April is New Homes Month, and some of the hottest design trends shared by the homebuilders and architects at the 2012 International Builders’ Show indicate the direction consumers may be leaning toward.
“Despite the ongoing challenging economy, homebuilders are still delivering new homes with exceptional design elements that serve the current financial and functional needs of their home-buying customers,” said Barry Ruttenberg, NAHB chairman and a homebuilder and remodeler from Gainesville, FL.
New homes are being designed to allow plenty of space for family interaction in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen and to eliminate rooms such as formal dens and home offices that aren’t frequently used. Small spaces devoted to home management, also known as “pocket offices,” are being included in large pantries or spaces nearby the kitchen or family great room. Window seats and alcoves are being used to provide an area for private time, without taking up a lot of space. A popular and efficient location for laundry facilities is now added onto the master bedroom’s walk-in closet.
Many extended families are living under one roof due to increasing cultural diversity and the state of the economy during the past few years. New single-family home designs reflect this with “shadow” units that are built alongside a home, separate living units that access the main floor plan through a door, or homes with at least two master suites.
Additionally, rectangular home designs are more cost-effective, so new homes no longer have the formerly popular feature of multiple rooflines or the resulting unnecessary interior volumes they created. Home designs now include innovative modifications that are still visually stimulating, such as using two windows in a corner with mitered glass to allow unobstructed views and maximum light to come in. Another example is using a mix of materials in the home’s façade, such as metal, wood and stone, to give a modern look.
