New mums are older than they’ve ever been. They’re also better off. With the 2.4 kids standard fading, are today’s babies being born into a lap of luxury where only the best will do? If so, how can brands align with this quality-not-quantity approach to family life?

Interior design has an exclusive ring to it. It conjures up images of high-end designers sourcing the priciest of homeware products. Laurel & Wolf intends to change that perception with crowdsourced, collaborative and affordable designers. But could it really make interior design available to everyone?

Changes in tech, family roles and tastes have seen kitchens evolve from utilitarian rooms meant for domestic labour to open plan spaces featuring chef-grade equipment and movable workstations. But why are more are more people opting for these high-end, high-priced status kitchens?

The basic design of the kitchen oven hasn't changed much in the past few decades. Convection fans and LED displays have been the extent of innovation. But a tech company called June wants to disrupt the sector with a smart oven that's more of a sous chef than a kitchen appliance.

With more than ¥1 million in monthly sales, DIY-tool.com is catering to the rapid uptake of DIY in Japan. Shifting attitudes towards the home have enabled people to see how DIY can be both useful and enjoyable. But in a society that fetishises the new, what’s the appeal of fixing up the old?

While the past decade has seen the rise of maker culture - from crafting to hacking - DIY retailers seem to have been left out. And yet, despite a shaky housing market, the desire to improve one’s home has never been stronger. So what’s behind this mismatch, and how can brands transform into buzzing hives for a new generation of DIYers?

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” so the saying goes. But men and women between the ages of 30 and 39 are fleeing the capital. Are property prices just driving them out, or is London really cooling? Will the supposed mass migration prompt a rebalancing of pricing and opportunities?

Drawn to a warm climate, Southern hospitality and economic opportunity, 1.2 million people left the Northeast and Midwest for the Sun Belt states between 2010 and 2013. But how will this mass migration to the South shape America’s urban development, cultural diversity and economic future?