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The role of a fireplace in the home has evolved from being the sole source of heat for warmth and cooking, to the focal design piece that adds a special feeling of unparalleled comfort. After thousands of years in use, fireplaces are still as popular and evolving in home design and function.

Many homeowners are deciding that less is more when it comes to the size of their residence. This trend is being driven by demographic changes in homeownership and has led to a rise in the demand for “jewel box” homes.

The explosion of online shopping has made life easier for people who don’t like to go out to shop! This has led to a dramatic increase in home deliveries, especially around the holidays such as Christmas. According to this report, the U.S. Postal Service will deliver more than 28 million packages per day between December 16 - 21, nearly 40% more than the remainder of the year.

With a new year and decade just around the corner, it’s time for the annual gaze into the Acme Brick home design crystal ball.

In 1966, the groundskeepers of the one-year old Houston Astrodome - known at the time as “The Eighth Wonder of the World” - were having difficulty getting grass to grow in the domed stadium. They made a decision that would spawn an entire industry: installing artificial turf, which became known as “AstroTurf.” Sports fields would never be the same again.

For more than 125 years, Acme Brick has been “the best thing to have around your house.” Now, the “best” has gotten better.  Acme Brick is expanding into other home improvement products and you can get in on the ground floor! Literally. The same, incomparable quality that Acme has been known for in its brick is now available in flooring. 

After years of televised success via its wildly popular PBS series and now getting even more attention as a blockbuster movie, “Downton Abbey” has touched the imagination of Americans of all ages. As much as the characters of these series are loved, the style of the architecture and home designs has also struck a chord in the home design symphony. 

Since the dawn of civilization, builders, artisans, and artists have quarried and refashioned stone to create beautiful buildings that can withstand centuries of use. This article notes the critical contribution stone has made to such structures as the Parthenon of Greece, the pyramids of the Egyptians, the great stone faces on Easter Island, the solar clock at Stonehenge, Roman roads and aqueducts, and German castles.

The old days, when the back patio of a home had a couple of lawn chairs and a bench where nobody ever sat, are long gone!

For centuries, buildings constructed of brick have withstood the ravages of hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, hail and punishing rain. When used in conjunction with modern building codes, brick homes can remain standing when others on the same block might be destroyed. Since 1891, Acme Brick has been manufacturing these almost indestructible building blocks!

Just like brick construction, wrought iron has a colorful history dating back to the dawn of civilization. Because of their timeless beauty and virtual indestructibility, both of these materials have been important structural and design elements of homes since ancient times. They also look great when they are used together in one structure.

Consumer surveys note that today’s homeowners crave authenticity in the places where they live. While synthetic materials such as stucco or siding are sometimes cheaper building products, brick has always passed the test of time and proven to be a better investment.

Don’t look now, but that 1980’s look made popular by TV’s “Miami Vice” is baaaack! However, for those who had quite enough of the running and gunning of Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs when they owned primetime shouldn’t worry. Parachute pants are NOT back in style! This look is all about the resurgence of the use of glass brick or glass block in upscale residential and commercial design.

“If ever I go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."

~ Dorothy, after her trip to the Land of Oz

Decades after graduation, many former students can still visualize the campus where they attended college. The sights and sounds of a university campus make for heart-warming memories. Whether it was the distant sound of the band practicing for the big game or the iconic buildings and landscape found on the property itself, every university has a unique look and feel that is a powerful part of the traditions of the school.

Homeowners in the United States, sell their homes about every 14 years, according to this research. Plus, it has been noted by financial planners that a family’s biggest investment is buying a home. Assuming this is true, it is important for a home seller to get the greatest return on this investment as possible. This can be a challenge, but it’s possible if poor decisions about remodeling can be avoided.

With so many options, it’s challenging for a homeowner to decide what’s hot and what’s not for the most important room in the house - the kitchen. Fortunately, Acme Brick has a few ideas that will give you some food for thought!

Americans are becoming more rooted. Research suggests that they are staying in their residences for longer than ever before. This trend of “staying put” has several implications, including a new appreciation on the adaptability of a home in order to make it “future proof.”

As a new year comes around, it’s always fun to speculate on what trends - from clothes to food and especially home design - will be showing up on Pinterest and high-end magazines. While good taste never goes out of style, some interior design trends represent changes in how bigger issues such as the environment, technology and family time are perceived. This has never been truer than what can be expected in 2019.

Please continue reading for Acme Brick’s annual round-up of the hottest home design trends. 

#1 Sustainability is a Megatrend

More and more people – from young families to empty nesters – are having fun by staying at home. This process of “cocooning,” rather than dressing up and going out on the town, has led to many interesting advice websites and columns, such as this one – 32 Stay-at-Home Date Ideas.

The noise and chaos of politics, work, technology and the world in general are encouraging more and more homeowners to try to escape at home. Craft rooms, yoga rooms, meditation rooms, reading nooks and a dozen other places for self-reflection and calm are becoming a must-have in new home construction and home renovations.

For literally centuries, natural, exposed interior brick has added charm to homes and businesses around the world. Because brick is made from soil-based clay, it has a natural patina and texture that is warm, comforting and impossible to replicate.

The much-discussed millennials, who were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, will soon make up the largest living generation. According to Pew Research, millennials are on the cusp of surpassing Baby Boomers (those born after World War II) as the nation’s largest living adult generation. This is based on population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau as of 2016.