In the 21st century, homes are being designed with flexibility in mind. They can adapt to changing lifestyles and needs, making them perfect sanctuaries for the modern family. As the world changes and our needs shift, home design has to keep up with our ever-evolving lifestyle. While some of the features have been staples in modern design for some time, including open-plan living areas, large windows, and plenty of storage space, there are other features that have become necessities for the home. If you’re thinking about redesigning your home, it’s a good idea to consider which contemporary features make the most sense for your space.
Smart Home Interconnectivity
Perhaps the most prominent aspect of life in the 21st century is the connectivity we share with each other and our devices. No matter where you are in the world, you can remain connected to everyone and everything via the internet. Modern homes are now designed to facilitate and maintain that connection. The overwhelming majority of homes in the U.S. have at least one smart device. By utilizing this state-of-the-art technology, homeowners are given the power to control virtually all functions within their home from a smartphone or tablet. Smart devices offer the ability to dim the lights, close the curtains from the couch, or even adjust the temperature in your home while on vacation in another country.
That’s not all. Smart home technology is even reshaping the way people safeguard their homes and families. The emergence of smart home security systems allows homeowners to monitor the status of their homes in real-time, anywhere in the world. These devices have the ability to detect when someone is inside or outside of your home, which empowers you with an incalculable peace of mind no matter how far from home you are. And if you’re looking for convenience, some security systems are now equipped with face-recognition technology that allows you to open doors by looking into a camera installed outside your home.
Energy-Efficient Homes of the 21st Century
Modern homes have the privilege and responsibility of being more efficient than homes of the past. As the world moves towards a more conscientious way of living, considering your lifestyle — especially your home’s environmental impact — is an essential step in designing your home. By outfitting your home with modern, energy-saving materials and appliances, you can make a home truly fit for the 21st century.
If you’ve ever wondered, “What will future homes look like?” One defining truth of a home built for the future is efficiency. As the global population continues to grow and resource consumption increases, it’s only logical that we redesign our homes to use less energy. Not only does an energy-efficient home reduce a homeowner’s impact on the environment, the homeowner gets the added benefit of lower energy costs. There are many routes to a more energy-efficient home. Many homeowners opt to generate their own power through solar panels or by installing an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, but every home and budget presents different options for creating a more efficient home.
An often overlooked step in reducing energy consumption and costs is to protect the integrity of your home’s internal environment by maintaining a well-insulated, airtight home. There are a number of ways to insulate your home, but upgrading your windows to high-performance windows is by far one of the most effective methods in establishing an energy-efficient home.
As a company that understands the importance of energy-efficiency and sustainability, Monumental creates aluminum windows that feature a wide variety of energy-saving features, including thermal breaks, multi-pane designs, and Low-E coatings to reduce ultraviolet light entering the home. What do all of these features mean for your home? By upgrading your home’s windows to environmental windows, it becomes much easier and efficient to manage the temperature inside your home. This cost-effective upgrade not only reduces your carbon footprint, but lowers your monthly energy costs in the process.
Sustainability is the Future
Whether you’re redesigning your home or building a new home from the ground up, designing a home with sustainability in mind is non-negotiable for homes of the 21st century. Sustainability is important because it further offsets the negative environmental impacts of simply owning or building a home. If your concern is that sustainable materials are ugly or cheap, there’s no need to worry. Sustainable materials are used to create durable, aesthetically-pleasing components to complement any home design or taste.
Can windows be sustainable? As you consider ways to insulate your home, it’s important to look beyond the energy-saving capabilities of the glass to ensure that you’re installing a window made from long-lasting, sustainable materials. As a window manufacturer, Monumental recognizes sustainability as a priority in home design, which is why our window housings are constructed using sustainable, non-toxic, non-flammable aluminum.
We don’t use wood or petroleum to create our products, which is necessary to reduce our collective dependence on unsustainable resources. Instead, our products are made entirely from aluminum, the third most abundant element on our planet, which is also an easily recyclable material. Aluminum is also one of the most recycled products on our planet. Recycling aluminum takes just 5% of the energy required to make new aluminum. As a result, nearly 75% of all aluminum produced in the U.S. is still in use today. Not only is aluminum a sustainable material, but it’s durable and long-lasting. Wood and vinyl are prone to growth or shrinkage after long exposure to the elements, but aluminum can withstand any environmental conditions without compromising its design or integrity.
Round out your sustainable home with an eco-friendly lawn or garden that reflects your improvements inside. Each day, the average American uses between 80 to 100 gallons of water. As people become busier and busier, creating space to feel relaxed and decompress is understandably becoming important for homeowners. While creating self-sustaining solariums and hydroponic gardens may still be a thing of the future, planting native flowers and plants in your garden can offer a relaxing, stress-free space without placing strain on your local water supply.
Time to Strategize for the Future
Homes of the 21st century have many different functions that simply didn’t exist a few decades ago—or even a decade ago. There are many different ways to design a home for a modern way of life. Monumental offers windows and doors that will bring your home into the 21st century through design, efficiency, and sustainability. If you’re looking to upgrade your home, contact us today to help you bring your home into the future.