My most recent addition to the list of things changed is words and their meanings -- case in point, universal design. Used to be universal design in residential building only meant the design and construction of homes to accommodate the broadest spectrum of human abilities.
In today’s luxury home building arena, universal design has a new meaning: creating houses that can exist or operate everywhere under all conditions -- homes that are, indeed, universal.
It used to be that you could look at a house and immediately guess its region: Florida houses were different from California houses, from Midwest houses, from desert houses, from mountain houses. Not any more. Buyers like what they like and now have the tool to find it -- the Internet. The number of websites devoted to house plans grows weekly. From this ever-expanding group is a sub-set that caters specifically to luxury buyers. These are glitzy sites with lots of lifestyle images of care-free living around the pool and patio.
I didn’t begin to understand the impact of these Internet destinations on new home shoppers until planning began for this issue of Luxury Home Builder. Highlighted in The Tour are projects that blend the best of indoor and outdoor living. Choosing these few was difficult because the options were numerous and came from every corner of the country -- and most states in between as well. No longer is outdoor living only a priority where the weather is warm year-round.
I doubt any of you are surprised at the growing popularity of outdoor spaces and the blurring of the separation of inside and outside. As many as a half dozen years ago, forward-thinking builders and architects predicted this trend would only expand and accelerate. They were certainly accurate -- and completely creative -- in making this prediction a reality.
However, what did surprise me about The Tour homes was the architectural borrowing evident in luxury home building today. Elements made popular by Florida architects and builders appear in Michigan homes. The gables of old-line East Coast architecture distinguish a Florida home. The list goes on and on. No longer can anyone look at a home and safely say where it is housed.
There is something so right in this approach to home design and construction. As people, we keep close to what is familiar, what is comforting. It is true of our everyday possessions -- art, books, music, furniture. As builders, architects and designers you create that single possession people treasure most -- their home -- and it is totally appropriate that they -- and you -- include those design elements that evoke a sense of security.
Related Stories
Custom Builder
Floodproof on a Floodplain
An impressive addition to the IDEA Home series, the NEWLOOK Experience Home is a master class in engineering and creative design, with builder Michael Freiburger out-thinking an exceptionally tricky lot
Custom Builder
3 Questions Answered About Reliable Energy in Home Construction
Energy expert Bryan Cordill makes a case for why and how propane is an answer to growing concerns about reliability and resilience in home construction
Business
Custom Builder to Talk Color Design with Becki Owens at IBS
At this year's IBS, renowned designer Becki Owens will sit down with host James McClister, editor of Custom Builder, to discuss a variety of topics from basic color play in design to the Allura Spectrum palette, a collection of Sherwin-Williams colors curated for the benefit of pros
Business
PERC Highlights Sustainability and Efficiency at IBS with 'Clean Build Conversations'
Hear from industry standouts Matt Blashaw and Anthony Carrino at this hour-long Show Village event
Custom Builder
Telling a Story That Preserves the Past
Custom builder and historic restoration and preservation expert Brent Hull walks us through the careful details of his Pennsylvania Farmhouse project
Business
Defining Outdoor Living in 2024
Residential experts weigh in on outdoor living trends in new report
Construction
How to Air Seal the Garage
A poorly sealed wall or ceiling between the garage and the main house can let harmful fumes into the living space
Business
Taking Advantage of Incentives Through Weatherization
Industry insider Kristen Lewis walks us through the basics and benefits of weatherization
Custom Builder
2023: A Year of Case Studies
A look back at the custom homes and craftsman details we spotlighted last year
Customer Service
A Smart Home Built Smart
Custom builder August Homes blends efficient, hi-tech home automation systems with high-performance, sustainable building strategies