Home design trends like open floor plans, color drenching and "millennial gray" are on their way out and are being replaced by separate dining rooms, earthy tones and marble, local designers told Axios.

The big picture: The average San Diego home is 1,500 square feet, according to a StorageCafe report, and residents have to get creative to design around occasionally odd layouts and tract houses built in the 1950s.

Inside the room: Creative design in such homes has often meant knocking down walls and creating one giant open space.

• But now, the idea of a more separate and formal dining room is returning, according to Jen Pinto, design department head at Jackson Design & Remodeling.

Yes, but: That doesn't mean boxing in each space behind four walls, she said.

• Instead, it could mean one wall between the kitchen and dining room, or a peninsula dividing the living room from the kitchen.

Open spaces can make you feel like your whole house has to be spotless, Pinto said.

• "If one room is cluttered, then it makes the whole place feel cluttered," she said. "I think people are just craving cozier spaces."

State of play: The challenge is having separate spaces without feeling claustrophobic in San Diego's generally small houses.

• One way to do that, Pinto said, is to use furniture to create the feeling of distinct areas.

Also out: The sandy, milky-colored white oak that has been so popular, Pinto said.

• Ditto millennial gray.
• "We've been in this cloud of gray for such a long time that I think going a little bit warmer just feels more comfortable," she said.

What's in: Oak will still be in, but in medium earthy tones, she said.

• Also, marble is making a huge comeback, Pinto said, especially dramatic special marbles with violet, burgundy and gold.

Color drenching, meaning painting all the walls and ceiling the same color, is also on its way out, she said.

Tell a gray fan

San Diego's smaller homes plus continued hybrid or remote work equals figuring out how to fit an office into another room.

The big picture: Pinto told Axios many clients ask how to fit an office space into the living room, guest bedroom, or sometimes a corner in the kitchen.

How it works: Blend two spaces using creative design and multipurpose furniture, Pinto said.

• If the office is in the kitchen, use pocket doors to hide the desktop area and computer screen.
• If it's in the living room, push the desk out of the way at the end of the day.
• If it's in a guest room, buy a multi-use furniture piece, where the desk can be tucked away or folded into a bookcase.

You can also get a Murphy bed that folds out for guests and can stowed when you need more space, she said.

More ideas

👩🏽‍⚖️ California lawmakers are working to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day following abuse allegations against the labor leader. (AP)

• San Diego leaders are also scrambling to decide whether to rename local César Chavez landmarks.

🚋 San Diego trolley ridership is down, possibly because of fears of federal immigration agents, officials say. (Union-Tribune)

🗳️ Four San Diego measures — including to keep beach parking free — took a step toward the November ballot. (UT)

⚽️ SDFC will play in a new mini MLS season next year. (Axios)

🐟 The first grunion run of the year is happening on San Diego beaches this weekend. (Patch)

Curating that enviable home design is only be a dream for many as high rent is killing America's living rooms.

The big picture: Many roommates are trading shared space for lower per-person housing costs.

• A quarter of shared rental listings on SpareRoom last year came without access to living rooms, up from 9% five years ago, data shows.

Zoom in: In San Diego, 28% of those listings didn't include living room space.

• That's 7th highest among major metro areas.

Between the lines: In some cases, what was once a living room has been physically converted into an extra bedroom.

• Packing more bedrooms into an apartment lets landlords spread rents across more people, potentially lowering the cost per renter.

Yes, but: Losing communal areas can strain roommate relationships and weigh on renters' mental health.

Keep reading

You shared your emailed thoughts on whether César Chávez landmarks should be renamed following abuse allegations that emerged this week about the late labor leader.

Yes, said reader Mariana M. "Why do we need to keep naming things after controversial war generals and men with dubious pasts?" she said. "I don't agree on landmarks, etc., being named after one person or people in general."

Reader Katy P. agreed. "Imagine a victim having to pass a statue or mural of that man every day, let alone being coerced to celebrate him annually," Katy told us. "Make it Dolores Huerta day! The woman who spoke up, made positive change, and survived."

Reader Mimi J. echoed the Dolores Huerta Day idea. "Enough glorification of men who exploit women," she said. "No More."

Congratulations to reader Wendy E. who was among a few of you who recognized Bushyhead House on Heritage Park Row in Old Town!

• The vacation house was built in 1887 by Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead, according to the San Diego History Center.

Bushyhead was born in 1832 and walked the Trail of Tears with his father. He became the Sheriff and Chief of Police in San Diego, and founded the "San Diego Union" paper in 1868, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Museum.

Powerful guy.