In the past 15 months, you may have discovered a new love for your home. Or, maybe being home so much has you dreaming of building a custom home. How we use our houses today is very different from just a few years ago. No one expected the COVID-19 pandemic to influence home designs, but it did.
To spark some inspiration for your custom home, here are five trends to consider:
Today’s Home Designs Add Offices
Who knew home offices would be one of the most important trends of 2021 and beyond? Today’s technology makes going to a corporate office every day unnecessary. But that means having a home office is essential.
When employees thought they’d be home for just a few weeks, working from the kitchen table or adapting a closet was fine. However, a dedicated space is growing in importance. New home designs offer private offices, alcoves, or areas that do double-duty as a guest room, gym, etc.
Home Designs Delineate Spaces
The pandemic has also influenced open floor plans. Although not completely gone, there is more interest in having a separate place for kid’s noisy play, another for quiet schoolwork and conversations, or just a cozy coffee spot.
Today’s home designs create nooks or closed-off areas within the floor plan instead of offering one large room. This shift in priorities reflects a need for privacy and time alone as well as being together as a family.
Better Outdoor Areas
In the past year, homeowners used their outdoor areas to socialize at a distance, sit on their decks, eat meals outdoors, tend a garden, etc.
Home designs for 2021 and beyond will include more indoor/outdoor space to allow for the best of both worlds. Screened porches, large decks with kitchens or grills and dining areas, fire pits, and even HVAC, can be added to use the outdoors year-round. The trend of entertaining at home is growing and outside spaces with decks, patios, gazebos, “she-sheds,” etc., allow for that.
Designer Kitchens
Many families are cooking and baking together as a new hobby. Therefore, a kitchen with lots of counter space and top-of-the-line appliances is a must.
Because families are also eating at home more often, there is an increased interest in larger kitchens, better layouts, more storage, etc. Families are requesting room for casual dining around an island. The “formal” dining room is slowly fading. It is being replaced by having a large table nearby for when they are all seated together.
New Home Designs Add Home Gyms
Something positive has come from this pandemic: being mindful of health and well-being. Another of the biggest trends in home designs is a dedicated space for exercise. Fitness routines have been adapted for workouts away from public gyms.
A large area is not always necessary – use a section of the lower level, a guest bedroom, or a garage. Add resistance bands, dumbbells, and portable equipment that folds up when not in use. However, some exercise lovers want to create a home gym that offers more space, with a full wall of mirrors, lots of cardio equipment, a sound system, etc.
Cobblestone Builders
When you’re ready, the professionals at Cobblestone Builders are happy to design the home of your dreams. They will stay conscious of your budget to also give you the value you deserve.
In 1990, Dirk and Stevie Wildt founded their construction business in Menomonee Falls. For three decades, they have built energy-efficient, high-quality homes and condos throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
Cobblestone Builders is recognized as one of the premier home designers and builders in the state. You can trust Cobblestone Builders to build an ideal home for you and your family.
Schedule an appointment with Cobblestone Builders and start your dream home today!