If building a custom home is in your future, you may be wondering what the top trends for design and function will be for 2015. When you are designing your new custom home, current trends can play a significant role in the design, features and options you decide to incorporate. But at the end of the day, the home should reflect your family’s style, how you will be living within the home and those features and conveniences that enhance your day-to-day lifestyle. We’ve selected some of our favorite custom home design trends are for 2015.
Freestanding Tubs
If you are looking to create a spa-like feeling in your master bath, start with a freestanding tub. While you may think of ball and claw, Victorian-era styles, the latest designs in freestanding tubs from major manufacturers offer sleeker, more modern shapes and styles that can compliment any theme from traditional to contemporary. For luxury and relaxation, nothing provides a better stress-relief solution after a long day than a gorgeous freestanding tub.
Think Technology
The latest technological upgrades for new custom homes are consistently improving and becoming more reachable for everyday families. From web-controlled and smartphone accessible security systems with cameras, to motion sensors for pets and remote lighting and HVAC controls, installing these types of technologies in your home should be a priority during the design phase. Most of these systems offer software platforms that allow communication with multiple devices. Keep in mind that it’s much easier to incorporate all of your technology needs during the design phase, then to add it after the home is built. We recommend you discuss any technology systems with your custom home builder and architect before the plans are completed.
And On Another Technology Note…
Nothing can be more challenging than finding the right place to charge all of the electronic devices your family members need throughout the day. Charging stations are becoming more popular instead of designing large offices or rooms with large desks because the demand for these spaces is becoming less and less. Gone are the days of being tied to a desktop computer! So, when designing your new custom home, be sure to dedicate some space for charging devices, like a corner of the kitchen, entrance from the garage or in the mud room. A place or landing where everyone passes daily is the perfect location and providing plenty of outlets, including USB outlets will keep everyone’s devices charged and ready to go!
Room Enough For All Generations
We know this may sound old-fashioned, but they say “what’s old is new again”, don’t they? Some families are choosing to build their new custom homes with multiple master suites with separate adjoining bathrooms in an effort to make the home function better for multiple generations. Incorporating multiple master suites can allow grown children or aging parents to move in for long or short term stays, or accommodate out of town guests for a period of time, which can be very convenient for custom homes on Long Beach Island. Many home designs can easily accommodate multiple master suites with little reconfiguring, so be sure to work with your builder and/or architect to select the plan that will work best for your needs.
Kitchen Designs Continue to Be Light and Bright
When designing your new custom home, the kitchen is definitely a place that requires extra detail and planning to get it just right. From the layout of the space and location of appliances to the color of the cabinets and countertops, the amount of options available to create a functional, yet beautiful kitchen are nearly unlimited. White kitchens continue to be the reigning trend for 2015, with 70% of homeowners choosing some shade of white painted cabinets. White can go from stark white to creamy and pale, blue-gray hues. With white cabinets, designers recommend choosing bigger, bolder hardware that can make a statement and set the tone for the rest of the kitchen design.
Don’t Forget the Great Outdoors
Outdoor living has been trending for several years; however, in 2015 there will be a few new options for enhancing the space. Outdoor showers adjacent to pools and hot tubs and dog runs with wash stations are hot for the outdoors right now. Fire pits, patios, screened in porches, as well as outdoor kitchens and barbeque areas continue to show strongly this year. So, when designing your new custom home, don’t forget to think about the outside too. We all know that on Long Beach Island the lots can sometimes limit the amount of amenities that will fit, so if you have something specific in mind for your outdoor areas, be sure to check with your builder and/or engineer so that it can be included in your plans.
All in all, we think these are some really great custom home trends for 2015. Keep in mind that these features all require space in or around your home and you may need to check with your builder, architect or engineer on space requirements before you start. So, if you are thinking about, or planning, for a new custom home on Long Beach Island and need help planning some of these great features in your home, or if you are looking for a floorplan, Stonehenge Building & Development can help you design and build your new custom home on Long Beach Island. For more information on designing and building your home, visit our website for more inspiration, or contact us today!