With a sharp design eye, a preference for sustainability, and a digital-first approach to everything—including house hunting—Gen Z is already shaking up the real estate world.
As the generation begins to buy and establish their own homes, designers are seeing a wave of new trends emerge that are shaping the future of homeownership and design.
BUILDER consulted professionals from Taylor Morrison—one of the nation’s top 10 new home builders—to discuss the trends shaping Gen Z’s homes and buying behaviors. Below, Lee Crowder, senior director, national design and model operations, and Brian Juedes, vice president of product design, detail the Gen Z-driven trends they are currently seeing, top priorities and features, technology’s role, and how the generation will continue to shape the future of residential construction.
What are the biggest Gen Z-driven design trends you're seeing right now, and how are those influencing today’s new builds?
Gen Z design trends start with their lifestyle and career paths. They are attracted to careers that are flexible, more entrepreneurial in spirit, and with unlimited focus on technology. Because this is so different than previous generations, these preferences and habits will absolutely change how they live and design their homes. This lifestyle will also affect how long they live in their homes, the workspace they will need at their home, and how they feel about design upgrades.
In addition, Gen Z is more likely to crowd surf ideas to their friends via social media so decision making often includes the opinions of more than those just living in the home. When discussing design or another part of the home building process with Gen Z, quick, bullet point communication is preferred.
How does Gen Z’s approach to home design differ most from millennials or baby boomers?
Gen Z’s home designs are more driven by their need for flexibility, so we are seeing them focus on design options that help them live their best life at home while also allowing for flexibility. Elements impacted by this include wall colors, wallpaper, and tile backsplashes. They also are more likely to embrace and learn DIY design options for their home.
How is the generation influencing color palettes, materials, and finishes? Are we seeing a shift toward bold choices or more minimalist, calming aesthetics?
Because Gen Z sees life in a more temporary or flexible way, their approach to design is much more adventurous and they are willing to try more design trends because they know they can change it later.
Are Gen Z buyers prioritizing multipurpose spaces over designated rooms, and how does that impact layout decisions?
Personally, I don’t think they are using their rooms differently, so I don’t think generations have anything to do with how people are using their spaces. Most individuals, whether Gen X or Gen Z, are going to use a space based on their lifestyle and family needs, not necessarily based on their generation.
What role does tech integration play in Gen Z home design—are smart features now expected rather than “nice to have?”
Technology plays so heavily into their lives that it has become a necessity in the home. I think it is a combination of feeling comfortable adding these elements to the home themselves as well as wanting it already installed. Gen Z favors appliances with technology integrations to make things like cooking and laundry easier and controllable from their phone. They also like to monitor everything from AC/heat to the garage door and security system from their phone. I think things like music and entertainment will become more of a DIY element than they were in previous generations.
Are you seeing Gen Z drive any surprising design comebacks or reinterpretations of past trends in a new, modern way?
They appreciate tradition in terms of design because they reflect on how they grew up and appreciate being true to that era and designs they love from it. They also appreciate authenticity much more than previous generations so that will play into their design choices. We are also seeing Gen Z pay attention to how transparent businesses are with sharing how they give back and impact the greater good. They like to ensure a company aligns with their political and world views before making a purchase from them.
If you were to design a “dream home” specifically for a Gen Z buyer from the ground up, what must-have features or spaces would you include—and why?
- Design: This would be rooted in a very distinct design from the past. Design elements must be very true to the era because they will want it to be authentic as possible and not make a mistake of designing something that is not true to a certain time period. They would hate to embarrass themselves among friends by designing something that is not authentic.
- Location: Most likely smaller and closer to amenities and the action. Not necessarily walkable but near car charging stations, a vibrant social and entertainment scene, and an airport.
- Space: They still want the traditional rooms that any other generation wanted but will need a dedicated place for business, podcasting, and creating content.
- Features: Less carpet and more hard surfaces that are easy to take care of and design materials that are authentic. For example, quartz that has the depth and design of real stone but is easy to care for or tiles that feel authentic.
- Technology: The home has to make life easier with connected applications that they can control from their phone.
How do you see Gen Z’s preferences shaping the future of residential architecture and community planning over the next decade?
We are seeing Gen Z homeowners desire a better connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. This can be achieved by larger windows that extend to the floor of a home as well as extended covered patios. With a need for some kind of office space with more people working from home since the pandemic, work-from-home spaces have also evolved. While the historical home office was 10 feet by 10 feet, work-from-home spaces today can be much smaller, ranging from 10 to 70 square feet. With the square footage of homes shrinking overall, homeowners are maximizing the functionality of every area of the home.
