Luxury Housing Trends

January 07, 2006

Gag Me, Home Design Trends on Their Way Out

It's not news that home remodeling has become a national past time. The strong housing market has made much of it about increasing the investment value of your home even above choosing designs that make your home better for your family. There's nothing wrong with that, but before you take out loans and shovel money into remodeling, you better make sure you're not making the future faux pas of avocado appliances and green shag carpet. In other words, what's trendy today might make people cringe ten or twenty years down the line.

Here's a look at design trends on their way out:

Above-counter Sinks

Sure, all those wood, stone, and glass vessel sinks may seem like a good idea now, but the more homeowners experiment with them, the more the downsides are coming out: "The glass ones that look like mixing bowls show toothpaste, stray hair and water spots. The shallowest models splash. Taller versions don't, but are hard to clean, since the bottom of the sink is less accessible."

Glass Cabinet Doors in the Kitchen

They may look cool, but the reality is they draw fingerprints like bare flesh draws mosquitos. Any upgrade that adds work for homeowners is likely to be seen as a negative for potential homebuyers. Glass cabinet doors also make it impossible to hide dust and clutter.

Matte Stone Kitchen Countertops

Polished granite is on the way out because of its luster. "Shiny is conspicuous consumption," which isn't cool any more. (Expect engineered slabs made from a mixture of quartz and synthetic compounds that simulate stone to replace it; these compounds come in far more colors than natural stone, so you can pick the precise colors that suit your personality.)

Built-in Flat Panel Televisions

Don't worry, flat panel TVs aren't going anywhere, but mounting them permanently to the wall is on the way out. First off, it's expensive because you need to buy a TV mounting kit, then you need to hire a contractor and electrician to reroute wiring and reconstruct the drywall to hide those wires. After all that, you may realize your TV isn't in the best spot. Televisions mounted over fireplaces, for example, tend to be too high for comfortable viewing. And what if you want to rearrange the furniture down the road? You're limited by where the TV is permanently mounted. An alternative? Flat screen TVs mounted on top of furniture.

Tumbled Stones

Tumbled stones have a rustic, old-world feel, but they also have an impractical side: "Because they're used to create a country feel, they're often installed with wide grout lines, which is hard to clean. What's more, now that more mainstream outlets like Lowe's are carrying tumbled wares, high-end tile stores are directing their clients to a more refined look." What's next? Oversized stone tiles that offer a more "substantial look."

Source: "Design Trends Destined to Die" from the print edition of the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 30, 2005.

January 03, 2006

Install a Wall Niche

Whether you're looking for a focal point to spice up a bland wall or just a little nook where you can display nicknacks, a wall niche can be a useful addition. Outwater's wall niche frames start at about $80, which doesn't include paint or labor (you have to be willing to dig a hole in your wall yourself if you go this route), so you can customize them to suit your whims.

http://www.outwater.com/

January 01, 2006

Wrought Iron Balcony Panels

If you like that Old West feel, and you're looking for something interesting to do with the railings on balconies, landings, or decks, visit J. Dubs Steel Silhouettes, an eastern Washington company that creates signs, gates, fire screens, door coverings, and other decorative elements out of wrought iron. The works typically have cowbow or nature themes (trees, mountains, elk, etc.), but the company says they do custom work as well. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, the balcony panels start at $50 per foot.

http://www.jdubs.com

Home Design Trends for 2006

What's going to be hot in home design next year? The Wall Street Journal printed an article with a few guesses based on what designers are seeing:

• Sisal-rug lookalikes -- Sisal fiber rugs are being replaced with wool, cotten, and synthetic look-alikes that resist stains and other wear and tear.
  
• Shapely Bathtubs -- Out with the rectangular built-ins and in with free-standing tubs with curves.
  
• Midtone paints -- Bring on the neutral colors like khaki and taupe.
  
• Glass wall tiles -- The glass segment of the tile industry is growing quickly becaue of its "range of finishes, from iridescent to glossy to matte."
  
• Silk window curtains -- Solid-color silk curtains are seeing more sales because they match nicely with popular fabrics such as boucle and tweed.
  

Source: "Design Trends Destined to Die" from the Dec. 30, 2005 issue of the Wall Street Journal

December 11, 2005

Bellarita Marble

Bellarita Marble is an unique stone that naturally imitates the look of wood. The color is Italian brown/beige with white and cream horizontal veins that resemble the appearance of fine-grained wood. Bellarita can be used for floors, backsplashes, fireplaces, and walls. Over at Ann Sacks, the marble is cut into 1.7" x 8" rectangles, smaller than traditional marble tiles, to accentuate the wood-grain look. It displays nicely in a herringbone pattern. The price for the marble is $28 and up per square foot.

http://www.annsacks.com

December 01, 2005

Mortarless Bricks Make Home Renovations Easier

Mortarless bricks are gaining popularity with do-it-yourself homeowners who want to cover up their old house siding with the handsome look of brick. Since these newer bricks don't require mortar, you don't need a professional mason to install them. According to Haener Block, a company that sells interlocking mortarless bricks, they can be installed up to 10 times faster than traditional bricks, and the possibility of placement errors is virtually eliminated. An article from Housing Zone says: "Concrete bricks are cast in special shapes that can be installed by anyone with basic carpentry skills. The existing wall framing structure typically supports the weight of the bricks, so foundation ledges are not required, and retrofitting existing walls is possible. Because of its relative ease of installation, this system provides homeowners with the look of real brick exteriors at a more affordable price."

http://www.haenerblock.com | Housing Zone

November 30, 2005

5 Luxuries to Add to Your Home When You Remodel

These days, more and more homeowners are choosing to renovate their homes. In part, they're doing it as an investment, to add value to their property, but they're also doing it to add comfort and convenience for themselves and their families.

If you are thinking about remodeling for the same reason, you may be wondering what renovations will add the most to your home in value and sheer pleasure. And of course, for most homeowners, cost is a concern, so you may have to pick and choose. What is going to give you the most bang for your buck? What is going to attract potential home buyers when the time comes to sell your home?

Let's look at a few of the top renovations people are adding that won't necessarily break the bank but will add value to your home and your everyday living:

1. Radiant Floor Heating

For bedrooms and living areas, carpets are out and hardwood floors are in. In bathrooms, old tiles from decades past are being ripped out and replaced with beautiful materials like slate and laminates made to look like expensive stones or hardwoods. Those kinds of surfaces tend to be cold, though, so more and more homeowners are installing radiant floor heating along with their new floors. Not only does it make the floor a pleasure to walk on with bare feet, radiant heating is more efficient than forced air heat, so it can save you money in the long run.

2. Luxury Showers

Big, jetted bathtubs are out; luxury showers are in. This is because homeowners are realizing they don't take baths nearly as often as they take showers. Why not have a bit of luxury every day? People are expanding their shower cubicles and turning them into steam rooms as well as adding multiple massaging showerheads to work out their aches and pains.

3. Central Vacuum Systems

Guys, if you're trying to sell your wives on a home remodel, this may be the addition that does it (and I'm sure there are men out there who can appreciate a system that makes cleaning easier too). Central vacuums replace portable vacuum cleaners. You install inlets around the house at convenient locations and just move the central vacuum hose from inlet to inlet. In the kitchen, you can add an automatic dustpan and simply sweep debris into a wall vent. All the dirt is sucked into the innards of the house and collected in a bin in the garage (or wherever you choose). The convenience of these systems has appeal; central vacuums can add $2,000 or more to the value of your home.

4. Home Theater

If your family enjoys watching television and movies, a projection system with comfy home theater seating replete with cup holders can give you a fun place to relax. Buyers are starting to look for home theaters when they shop for homes too. Basements are popular places to add these rooms, but if you don't have one, you can get a projector for the living room that disappears into the ceiling when not in use.

5. Gas Fireplace

While most people like the idea of a crackling wood fire in the hearth, few of us actually bother to light one on a regular basis. Who enjoys going through the hassle of buying and dragging in wood, then starting a fire that has to be monitored until the last embers burn out? Any gas fireplace owner will tell you what a convenient luxury it is. Simply flip the switch and you get instant heat as well as the ambiance of a fire. If you live in a warm climate, where the weather is nice most of the year, try an outdoor gas fire pit--it will give your guests a cozy place to gather when you entertain outdoors.

November 23, 2005

Electrical Outlets That Spin

Ok, electrical outlets aren't exactly a luxury item (who even knew there were different types of electrical outlets), but I thought these spinning ones were worth mentioning since they can take some of the frustration out of trying to ram in those too-big plugs that today's gadgets all seem to come with. The 360 Electrical Outlet lets you connect two bulky plugs at the same time. They're designed to fit standard-sized electrical boxes, so you just need a screwdriver and a few minutes to change out your old outlets. Expect to see these shiny new babies selling in a hardware store near you this fall; price is around $8.

http://www.360electrical.com

November 21, 2005

Floating Stairs

Floating stairs, with their lack of typical supports, can be a fun architectural accent in a home. Basically a series of tread platforms with space in between, floating stairs often lack rails as well, giving them a minimalist feel. They can be hard on folks with poor vision or who are unsteady on their feet, but if you run up and down flights of stairs like a surefooted goat on a mountain, check out Mylen Stairs. They do some interesting architectural stair systems as well as this Monostringer Stair, which is made with 1 3/4th inch Mahogany treads and has a slender support that really makes them appear to float.

http://www.mylen.com

November 12, 2005

Remote Control Ceiling Fans

The trend today is toward higher ceilings, often nine feet or more, even in average homes. That's a long reach to a cord dangling from the ceiling fan. Those fans also aren't very friendly for wheelchair-bound homeowners or folks with other mobility issues. This is why many fan manufacturers are putting out models with remotes. The CF759WB ceiling fan from Emerson comes with a remote control that offers three fan speeds and can reverse direction of the blades; it also controls the included lighting, which can be dimmed for different levels of light. Expect to pay about $160 for this ceiling fan.

http://www.emersonfans.com

October 30, 2005

Storm-proof Homes

The plethora of hurricanes hitting the Gulf has many people thinking of ways to storm-proof their homes, and new homes are being built as "Fortified Homes." The Institute for Business & Home Safety, a nonprofit in Florida, has recently launched a "Fortified...for safer living" program for new home construction. The program helps educate home buyers and home builders on affordable upgrades designed to increase the home's disaster-resistance (not just against hurricanes, but against tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters).

Here's a look at some of the options they recommend:

• Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) that combine concrete and energy-efficient rigid foam.
• Stronger roofs that are able to withstand storms and wildfires.
• Energy-efficient windows, doors, and garage doors that are rated to withstand significant impacts.
• Connections to tie a home together from roof to foundation, so the structure can handle 130mph winds.
• Sealed attics with at least four inches of insulation.

Fortified homes don't necessarily cost a lot more, but they can make a big difference when disaster strikes. For more information visit http://disastersafety.org or check out "Fortified Homes," an article in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Smart Homeowner.

September 14, 2005

Colored Caulk

Like Skittles, calk is now available in all the colors of the rainbow so you can coordinate paint, tiles, and countertops. Red Devil's Create-a-Color Caulk Coloring System (besides being strong on alliteration) lets you inject any hue of latex paint into their tubes of caulk. You just add the advised amount of paint and pump the plunger to mix it. The colored caulk costs $6 per tube and $30 for the reusable plunger.

http://www.reddevil.com/

July 30, 2005

Spectra Lock Grout

Ok, grout isn't the most exciting topic, but if you've ever tried to clean grout in the bathroom or between the kitchen counter tiles, you now how impossible it is to get the stuff back to white after time has taken its toll. If you're a do-it-yourselfer thinking about retiling a floor, backsplash, shower, or other area, you might appreciate Spectra Lock Grout. According to the manufacturers, this grout is always cleanable to the original color and doesn't require sealing. It also has Microban (antimicrobial product protection) in it to inhibit the growth of stain causing bacteria, mildew, and mold.

SpectraLock Pro Grout

July 26, 2005

How to Build a Deck... Sort Of

Want to build a hardwood deck in a day? The Ezydeck "deck in a box" system isn't going to help you if you need to build an off-the-ground deck from scratch, but if you just want the look of a wood deck over an existing tile, brick, or concrete base (any flat base will work, according to the manufacturer), this system may do the job. You don't need any fasteners, adhesives, or posthole diggers with the Ezydeck system. The modular decking snaps together like a jigsaw puzzle in 12 inch interlocking panels. Currently, they have color choices of salmon-colored jarrah or chocolately ipe. Some applications could be: using the decking on a concrete condo patio, using it to create a wood swimming pool deck, or building a rooftop deck.

http://www.ezydeck.net/

July 16, 2005

Finding the Money to Remodel (A Loan Primer)

The last decade has seen a boom in the home improvement industry, with millions of homeowners choosing to remodel their homes to give their families more space and comfort and to increase the value of their property. Remodeling can be an expensive prospect, though, especially if you're considering redoing a room like the kitchen (the number one most remodeled room in the house). The average kitchen remodel costs $30,000-$40,000. When you start factoring in luxury items like granite countertops, custom cabinets, and stainless steel appliances, remodeling costs can climb even higher.

So, how are so many homeowners paying for these expensive renovations? They are financing them. You have a few different ways to get the money for your home improvement loans. Here's a look at your financing options:

Home-equity loan

Home-equity loans work by using the equity you've accrued in your house for collateral. This is one way to acquire a significant loan amount with a reasonable interest rate. Also, home-equity loans are usually tax deductible on the first $100,000 of the loan principal. The maximum amount offered for home-equity loans is typically 70% to 80% of the home's value minus the outstanding mortgage.

Construction loan

Construction loans are short-term loans from a bank, where the money is paid to the builder in increments at specific points during the building process. These loans usually have 6 to 12 month terms. During the construction process, you make interest-only payments, and when the project is completed, it is paid off and replaced with a regular long-term mortgage.

Refinancing

If interest rates have lowered since you took out your mortgage, refinancing may allow you to lower your monthly payment. However, when you refinance, you may also have the option to take out a larger mortgage (that reflects the appreciated value of your home) and cash out the extra money to pay for home improvements.

Personal loans

If you don't have much home-equity built up yet, or don't like the idea of borrowing against your house, you can take out a personal loan. If you have good credit and adequate income, your bank will probably offer you an unsecured loan for between $5,000 and $25,000. Keep in mind personal loans come with higher interest rates than home-equity loans. They also tend to have shorter repayment periods and may not be tax-deductible.

Source: Home Building magazine 2005 Product Guide

July 12, 2005

Custom Homes

Custom homes may be the pinnacle of luxury housing. Sure, you can get luxurious living in homes that someone else designed, but custom homes allow you to get exactly what you want. Or do they? Is the hassle worth it in the end? Here are a few articles I've found around the Internet that discuss benefits as well as troubles. They may be of use to you if you're considering a custom-built home:

About Custom Home Plans:
Buying House Plans Online: Good Or Bad Idea?
Getting Your Blueprints From a Catalog

Building Custom Homes:

Custom Home Troubles (Consumer Reports article on some of the potential pitfalls)
How to Build a Custom Home
Custom Home Building 101 (This whole site on home building is worth looking through)

Custom Home Costs:
Desire a Modern Design? Expect These Obstacles (From the Wall Street Journal's Real Estate Journal)
High Cost of Custom Homes vs. Production Homes

And if you're in a hurry (not interested in waiting the two years it can take for a custom built home to be completed, you might consider a modular home--you can get quite a bit of customization with them, yet they only take a few weeks to put up)...

Modular Home Articles:
A Panelized Home: Factory-built Homes With a Custom Flair (from the Bob Vila site)
Types of Modular Homes

And if you get tired of surfing the Internet, here are a couple books on the subject over at Amazon that have gotten good reviews:

Build Your Dream Home for Less
How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Pitfalls
Tips & Traps When Building Your Home

July 11, 2005

Installing Columns

There's nothing like columns to add a touch of majesty to your house. If you're remodeling an interior or exterior area, you may be interested in the pictures of various columns over at Chadsworth Inc. Their PolyStone columns are popular; they are load-bearing, fire and impact-resistant, and work well both indoors and out.

June 10, 2005

Home Improvement for Home Value: Which Improvements Pay Off?

The main reason people remodel or rennovate is to update their homes to suit their family's tastes or needs, but many people are also thinking forward about the day they sell their home and wondering what home improvements can also increase the value of their property. David Lereah, in his recent book Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?, talks about home improvement as a way for homeowners to participate in the real estate boom even if they are not interested in buying more property. You can at least increase the value of your own home, he says. But which home improvement projects pay off? Updating bathrooms and kitchens are big ones.

In the bathroom...

"It used to be that bathroom Jacuzzis were the order of the day. But gradually home owners realized they rarely used them and they were not worth the cost. Today, luxury showers with multiple showerheads are much more in fashion--and likely to add to the value of your home."

In the kitchen...

"The kitchen features that buyers consider most valuable are a built-in refrigerator, a kitchen island, and a double oven."

He also mentions some exterior home improvements that can convince possible homebuyers to up their bids:

"Exterior features that affect selling price the most include a patio, a deck, a sprinkler system, and a tennis court; any location on the water, or having a water view, adds value to a house."

The whole book is worth checking out if you're at all interested in getting involved with the real estate market.
Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?

June 07, 2005

Crown Molding Installation Gets Easier

Adding crown molding has long been a low cost and relatively low effort way to add value to a home. "Easy Crown Molding" from James Christopher Design, Inc. has come up with a way to make it a snap to install, no hammer needed. Their kits have sticky backs, so all you have to do is peel off the backside and stick to the crown molding to the joint where the wall and ceiling meets.

"Installation is easier than any prefabbed trim we have seen. It's peel and stick simple. All you do is peel back the peel-and-stick cover and press each piece in place. There aren't any fancy miter cuts to make. Each piece comes with one end that is coped (precut to fit against the opposing piece in an inside corner connection). The other end is square. You install around the room from left to right. Each piece is less than 4 feet long, and overlap connections are made with double-sided tape. Outside corners are ready-made and peel and stick in place."

The Easy Crown Molding is made of plastic, however, so it might not be the best bet in a high-end home, but if you're just looking for a quick way to impress potential buyers at your open house, it might do the trick.

http://www.easycrownmolding.com
Quote from On the House: Home Improvement/Repair Tips

Update 7/26/05: It's also available (cheaper) here: Peel & Stick Crown Molding. Thanks, Shannon, for the link.

May 01, 2005

Kitchens and Bathrooms Are the Remodeling Projects That Create Most Value

If you're thinking of remodeling with the hopes of increasing the value of your home, Arizona Republic article "Kitchen, Bathroom Upgrades Key" suggests those are the rooms worth sinking time and money into. "There are areas in the home where you should concentrate your remodeling dollars if you want to increase the home's value. 'The kitchen and bathroom are the areas to upgrade,' says Thomas Stevens, president-elect of the National Association of Realtors."

February 18, 2005

Custom Built Homes, Hiring a Builder

People often decide to go with custom built homes when they are looking for a vacation home or are fortunate enough to be able to design their dream home. Unlike with production built homes, you can get exactly what you want and nothing you don't want. It's likely the largest project you'll ever undertake though, and hiring a builder can be tricky. Realty Times offers a helpful article called Online Tools Help With Builder Selection that's a good place to start if you are thinking of building a custom home. Mortgage calculators is also a helpful place to visit while you're in the planning stage, as it can help you figure out how much of a payment you'd be looking at. Most contractors will tell you to plan for an end cost of at least 10-20% more than your estimate with a custom built home. Also remember, you need to figure in the cost of the land as well as the materials and labor.

February 06, 2005

Converting Barns to Homes

High ceilings and open living areas have increased the appeal and popularity of urban lofts in the city. Those of us who prefer the suburbs, or even quiet rural areas, have noticed it's hard to find a loft outside of urban areas littered with hundred year old converted buildings. Believe it or not, barns are starting to fill that niche. People are buying up old barns in the countryside and turning them into luxurious homes with the same open areas and high, exposed beam ceilings.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing, Barns : Living in Converted and Reinvented Spaces is a large, full color book with a lot of photographs of barns converted into luxury homes. It's full of before and after pictures and handsome enough for a coffee table book.

February 03, 2005

Decorative Ceiling Beams

Like the look of exposed beam ceilings? It doesn't matter if your house came with beams or not--you can add decorative beams to your ceiling to achieve the same look.

Why Beams?

Decorative beams can add structure and interest to a room. Their lines can change the way you perceive the dimensions of a room as well (beams running from side to side across a room make it seem wider; beams running lengthwise make the room feel longer).

Beams generally work best in large rooms where they can bring out the grandness of the area. In smaller rooms such as bathrooms or entryways, beams aren't always a good choice as they can make the area feel crowded.

Beams: What Materials?

Decorative beams can be as little as hollow cardboard structures painted to look like real beams. Similarly, styrofoam ceiling beams can be made to look real. If you have a little more to spend, solid reclaimed timbers make a good choice and create an authentic old-world feel.

Source: Decorating with Architectural Details

February 02, 2005

How to Get on Television Design/Remodeling Shows

You've probably seen the television shows on TLC, HGTV, and the like. You know, the ones where someone with an old shag-carpet-popcorn-ceiling-ancient-light-fixtures house or room gets to see it redone into a modern, luxurious dwelling. They always have talented designers, contractors, and architects, and many of the shows foot the bill. So, how do you get on? I've gone out and scrounged information for the various shows and placed links to them below. (You may want to bookmark this entry, because I'm going to try and keep the information updated and add to it as I think of more shows to check into).

List of Application Links for Getting on Television Design Shows:

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Application. Not only do these guys redesign your house, they give you a stylish new wardrobe.
TLC's Trading Spaces "Get on the Show". With the help of professional designers, you and your neighbors swap houses for 2 days to redo each others' rooms.
Get on TLC's While You Were Out. Surprise a family member by having his/her room professionally remade while he/she's gone.
ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Rebuilding an entire house to help people who deserve a fantasy home but can't afford it.
HGTV's Designed to Sell. If you need to sell your home soon, but it's outdated, this show helps modernize everything to appeal to potential buyers. (You have to be relatively close to Hollywood for this one)
HGTV's House Hunters. Get help finding a new home in the neighborhood of your choosing.
HGTV's "Urgent Casting Calls" Find out about landscaping, remodeling, and design shows they need people for right now.

I'm trying to find information on how to get onto the Travel Channel's Amazing Vacation Homes and Vacation Home Search, so please leave a comment if you know where to look.

January 26, 2005

Hiring Contractors for Remodeling?

Thinking of remodeling? To help ensure things get off the right foot from the start, you might want to read this article from MSN Money: 4 steps to hiring the right contractor. The Real Estate Journal also offers a worthwhile read on when you should hire an architect and when you just need a contractor.

January 24, 2005

See-Through Concrete Walls?

Building with concrete is nothing new, but building with see-through concrete? German company, LiTraCon, is embedding glass or plastic fibers into concrete which allows light to pass through the stone. Changes in fiber type and size produce varying effects. The see-through concrete is still ungoing testing and seeing use in only a few applications, but in one such project in Stockholm, the LiTraCon was used as pavement in a public square. By day it appears as normal concrete, but by night lights beneath the concrete illuminate the square. Wouldn't that be an interesting effect on your backyard patio? Or maybe even the bottom of the pool...

Further reading:
See-through Concrete casts new light in dull rooms
Concrete You Can See Through

January 23, 2005

Distressed Hardwood Floors

Are your hardwood floors looking a little worn and beat up? According to the Nov/Dec 2004 issue of Smart HomeOwner, "you're on the cutting edge of style." Distressed hardwood floors are in. Owners of brand new hardwood floors are actually taking grinders and chisels to their floors to give them that "lived in, weathered look."

More at the National Wood Flooring Assocation

Reclaimed Wood Information

Reclaimed wood is definitely in style for everything from custom furniture to hardwood floors. Why?

1. Using reclaimed wood in building projects means no living trees are cut--AKA ecologically friendly.
   
2. Reclaimed wood often comes from old-growth trees that aren't commercially available any more; the lumber from many of these old-growth trees has superior grain patterns and color than new material.
   
3. Giving new life to reclaimed wood instead of throwing it away means less burden on rapidly expanding landfills.
   

Reclaimed Wood Uses

Ordering reclaimed wood can sometimes be a bit of a chore since sizes aren't always cut small enough to fit on transport vehicles. The tight grain patterns and large growth rings make the lumber highly desirable, though. For what, you ask? Reclaimed wood is popular in floors, but it looks great in stairs, paneling, and trim as well.

Cost of Reclaimed Wood

The costs for reclaimed woods are actually in line with high-end hardwoods on the market. TerraMai--"offering you exceptional reclaimed woods from around the corner and around the world"--says pine prices range from $4-$20 per board foot (a board foot is 1 inch thick by 1 foot square). Douglas fir is about $3.50 per board foot. Teak-$12. Ultimately, the price will depend on who you buy it from and availability. Keep in mind labor costs will add to the price (figure $2-3 per square foot).

Source: Nov/Dec 2004 issues of Smart HomeOwner

January 20, 2005

Bigger Houses Better?

Home building trends have been moving to bigger and bigger houses of late. On the other hand, average lot sizes are getting smaller due to increasing development costs and already-crowded urban areas. People have the idea that small is not desirable, and they want to buy as large of a house as they can afford, but that may lead to small yards with the feeling of less privacy. Fortunately, luxury housing and quality living doesn't need to be about size.

A recent article in the Realty Times, We Don't Need Bigger, We Just Need Better Planning, suggests that design and planning are more important in making the ideal house. Infact, many buyers aren't finding enough room even in large houses that range from 3,000-5,000 square feet. "...one of their major disappointments is that bigger and bigger houses don't have enough of what they really need: storage. They have great rooms, breakfast nooks, media rooms and computer rooms but not enough closet space and no places for shelving or bookcases or toys." The author suggests the solution lies in "building to address the realities of modern living instead of coming up with another room devoted to some passing trend, since most houses outlive trends by many years."

January 11, 2005

Say Goodbye to Condominiums... Enter the "Pocket Neighborhood"

In the Seattle area, the Cottage Company is planning and building small bungalow-style houses (under $1,000 square feet) with separate walls but a communal garden/lawn area. Where 4 larger houses might go in, they build 8-12 cottages. They are simple and private, with windows placed to ensure no house is looking into another. Despite their size, there's nothing cheap about these small homes.

Priced in the high $300,000s, the cottages are built with quality materials and all the modern conveniences. They generally attract single people and couples who are looking for new, high-quality homes without the yard maintence required with a large lot.

January 09, 2005

Modular Homes

3 garage, 5,000+ square feet homes seem to be the trend today for building and buying, but you don't necessarily need to buy a big home in order to find a luxury home. In fact, you might find quite a bit of luxury in a modular home, one that is pre-manufactured, then assembled on site. I know what you're thinking. Trailer home, no thank you.

"Pre-fab modern" is a housing style growing in popularity though, and for good reason. While not always cheaper than stick built, these homes tend to be energy efficient and fast to assemble. If you believe in helping out the environment, you might be interested to find that some designers are making homes out of those big recycled shipping containers. If you haven't checked out what's being made today, you might want to. This isn't your grandparent's mobile home.

Prefab Modern by Jill Herbers is an excellent coffee table style book with lots of information and lots of pictures.

If you're looking for online resources, a lot of these fresh new designs are still in the works, but here are a couple sites you may want to check out:

At the fabzone, you can see pictures and links to many of the modular homes in the works.
LOT-EK only has a temporary pages up at the time of this writing, but you can see an example of a home built using shipping containers on their front page.

Even if you're not ready to make the move from stick-built into shipping containers, one of these modular homes might make the perfect vacation home, especially if you already have the land staked out, but weren't sure what to do with it.