Designing a modern home isn’t always easy. To succeed, homebuilders and contractors have to develop a keen sense for ever-shifting design trends in every aspect of their plans. That’s made all the more challenging by the fact that some parts of a home’s design have more permanence than others, so the choices made during the initial planning phase aren’t easy to change as the home ages.
Choosing a floor plan is high on the list of decisions that are made early on and tend to remain unaltered throughout the life of the home. Although it is possible to make changes to a home’s floor plan after it has been built, it often requires costly structural changes that homeowners are loath to accept. That makes the floor plan one of the most consequential decisions a builder can make, and getting it right means keeping abreast of the latest design trends. To help, we’ve compiled a list of top floor plan design trends for 2018.
The Modern Farmhouse
One of 2018’s hottest home design trends is a modern take on an old-world classic – the farmhouse. Farmhouses have become a staple on popular home renovation shows, and that has gone a long way toward reviving interest in the design. The demand is so great that homebuilders from coast to coast have started to produce updated variations of the farmhouse style to suit the needs of modern families.
The core characteristics of the modern farmhouse style are:
lap siding
gabled roofs
large first-floor master suites. It’s also popular for these types of homes to be designed with only a single finished floor, which targets the older demographic that tends to favor the nostalgic appeal of a farmhouse design. Despite the classic looks, these homes have a distinctly 21st-century flair.
The Kitchen Takes Center Stage
Today’s fast-paced society lends itself to open floor plans throughout the home, and the kitchen is no exception. This year, though, they’re starting to be enlarged and combined with informal eating spaces designed to form a central meeting place for families. In many of today’s most popular floor plans, these expanded kitchens are even displacing formal dining rooms altogether. The concept is proving exceptionally popular with the Blue-Apron set, who see cooking as a group activity meant to be shared with friends and family.
Vaulted Ceilings
Vaulted ceilings are fast becoming a staple of modern home design in 2018. They are a perfect match for open floor plans and create an expansive, airy feeling that buyers love. The most popular variants today frequently feature exposed beams and skylights, which add much-needed natural light to the home. Vaulted ceilings are even becoming common in small-footprint designs because they tend to create the impression that the limited space is far larger than it actually is.
The Multigenerational Home
Statistics indicate that more Americans than ever are living in homes containing multiple generations of their family. Initially, it appeared to be a side effect of a weak economy, but the trend seems to be continuing despite recent economic gains. Builders have noticed and are responding to demand by designing homes equipped with features ranging from multiple master suites to full-fledged in-law quarters. Popular designs are striving to provide privacy for family members in their own spaces while still supporting the togetherness that families thrive on.
Thoughtful Storage
As modern homes have moved toward open layouts, homeowners have started to realize that it can be difficult to keep large, open spaces tidy and clutter-free. That’s because many open-plan designs had a distinct lack of storage spaces. This year, builders are including features like drop zones and mudrooms to provide organized storage space for everyday items. Many feature built-in seating like benches and storage units that help busy families centralize items like shoes, coats and book-bags so they don’t end up strewn all over the home.
Garages Aplenty
This year, more homebuilders are reserving additional space for garages than ever before. In previous years, two-car garages were the norm, but newer homes are starting to feature three or more! This is partly a reflection of an improving economy but also of the aforementioned trend of housing multiple generations under one roof. In addition, garages provide valuable (and hidden) storage space for those with fewer vehicles, which is a feature that homeowners never grow tired of.
When trends are involved, there’s no telling how long they will last. For homebuilders and contractors, making solid choices in designing a floor plan means incorporating the features that buyers want today but that will also retain value long into the future. So far, this year’s biggest floor plan design trends appear to be the type that will age well and don’t include anything outlandish that will raise eyebrows for future homebuyers. That’s great news for builders, who can hardly go wrong with any of these hot home additions!
If you need the right materials to make a floor plan into a reality, stop into any of our locations today and let our friendly and knowledgeable staff get you everything you need to build the home of your client’s dreams!