So what happened to the great room? It's still there, providing the same spacious volume it always has, although it, too is undergoing a few changes of its own. Alan Mascord of Mascord & Associates in Portland, OR, says that views are more important than ever in his area and the great room has changed to accommodate them.

"The fireplace used to be the focal point within the great rooms I designed. Now it has taken on a secondary role with more attention being given to the media center or the view to the back."

Another reason for this, according to Larry Rigg, is that buyers are simply tired of the fireplace to the back, where it seems to block the view.

Of more significance than the change in the great room itself, is the complete absence of the living room in design. Unless it is specifically requested, most of the designers we talked to, are not including living rooms in their homes.