As the year comes to a close, our team at Empire Custom Builders is reflecting on the successful projects completed in 2015.
We frequently use our blog to keep you informed of the latest trends in custom home building; however, these trends typically include homes throughout the country and are not specific to Central Florida.
1. Bringing the inside out and the outside in.
Outdoor living space is certainly one of the most desirable features in homes today, particularly in Central Florida where this space can essentially be used year-round.
The big goal that homeowners want to accomplish is a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor living space. For example, your building contractor may recommend using sliding glass doors between your indoor living room and expansive lanai to accomplish this.
Something else that Florida homeowners want is outdoor entertainment in this living space, which could include built-in seating around an outdoor fireplace, a summer kitchen, or unique water features.
2. Great room floor plan.
Floor plans that feature a separate formal living room and dining room are on the outs. Instead, a spacious great room now serves as a multipurpose room for family living and entertaining.
We're particularly seeing this trend in luxury homes where today's home buyers desire a more functional space that they'll actually use.
Opting for a great room floor plan typically means that the space will open up to the kitchen and dining areas, which is ideal for entertaining. While this floor plan is preferable for young families that want to be able to keep an eye on children, the Baby Boomer population also desires this open floor plan.
3. Unique flooring options.
While hardwood flooring continues to be one of the most popular flooring options for upscale homebuyers, Central Florida homeowners are open to using other flooring materials if their properties feature pools.
Your Central Florida building contractor should suggest some wood-like tile options for rooms that get a lot of traffic from coming out of the pool. These tiles offer the rich appearance of real wood, but are more durable and easy to maintain.
4. Oversized laundry room/mudroom.
Florida homeowners want an oversized laundry room/mudroom that offers a casual entryway to the home and allows for personal items to be neatly tucked away.
Since mudrooms are a topic that our clients frequently ask about, we recently dedicated a blog post mudroom design trends. Be sure to check it out to see how you can incorporate this space into your own Central Florida home.
If you are looking to build a custom home in Central Florida, talk to your building contractor about design trends that are specific to our region. Not only can this help you to get more enjoyment out of your new custom home, but it can also help with your home's market value as well.
Please contact us at Empire Custom Homes to learn more about what today's custom home building trends in Central Florida. We also invite you to see some of our most recent home building projects that we have completed.