but it’s also because they change jobs so quickly. As a result, they often skip large purchases like brand new couches and invest their decorating dollars in something like curtains or drapes that can change a room but are easier to transport to a new home. It’s not that they’re not decorating – it’s that they’re sticking to items they can take with them when they leave.

The younger generation is much more concerned about trends

There are two ways that the younger generation’s interest in trendiness keeps them from acquiring a lot. First of all, it’s currently trendy and fashionable to have an uncluttered or minimalist apartment. As a result, they are more likely to do that. Even if it weren’t in trend to have a minimalist apartment, something else would be in trend. When the younger generation is always keeping up on these changing trends they’re always starting over – which means they’re rarely able to acquire much of anything.

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