WHAT'S HOT

By Mick Lochridge

You’ll likely spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new place to live. In exchange, you can rightly expect a house that’s comfortable and inviting from the moment you walk in the door. In short, you want to feel at home — beginning on moving day. From open floorplans, smart technology and plenty of closet and storage space, Central Florida builders and designers are providing homes that allow you to feel just that.

Once the province of exclusive developments and custom homes, many of the most sought-after amenities can now be found in production homes throughout the area. 

Those features include energy-efficient appliances and construction, oversized garages, seamless indoor-outdoor areas, spacious kitchens with abundant countertop and storage space, and multiple master suites.

For example, Pulte Group (pultegroupinc.com) has 34 communities in the area with homes built by three of its brands: Pulte, Centex and Del Webb. 

With offerings that range from low-maintenance townhomes to lakefront luxury estates, the various Pulte units focus on energy efficiency, green building and smart technology.

“We continually talk to homeowners about how they live and what they want most in their next home,” says Tristan Knop, Pulte’s marketing manager.

What buyers want, she adds, are comfortable spaces where they’re able to chill with family and friends — or all on their own.

“Today’s buyers want homes that lift their spirits, so comfortable rooms with plenty of natural light and pleasant colors are key,” says Tony Weremeichik, principal with the Architectural Design Studio at Canin Associates (canin.com) in Orlando. 

“They also must be well-designed and include convenient kitchens and places to entertain,” he adds David Pillsbury, principal designer with Keesee Associates (gokeesee.com) in Apopka, notes that homebuyers themselves are taking a more active role in creating homes to suit their needs.

“I believe that trends, and what moves them, are changing at a rate similar to technology,” he says. “It wasn’t long ago that you had to hire a professional to help you develop a vision and the direction to help bring it to light.” 

The Internet, though, has enabled people to search, ponder and organize their thoughts in a way that can be communicated to builders and designers.

“Homebuyers will continue to find spacious open floorplans, adds Pillsbury. “Every once in a while, a design trend hits that impacts either a large market group or one that satisfies the needs of multiple demographics. The open floorplan is a trend with staying power.”

Other designers and builders echo that assessment.

“Buyers are seeking modern-living, easy-care homes,” says William Bullock, senior vice president of Minto Communities (mintousa.com), which has several developments throughout Central Florida. 

He adds: “They want indoor and outdoor spaces designed for relaxation and entertaining with spacious great rooms, designer kitchens, striking outdoor living areas, master suites and private guest retreats.” 

Phil Kean, founder and president of Phil Kean Design Group (philkeandesign.com) in Winter Park, adds: “Clean lines, open floorplans and seamless indoor-outdoor spaces are the primary design and building trends that homebuyers will find in Central Florida in 2018.”

Open floorplans and universal design, of course, lead buyers into other parts of the home, where comfort and flexibility are key.

Kitchens

For many home-hunters, the kitchen is the first stop. A potential buyer will consider such features as the size of countertops and islands, the appliances, walk-in pantries and, in sunny Florida, windows. 

Kitchens have come a long way from the cramped, walled-off rooms where there was space for only one person to work at the sink or counter.

“Kitchens — before so many buyers demanded open areas — were designed in a way to minimize the view into what used to be a more utilitarian space,” says Pillsbury. 

Appliances, too, are not to be overlooked — and the quieter the better in an open kitchen design. “Appliances are a major part of what makes a kitchen stand out,” Pillsbury says. “They’re beautiful, and offer all sorts of design options. 

In some cases, he adds, the washer and dryer are integrated into the kitchen design to save space and offer the flexibility for a working head of household to cook dinner, do laundry — and have the kids close by while doing homework.

Buyers will often find kitchens that are open to living spaces. As a result, there’s more focus on better kitchen design and finishes with cabinets, appliances, countertops, lighting and special features, notes Weremeichik. 

“Buyers prefer walk-in pantries and large islands with seating,” he says. “They also seem to prefer plans with windows in the kitchen — particularly those that open to the outside living spaces.” Double islands also are popular with some builders and buyers, he adds. 

Smart Homes

Technology can be your friend. It can help save money on energy costs, provide a reassuring level of security, operate appliances remotely from a cell phone and more. 

And it’s here to stay. More builders are wiring new homes to provide smart options for buyers who’ve become increasingly tech-savvy. 

“Smart-home technology is very important and will continue to be more so,” says Kean. “It’s now more affordable and more user-friendly.” Pulte’s Knop agrees, adding: “We constantly look for ways to incorporate green building initiatives and new, smart technologies.”

Predicts Keesee’s Pillsbury: “Cutting-edge technology will eventually become as routine in the home as having a water heater. It was only a handful of years ago that integrating technology into a home was cost-prohibitive, unless you were building a new home and generally one with a higher budget.” 

Today, he adds, you can go to any DIY store and buy a Bluetooth kit to transform your existing lamps into programmable devices controlled by your cell phone.

Pillsbury offers a cautionary note, however: “It’s important that we pay attention to our privacy and security needs as these devices continue to evolve and integrate into our lives. We wouldn’t want someone to hack into our toaster while we’re away and burn down our house.”

Master Suites

While the kitchen may be designed for ease of use, the master suite wins points by upping the wow factor.

“The all-important master suite drives so many different types of design,” says Pillsbury. “Generally, the master suite has been reduced in size over the years. One can argue why, but I think it’s simply because there’s no real need for a bedroom the size of a two-car garage.”

But just because it’s smaller doesn’t mean the master suite can’t be fancy. 

“Newer floorplan designs must suggest vacation escapism, with luxury appointments and finishes,” says Canin’s Weremeichik, adding that large showers with bench seats, frameless glass and shampoo/soap niches are popular. 

Buyers also may find large walk-in master closets with an island in the center, providing extra space for ironing and a door that connects to the laundry room. Weremeichik calls that combo a “domestic suite.”

More often now, master suites are on the ground floor. And in some cases, there may be a second master suite — the so-called mini-master suite — for multigenerational needs.

Master suites in Minto homes include luxurious master bedrooms with coffered ceilings, recessed lighting and dressing areas with double walk-in closets. Spacious en suite master baths may also include double vanities, soaking tubs and large walk-in showers.

Multigenerational Design

While not exactly the Sandwich Generation — where a couple cares for aging parents while raising kids — there are households today where grown kids move back home, or where an elderly family member lives permanently. 

It’s not for everybody — but if the need exists, there’s a home design to accommodate it. Minto, for example, features some homes with areas that can serve as guest retreats or in-law apartments with morning kitchens, full baths and large closets.

“The need for multigenerational home design has increased, and will continue to be a driving factor for some time,” says Pillsbury. “We live in a different time now, and the need for multigenerational housing isn’t driven by a single element. You may bring your parents home, or perhaps use the mini-suite for a child finishing college and searching for a job.”

But it’s not always one or the other, he adds: “Sometimes, it’s just because the family wants to be closer together.”

Whatever the case, says Kean, “it’s important that the mother-in-law space have its own entrance and kitchenette, so that the long-term guest doesn’t feel intrusive.”

Large Garages

An oversized garage doesn’t always mean there’s unused space. But it probably means there’s more room to store stuff alongside and above vehicles. 

“Large garages are here to stay — especially in Florida, where homes don’t have basements to store things that people simply can’t part with,” says Bullock.

Minto, he adds, offers two- or three-car garages for extra storage and to accommodate golf carts, since many Minto communities are golf-cart friendly.

Attic truss designs and storage above the garage door provide homeowners with extra storage space, while extra-wide garages allow space along the back wall and along the sides.

“It’s funny how something that wasn’t even part of a home’s design is now something that makes it on the list of design trends,” says Pillsbury. 

Not that long ago, he adds, large garages were for wealthy people with multiple vehicles. Over the past decade or two, the size of large sport utility vehicles has mandated that the depth of garages be at least 20 feet. 

Some communities even offer homes with 2.5 car garages for storage of bicycles, toys and tools.

Whether it’s a three-car garage, a freestanding bathtub or a seamless transition from the inside to the outside, today’s homebuyers have untold options — and prices — to consider.

“Design trends result from a combination of buyers needs, lifestyles and budgets,” says Weremeichik. “Good design requires a focus on providing efficient, no-wasted-space layouts with as much square footage as the buyer can afford.”