One of the unfortunate realities of selling your current home is that in order to get the best price, you may have to do some remodeling. When you bought that home years and years ago, it was probably the best home on the block, right? But, as time goes on and trends change, that same home can now seem outdated.
One of the first things you must do before starting this process is to assess "What needs to be done? What do people want in a home?" Well, fear not, here is a list of three hot home design trends that are sure to get your home noticed.
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| The Mansfield at Brookdale Estates |
Many
home designers are looking at ways to design smaller homes with spaces
that serve multiple uses, and that's now including the garage. With
space in many homes at a premium, it's not too much of a stretch to
consider cleaning up that vast cold expanse of concrete and making it
more than a place to park the car. Garages are now sharing space with
exercise areas, hobby rooms and other uses.
One of the most important uses for the garage is storage, but not
just shelves tacked to the wall. Built-in storage cabinets with doors
achieve a clean and uncluttered look that also protects the contents.
There are a number of companies now offering
sleek and sturdy garage
cabinets, workbenches, and wall-mounted storage systems that are
versatile and quite attractive. There are also ceiling-mounted platform
lifts for even more storage.
Walls should be drywalled, textured
and painted with a washable paint. Use ample lighting, especially in
work areas. Consider an epoxy coating for the floor, or even a garage
mat surface, which creates a brighter, more attractive area that's
easier to clean.
2.
Ditto for the laundry room
Another space in the house
that's doing double and even triple duty is the laundry room. Rather
than having a single room that's used solely for laundry, many of
today's designers are looking at making this room larger and allowing
it to handle multiple chores, which lets other rooms be smaller or even
be eliminated.
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| A laundry room in Suncrest Village |
Once again, storage is emphasized, with lots of
cabinet space for everything from cleaning supplies to extra toilet
paper. Space can be provided for just about any part-time use that
doesn't require a large amount of square footage elsewhere, such as
crafts or even a small home office.
For most situations, unless
the bulk of the living space is on the second floor, the design pros
felt that a first-floor laundry room was preferable. One designer adds a
doggie door in her laundry room designs that goes through the wall to
the backyard.
"The laundry room is a great area for the dog during the
day, and the doggie door provides direct access to the yard," she said.
"It's been one of our most popular options!"
The designers also
emphasized the importance of a transition area between the garage and
the house: "The garage wants in," was the way one architect put it.
This
transition area might be the laundry room, or it might be another
intermediate space such as a mud room area, with a sink for washing up.
The transition area should contain a bench or other seating for
removing shoes, as well as storage for hats, coats, gloves and other
outdoor essentials. It should also include convenient storage for
things like keys, and perhaps a charging station for phones and other
electronics.
3.
Some thoughts on kitchens
Kitchens, of course, are one
of the biggest sellers in home design. Some designers are getting away
from traditional "work triangle" design, and are looking more at
designs that work for specific users.
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| A gorgeous kitchen at Maple Valley Estates |
But one thing that all the
designers agreed on was a growing emphasis on islands. Islands are
very popular, and may incorporate a cooktop, prep sink or some other
element that makes it easier for two cooks to operate at the same time.
Eat-in
kitchens remain popular, with space at the island or at a peninsula
for eating. But what's definitely changed is the arrangement of the
seating. Designers are getting away from the "picnic bench" seating
arrangement, with all the stools or chairs in a row, which is not
conducive to conversation. That's being replaced by 90-degree seating,
with stools along two or even three perpendicular edges of the island,
the way they would be at a conventional table.
To see some Dan Ryan Builders homes utilizing these trends, click [here]
To read the full article, click
[here]
Talk of the Town, a company based out of Missouri who rates businesses based on the patented CMUS Power Ratings™ system, has awarded Dan Ryan Builders- Charleston Division, with the prestigious Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award!
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