Design Trends in New Homes

Some of the best attended seminars that were offered at this year’s International Builders Show dealt with design, both interior and exterior. Large class rooms capable of holding more than 200 folks were filled to standing room only. Items covered in these sessions will be influencing builder’s decisions for a while.

Contemporary styles seem to be the target that many designers, builders and architects are moving to. One builder/architect that spoke mentioned that he was building 3 traditional styled homes a year in Florida until someone talked him into trying a contemporary style. Since changing over he now build 30 per year. DR Horton Homes, the nation’s biggest builder, is adding contemporary to their portfolio.

What does contemporary style mean? Here is an excerpt from Better Homes and Gardens’ attempt at defining the style. “Many contemporary homes feature lots of glass, open floor plans, and inventive designs. Void of elaborate ornamentation and unnecessary detail, drama on the flat-face exteriors of contemporary homes often comes from a dynamic mix of contrasting materials and textures, exposed roof beams, and flat or low-pitched roofs.” I’ll add, regarding the lack unnecessary detail that, you won’t see shutters on windows, elaborate columns and balustrades on the porches, and has mostly a clean unfettered look.

Now as far as interiors goes, HGTV had this to say: “Contemporary style encompasses a range of styles developed in the latter half of the 20th century. Pieces feature softened and rounded lines as opposed to the stark lines seen in modern design. Interiors contain neutral elements and bold color, and they focus on the basics of line, shape and form.” Boiled down by me; It has clean lines, anything that is not traditional in appearance.

Herewith are few notes (edited for brevity) that Claire Easley a senior editor at Builder Magazine took at one of the seminars: “The No.1 trend right now is undoubtedly bring sexy back,” said Marc Thee of Marc-Michaels Interior Design. “Put sexy back into every room, every space. One thing you can do to guarantee home sales is to give the buyer reasons to be in the market.”

Fortunately, he and Doug Van Lerberghe, of Denver-based planning and architecture firm KEPHART, used the session to offer specific tips on how to “bring sexy back” to every space in the home, many of which can be utilized in a variety of markets and price points.

Floor Plans

• While formal living and dining rooms have been pronounced dead by much of the industry, Van Lerberghe emphasized that “livability is all about lifestyle choices,” He encouraged builders to offer floor plans that could be easily customized, so buyers can choose how their living space works without having to pay custom home prices.
• For builders looking for a safe bet, according to Van Lerberghe, mid-century modern designs sell faster than any other plan design.

Entrances

• …..Oversized doors, in the area of 3 ½ feet by 8 feet, don’t cost much more and are a detail people notice, Van Lerberghe said.

Living Rooms

• When looking for inspiration for artistic features, Thee shared his not-so-secret source for ideas “Thanks to image-heavy sites such as Pinterest and Houzz, ideas for show-stopping details abound.
• For feature walls and fireplaces, Thee touted monolithic details and “clean sweeps of material,” such as inexpensive tile that, when used at a large scale, can make a big impression.
•  “White kitchens will never be passé,” “Thee said,” adding that visual interest can be bumped up by contrasting light cabinets with warm, dark tones in floors.”

Master Bedrooms

• Thee also recommended inserting pendant lighting where nightstands with lamps might typically sit. “It’s a super sexy detail, and remember we’re bringing sexy back.”

Master Baths

• Euro showers are coming into fashion, both presenters agreed, which eliminate barriers between tubs and standing showers by converting floor space next to the tub to an open showering area.
• “Tower cabinets and vessel tubs: If you’re not doing them, you need to be doing them,” Thee said.
• And as always, natural lighting should reign supreme, so Thee suggested using floating mirrors so as not to sacrifice windows for the sake of vanities.

Lat week’s article had a link to a very contemporary home. Here it is again: www.tnah.com.

Next week, I’ll have presentation on color. Get ready for some exciting new color schemes.