Every year the annual Acme Brick What’s Hot and What’s Not in Home Design list is released to eagerly awaiting homeowners everywhere. The suspense is palpable! And why not?
 

During the years of being homebound due to COVID, American homeowners discovered something that societies in the Far East have known for centuries: Outdoor spaces such as patios, designed in a way that is consistent with nature, can enhance tranquility and peace of mind.

The summer of 2022 was one for the record books. Between the unmitigated heat and the dry-as-a-bone drought conditions, even metaphors that are blithely dispensed by TV meteorologists were inadequate. Was it a “scorcher,” a “sizzling cauldron,” or something much hotter and dryer? Whatever it was, it was miserable.

Shortly after World War II, optimism that resulted from economic prosperity permeated American society. Business was booming. After being stifled by the sacrifices necessary for the “war effort,” consumption of goods and services reached levels that many had never seen before. While not everyone shared in this “embarrassment of riches,” the number of middle-income families was growing rapidly, and this group purchased and used a lot of “stuff.” 

Look around your own organization. The times are certainly different from what they were 40 years ago. That’s when Melissa Matter, then a student at Oklahoma State University, was hired as a temp at Acme Brick in Oklahoma City. Almost immediately, she realized that she had found a place that challenged and rewarded her so much that she never left.