Colors, textures, fabrics and floor plans are just some of the areas where Midwest homes have changed in the past two decades.

By Sara Reimer, photographs by Kim Cornelison.

Style Then and Now

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007)

Twenty years ago, a family with a mom, dad and 2.5 kids was the norm. We were building houses to look just like our neighbors' and decorating by traditional rules. We've gone from Family Ties to Friends , cookie-cutter homes to customized retreats, formal design to eclectic style. Take a look at how our lifestyles, homes and tastes have changed since Midwest Living's first issue in 1987.

Lifestyle:
Families today mirror Two and a Half Men more than 1987's No. 1 television hit, The Cosby Show. The traditional husband-wife-kids family that made up the largest portion of households 20 years ago accounts for less than a quarter of households today. How does this affect design? "Homeowners want flexible spaces," says Diana Brenner, president of Brenner Design in Indianapolis. "Baby Boomers want spaces to convert into an in-law suite for aging parents or an apartment for kids who move back after college." Singles, single parents and empty nesters are driving the demand for condominium, loft and townhouse options.

We're no longer a one-size-fits-all society. We can wear custom-fit jeans, select from 87,000 beverage combinations at Starbucks and personalize any building or decorating option, including cabinetry finishes, paint colors and built-in furniture. Today's proliferation of design TV shows, magazines and websites has made people more savvy and more willing to experiment with design than they were 20 years ago.

CONNECTING 24/7
Wireless Internet, e-mail and cell phones keep people connected to work, family and friends. But is this 24/7 availability for better or worse? "At some point, people are saying, 'I need to turn off. I need my own space,'" Wesely-Clough says. That makes leisure time a priority and home our most prized retreat.

LIFESTYLE SNAPSHOT: THEN Keeping up with the Joneses, yuppies, power dressing, status seekers, buying for the label, aerobics craze, VCRs, cable TV, landlines, Walkmans, camcorders, minivans.
LIFESTYLE SNAPSHOT: NOW Priority of quality, casual dress and attitudes (at work, at church, at the theater), time as a coveted luxury, Tivo, HDTV, personal cell phones, YouTube, iPods, hybrid cars.

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