A waterfall doubles as a video display screen on which images are projected at the 2013 edition of The New American Home, the National Association of Home Builders' demonstration showhouse in Las Vegas. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-21-2013.
LAS VEGAS — In housing, high style has typically meant high price, but now lower-cost homes are being designed to be aesthetically pleasing, too, according to industry trends showcased at the International Builders Show here.
If the winning entries in the 2013 “Best in American Living” Awards competition, presented this week by the National Association of Home Builders, are any indication, buyers today want high-quality detailing.
Among the touches: Compact bathrooms that feel more spacious with glass or wall removal; kitchens with “mega” islands and Carrera marble countertops; rooms meant specifically for wine storage or the display of collections; and “summer kitchens” for outdoor dining.
“People want energy efficiency and useful places to put things,” said Miami home designer Marianne Cusato, who attended IBS’ design seminars. “Energy Star ratings for appliances, windows and the entire house rank high. Also, places to deal with clutter and storage.”
But other trends are gaining traction among architects and builders as well:
• Sophisticated lighting that adds mood as well as illumination. As part of this movement, crystal chandeliers are making a comeback, designers say. Energy-efficient LED lights, meanwhile, are allowing designers to be even more creative with nearly every space, as the lights can be installed almost anywhere.
• Haute-couture ceiling treatments that draw the eye to them. Trays, barrel vaults or coffers project a rich aesthetic and are gaining popularity, designers contend.
Serving two masters? One of two master bedrooms in the 2013 edition of The New American Home, the National Association of Home Builders' demonstration showhouse in Las Vegas. The house has unusual fireplaces. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-21-2013.
• Living options that welcome multiple generations of family. Some buyers are seeking dual master suites, with at least one of them on the ground floor for older residents who may not want to climb stairs. Other contractors, meanwhile, are building adjoining cottages or apartments for grandparents and parents. Remodeling projects today are containing more so-called “age-in-place” features for older residents.
Another design trend involves updating exteriors of tired old houses, too, said Jill Waage, an editor with Better Homes & Gardens, which surveys readers to determine which trends are emerging.
She said homeowners are “digging out hidden character” by fixing past remodeling blunders.
“Their homes may be stuck in some bad decades from the past,” she said. “Or they have a classic home and need to bring out that character.”
She identified several popular exterior-design tactics:
• Adding outdoor living spaces, such as porches and patios, especially in the front of houses.
• Changing out the front door or painting it a bright color, such as red, or even purple. Also, porticos over front doors are being added to make entryways more inviting.
Exhibitors from James Hardie Building Products, maker of fiber-cement siding, meet with potential clients on the show floor at the 2013 International Builders Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-23-2013.
• Installing low-maintenance structures and landscaping. Fiber-cement siding is becoming a popular choice, as slate or shake roofs that can be achieved more economically through the use of plastic shingles, such as those from DaVinci Roofscapes, which look like the real thing and meet Miami-Dade wind codes, too.
Whether indoors or out, consumers want to save both energy and space, the surveys presented here show.
But Cusato, author of “The Just-Right House” set for release this spring, said builders need to resist returning to the business-as-usual mode of big and flashy houses that prevailed during the real estate boom of the past decade.
“The industry is ramping up for a rebound, and while some of the profession will slide back into 2005,” Cusato said, “the smart ones will see a new consumer waiting on the other side of this recession. It is a smarter buyer, deeper than ‘energy use’ and ‘clutter control’ — although I agree these are key elements of the home of the future.
“This buyer is Internet- and social media-savvy; they crave information in a new way, and, as a result, will shop for a home in a new way,” Cusato added. “They are looking for a smart life — not just a home,” she said.
“This means that proximity to daily needs . . . how they get to and from work will be a crucial element of ‘home.’ Connecting to the outdoors will be more than walking out into the backyard; it will mean walking out into a community.”
