Design Trends in Renovation & House Plans for Home Builders

Here are some things that are happening right now in interior renovations and new house plans for home builders. This year word has it that designs will have cleaner lines and more open spaces.

Overall, trends are indicating that new construction is more contemporary with much cleaner lines and more glass and metal. Home exteriors and interiors now have cleaner lines with more glass and stone. And while some house plans for home builders feature more traditional exteriors, people are choosing modern, open concepts on the inside of the home – fewer hallways and no more small, wasted rooms. An open floor plan (Left: The Plan Collection's House Plan #161-1022) means more useable space — for instance, the kitchen that opens to the dining area, den or family room. Homebuilders today are looking for their spaces to be completely usable.

There is no longer an abundance of specialty rooms like libraries, or music rooms, and living and dining rooms in today’s homes simply function differently and are now multi-functional.

Kitchens and baths help sell homes, and while the kitchen is the heart of the home, it’s a fact that an upgrade or remodel can be quite expensive. Cabinets are made from lighter, more natural woods or bold matte lacquers. White kitchens are in again too!

On the interior design front we are seeing colors gravitate to lighter gray, and white-washed wood floor finishes, which are popular now. Here are just a few of the highlights for new looks:

• Matte flooring finishes in bleached, fumed or limed woods.
• Concrete finishes and sealed-only floors for a more exotic look, but at a higher price.
• Porcelain tiles that look like new wood are chic.
• Patterned woods have made a comeback this year –meaning very intricate wood designs.
• Stone flooring shows up in master bedrooms and baths, topped off with fluffy rugs.
• A mini office in the kitchen will be used all the time.
• Indoor/outdoor entertainment spaces feature cozy seating, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens
• Pools for resort living in the backyard.
• Dining rooms are more open and casual.
• Swimming pools are shrinking
• Open floor plans are being reconstructed — even in traditional homes.
• Some of the top designers are using rusted steels for decorative touches.

Modern homes these days feature televisions in every room which hook up to cable or satellite services that enable viewers to move throughout the home and still watch the same move or television program. That is why media rooms have become more useful, and can also function as game or play rooms. One tip:  word has it that media rooms need to be on the first floor or they will never be used.

To sum it up, there is a plethora of amazing design trends in renovation and house plans for home builders at The Plan Collection at www.theplancollection.com.