10 Home Building & Design Trends from the International Builders' Show

Heres What Home Builders and Designers Will Be Up To This Year

 

The show – albeit virtual – must go on!

Faced with the challenges of COVID-19 – health and safety concerns as well as ongoing travel restrictions – the 2021 International Builders Show (IBS) transitioned from an in-person event to a virtual experience. The week-long virtual trade show featured sessions on the latest product launches, home building and design innovations, and spotlighted The New American Home 2021 and The New American Remodel 2021.

 

According to data from the virtual sessions, a variety of key trends emerged that were related to the pandemic, including the average size of the home (remaining at 2,486 square feet), an increase in the number of homes with four or more bedrooms and three or more bathrooms, and the popularity of new homes.

The virtual sessions also explored the new design concepts, construction methods, and products that we can expect to see resonate in the 2021 residential market – and become more common in new builds. In addition, there were discussions on past design ideas that have been refashioned – and evolved – into some of the most popular trends today.

Here are 10 building/interior/floor plan concepts from the 2021 International Builders Show that are currently trending.

 

1.  Staircase: Divider in Open Floor Plans

A number of potential buyers usually look for grand and dramatic stairs as the focal point for their high-ceilinged two-story homes. But here is a novel concept that designers are now incorporating in their floor plans – using the stairs – often dramatic but not necessarily so – as a smart way of zoning off spaces in an open floor plan. While not necessarily the showstopper that some homeowners may want, a staircase in an open concept design is still a striking feature, as well as a functional one.

 

2.  "Volume" Drama

Create drama with vaulted ceilings in Great Rooms and other areas of the home. In larger homes – especially two-story ones – it is usually the family gathering section of the Great Room that features a soaring vaulted high ceiling – with clear views of the entire space from balconies or lofts.

In one-story homes, the Great Room – and sometimes the foyer, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, and/or master bath – may be vaulted, typically with clerestory or large windows and sliding glass doors with transom windows above them. The "volume rooms" give the impression of more space, especially in homes with smaller square footage. To give these rooms dimension and texture, the vaulted ceiling may be accentuated by exposed beams.

 

3.  Extra Attention on Light

Its not just “volume rooms” that make a space seem larger, brighter, and dramatic. There is something to be said for large windows when it comes to aesthetics, ambiance, and functionality. House designers are embracing large windows for that extra attention on light. Just visualize an open floor home with wall-to-wall glass windows and that perfect warm glow of sunshine streaming in. Called “daylighting,” the design concept uses architectural elements – such as large windows and skylights – to allow natural light into living spaces.

Even if not primarily facing south, when the large windows are arranged strategically in the open floor areas, they can provide light to the entire space. What a great way to connect with the natural surroundings and add more natural light to the home.

 

4.  Connecting the Indoors and Outdoors

Don’t stop with large windows for natural light and panoramic views. Sliding/stacking glass doors with windows or transoms over them in volume/vaulted rooms open up living areas to sunlight and air and connect the indoors and outdoors. And just think of the floor space that you save – inasmuch as these multi-pane glass doors open from side to side rather than inward or outward.

While these sliding glass doors are trendy today, they were introduced – albeit in a more primitive form – during the pre-war era at the start of the 20^th century. Historians speculate that sliding/stacking doors were fashioned after Japanese doors called Shoji, a sliding translucent door hung by a wood frame.

Talk about the fascinating architectural cycle and how past designs are refashioned to keep up with the times.

 

5.  Revisiting the Home Office

With more people working from home, theres a scramble to find spaces in the home that are conducive to working. Don’t fret. Whether you live in a mansion-like structure with the square footage for a dedicated home office or reside in a home with a smaller footprint, you can carve out innovative spaces within your space for a work corner.

Creativity and imagination will get you everywhere, and if you look closely enough you can find a nice – even quirky – space for your home office.

Here are some ideas to help you find – and put together – a very practical if sometimes unconventional “work-from-home” area.

• Quiet corner in a bedroom – If you have a good-sized bedroom, you can easily fit a desk and a comfortable (ergonomic) chair in a corner. Make sure your desk has some drawers for office supplies and other work necessities. It’s in your bedroom – so you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want to fit your style and needs.

 

• Double-duty dining table – For apartment dwellers who lack space, be creative and use available resources. A dining table can easily be converted into a workspace when it’s not used for dining.

 

• The mudroom as office space – With stay-at-home directives, there is less traffic in the mudroom/laundry room. Why not spend your working hours there? Change out space in nearby existing drawers, cabinets, and other built-ins for your office-related materials  

 

• Closet office – If there are unused closets in the home, it’s easy enough to turn them into workspaces. A friend of mine in a New York City apartment cleared part of her walk-in coat closet to fit a desk and her computer.

• Room divider in an open floor plan – Sliding room dividers, curtains or even glass partitions can work to separate work corners from the rest of the floor space.

• Entryway or hallway home office – Good-sized entryways/foyers or hallways can be transformed into temporary home offices.

 

6.  “Island” of Serenity and Peace

Everyone wants a getaway area to relax, breathe, and occasionally take time apart from family. Heightened by the pandemic, the want has now become a necessity, with families spending almost all their time together at home. Forget about “man caves” and “she sheds.” How about something simpler? As in a retreat/getaway space inside the home?

Where do you begin? Look around. Do you have any room with unused space? In some homes, a sitting area off the master suite serves as a retreat nook, or a loft over the garage, or even window seats. You must be imaginative when considering retreat spaces. Check unusual places – under the stairs, inside a walk-in pantry, an office, a closet. You may even section off a space or corner using glass doors or dividers so that it’s just for you.

Once you decide, think about how you can make the retreat space work for you. Some people may just want a cozy reading area with a comfortable couch where they can sit back and relax. Others may like lounge chairs, soft lights, throw pillows, cushions, and blankets.

The bottom line: reflect on things/furnishings that make you relax and feel warm and cozy, and bring them into your retreat corner.

 

7.  Attention-Getting Ceilings

Stepping away from the simple and familiar white 8-foot ceilings, designers are shifting their focus on eye-catching – even funky – 10-foot and 11-foot-high ceilings. Yes, ceilings are in play. From finish, color, and shape to design and décor, depending on the room, to lighting options, high ceilings are making a stylish statement as essential parts of the home’s interior.

What’s fashionable and trendy in 2021 ceilings?

A mix of the classic white with artsy, contemporary, and hip designs. Think glass, wallpapered, wooden, dropped, state-of-the-art 3-D – tray, coffered, beamed, and barrel – and vaulted ceilings as some of the options. There are also the dramatic ceilings with LED strip lights in kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, family rooms, and hallways.

 

8.  Dirty Kitchen Pantry

Ah, the contradictions of life! Did you ever think that at one point a "dirty" or "scullery" kitchen will be a hot design trend? It seems that designers are gravitating toward “dirty, or mess, kitchen pantries" to keep the main, or show, kitchen clean for social gatherings.

While dirty kitchens have been an outdoor mainstay in most Asian and Middle Eastern countries, the concept is just gaining traction in the U.S. These spaces – whether within the home or outdoors – give homeowners the luxury of cooking without odors and grease permeating the showcase kitchen.

"Mess" kitchens/pantries as they are sometimes referred to are secondary kitchens where the real work of food prep, cooking, and cleanup is done. Equipped with a sink, dishwasher, refrigeration, cooking appliances and storage space, these spaces are more utilitarian and serviceable.

No pun intended – they do the "dirty" work to maintain the main or “show” kitchen clean and spotless for entertaining.

While dirty kitchens/pantries are trending now, some designers are skeptical about whether they will turn into a mainstream feature like home theaters or a gym or even a wine cellar. Two reasons cited are: cost – they can be as expensive to build as the main kitchen; and, if not built outdoors, dirty kitchens take up valuable space on the first floor.

For now, those who have the budget – and are serious chefs and home entertainers – can enjoy the convenience, beauty, and functionality of these “mess” spaces.

 

9.  A Place for Grandma and Grandpa

Already a trend for several years, multi-generational homes are becoming more popular, with many families accommodating their in-laws and older parents together under one roof. According to data from the Pew Research Center, 12 percent of Americans lived in a multi-generational household in 1980. By 2016, the number rose to 20 percent; and by the summer of 2020, 52 percent of young adults were living with their parents.   

Covid has certainly accelerated the demand as families want to keep elderly parents and school-aged children in one home because of health and safety concerns. In addition, grandparents are helping working families with remote learning and childcare needs. 

As the need for multi-generational homes increase, we can expect to see some subtle but significant design changes – such as more ground level suites, wider bathroom doors, lower positioning of light switches, dropped down kitchen countertops, and more focus on green home features. 

 

10.  Reinterpreting Traditional Materials

As the home continues to be reinvented, design trends are focusing more on functionality, efficiency, comfort – without sacrificing charm and appeal. To that end, house designers and builders are exploring contemporary treatments of traditional designs by using materials in different ways. In 2021 and beyond, we will see more metal roofing material used as siding, ceramic plank flooring as wall paneling, and concrete for a variety of surfaces.

Metal siding is becoming a popular choice in contemporary residential designs because of its visual appeal and durability. Another material that is being used for exterior facades is concrete, which is aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance – and can be left exposed.

Designers are also building more shed and double-shed roofs instead of the classic gable and hip roofs.

 

Sit back, relax, and take in all these design trends that may help you in planning and creating some of your interior spaces. 

 

 

Footnote: The top right photos in the lead image of this article is the Great Room of a five-bedroom, 5.5-bath Contemporary style home – with its stunning staircase and fireplace. For details on the home with the 10-foot ceilings and all its luxurious features, go to Plan #161-1048.