McMansions Are Giving Way to Jewel Boxes

From trends in interior design to trends in home designs, this issue of Florida Homebuyer Orlando covers both. We talked to some of the area's top innovators in both fields and heard their predictions. We even managed to wangle a few closely guarded secrets.

Have you ever walked into a model home, looked around, taken a deep breath and knew you were home? Everything, from the color on the wall to the strategically placed furniture was just the way you knew your new home would be. Come along as we talk to three of the industry’s top interior design firms and learn about today’s home décor trends. Plus, these pros will share tips on how you can make your home look every bit as good as those award-winning models you visit.

On the home design front, they’ve been called everything from Garage Mahals to Hummer Houses to Starter Castles. But mostly, they’re known as  McMansions.

During the boom years Americans were suffering from huge-house envy, a disease that could only be cured by building the biggest behemoth in the cul de sac. But these days, McMansions have become a hard sell and are languishing on the market.

Call it the Goldilocks Syndrome. But today’s buyers are looking for something just right—not too big and not too little. In fact, for the first time in 20 years the average size of a new home has declined. For many builders shaving square footage means being able to shave dollars off the cost of the home.

But while buyers may be settling for less square footage, they aren’t willing to compromise on quality. That’s why builders are offering smaller plans in which buyers can still live large.

Come along with us as we discover how builders are right-sizing their homes, redefining space and packing their plans with hidden gems. You’ll see why the McMansion has been replaced by the Jewel Box.

THERESA SWANSON
Publisher
theresas@florida-homebuyer.com