Interior Design in the US in 2018

What is this article all about?

I want to discuss the state of Interior Design in the USA and Canada in 2018.  What do we see designers and architects steer towards in the recent past.  And has there been any grand change in styles of design for residential and commercial buildings?  Is the traditional way of thinking still present and if so, to what degree?  Or has modern architecture and design finally made some progress in North America?  If it has not, why is that?

An Overview on Interior House Design in North America

Generally speaking North America (USA and Canada) has always been leaning towards a Traditional look when it comes to designing anything that has to do with architecture (Interior and Exterior).  There is that underlying thought or feeling (or even fear, if you may) that great and beautiful things belong to the past.  Hence, we need to duplicate the old styles in order to be impressive.

A Traditionally Designed Sitting Room somewhere in the USA

In the recent years, since roughly 1990 I would say, there has been some progression towards a more modern style of design but it is very slow to say the least.  Often we see more modern design elements such as a contemporary kitchen but notice at the same time that some things are clinging to the traditional, still.  Yes, you have Stainless Steel Fridge but the old-fashioned 2-panel doors are still trimmed out with 4″ wide Colonial Door Casing.

Why is traditional interior design still so overwhelmingly common?

I would dare say that only 5% of homes in the US and Canada have been designed to be contemporary.  And being in the Construction Industry for the last 18 years, I have seen my fair share of newly constructed homes as well as renovations.

The main reason why so many homes are still very traditional is 3-fold:

1. The majority of older homes from the 80’s and before have remained as they were build – not much updating has been done to them
2. The new builds still favor the traditional look either due to the architect, designer or the home owners preferences
3. Modern Building Products and Home Decor are not readily available and you often have very few options

So what is it that makes traditional designs so hard to shake?

Let us look at point #1 above which mentions that not many home owners renovate their homes and change everything over to a contemporary design.  This is most likely due to a lack of funds and/or the fact that North Americans generally like to spend their money on more immediate gratifications (that new ATV, boat, going out to restaurants, etc.) 
Before I touch on point #2, I want to clear out point #3 above.  The lack of modern design options stems primarily from the lack of interest in these products.  That brings me to point #2 which is the critical issue and explains why modern design is not taking off in North America.
Here is the personal preference of American people:  They just seem to like old-fashioned designs.  I have seen it over and over again – given the choice, 95% of people prefer the RICH look that they think Contemporary Designs cannot supply.  And the keyword here is “Rich”.

The strong, deeply rooted urge of the American to look and feel rich (wealthy)

And now we come to the climax of the story.  The reason behind the design stagnation we see here on this continent (provided you live in North America when you read this).
It is the deeply rooted fear of the American to not look and, therefore, feel poor.  Or in other words, he wants, no, NEEDS, to be perceived as wealthy.  Traditional (Colonial) designs seem to give him fulfilment with respect to that.  The GRAND look is what he craves – definitely not the minimalist, modern style of design which seems to suggest to him some sort of lack.

Final thoughts

It might seem that we ended up with a different article than you first thought you were going to read.  But when you look at anything at all in the real world, there is always a reason why it is like it is.  Home Design is no different.  I do like to explore the reasons behind something.  I feel there is no other approach that could possibly push for a change, other than to understand the root of the issue/problem. 
As for Modern Entry Doors and Contemporary Interior Design, it will surely grow somewhat with time but I cannot see it taking off to any substantial heights within the next 50 years.