I have a keen interest in perusing websites and social channels that publish new house plans, analyzing layouts.
It is one of my fun pasttimes when I spend time on my phone these days. Space planning happens to be one of my favorite aspects of interior design.
Yes, I’m looking for my perfect floor plan, always, but I also like to judge. One floor plan might be totally awkward, another could be passable with some tweaks, etc. I am forever mentally rearranging the spaces and thinking about how to get rid of bad design like wasted space, long hallways, awkward access, etc.
I’m also noting all kinds of features and trends that seem to be on repeat these days. Let me tell you, the 3000-5000 sf homes of today are not what they once were. I imagine that’s because builders and architects have honed in more on how people use their homes and what their current buyers want.
I live in an area that is pretty well built-out. Homes around here, that I work on most with remodeling design, date from the 80’s, 90’s or the early 00’s. Production homes back then had a lot of carpet, golden oak short cabinets, either plastic laminate, Corian or maybe some spotty granite counters.
They also had 24” wide doors (very small and not good for universal design), small showers with giant spa tubs, no mudrooms and tiny laundry rooms. There were closets and pantries that were barely walk-ins with minimal outfitting.
They typically have some formal spaces, a formal living room and dining room and a big entry. Many have two story spaces in these areas, to give a grand feel to the house and impress buyers as they walk in. These are suburban homes, btw, most are production builds, although many custom homes were laid out like this too.
I was chatting with a contractor recently about how layouts have changed in new builds. We both noted how pantries and laundry rooms are so generous in size now and the upgrades in these areas are something builders did not do 30 years ago.
This was a new build pantry I worked on a few years ago. It is almost a full kitchen!
I think it is important, as a designer who does a lot of remodeling design, to help my clients elevate their older homes so that they can be more in line with what new builds offer. Plus, better laundry rooms and pantries are something everyone seems to want these days!
When remodeling, we might not be able to change square footage of certain rooms, but we can usually design them to be more functional for today’s lifestyles and can definitely make them more aesthetically pleasing.
Here are a few examples of upgrades that were fit into the confines of existing square footage.
Mud Room Bench
A home desk situation by the kitchen or in the kitchen is not so popular anymore since people can work anywhere with a laptop.
BEFORE - Desk in the kitchen by the back door
A mudroom bench is so much more popular and useful to homeowners these days. We replaced the desk with a bench on this project, that served as a pet feeding station too.
AFTER - Mud room bench, Designer: Carla Aston
Laundry Room Upgrades
Laundry room upgrades are also popular these days. In this post, where I shared my thoughts about a bunch of builder’s model homes in our area, I included upgraded laundry rooms as a must-have item in new homes.
BEFORE - Builder grade cabinetry in laundry room
AFTER - Laundry room upgraded with stackable washer and dryer, refrigerator and new cabinetry for better storage. Designer: Carla Aston
Bigger Closets
Closets are also getting bigger and more luxurious with special cabinetry and storage these days. Some of the huge closets I’ve seen in floor plans are bigger than bedrooms!
In a ranch style home in Houston, I worked on this primary suite remodel some years ago. We needed every inch for the new bathroom in the space where they previously had a tiny ensuite with a small closet. So, we used a wall of the bedroom to create built-in cabinetry for the closet. It became a beautiful paneled feature in the room.
AFTER - Closets in built-in cabinetry in the bedroom, Designer: Carla Aston
AFTER - Closets in built-in cabinetry in the bedroom, Designer: Carla Aston
If you are remodeling your home, don’t forget to allow some money in the budget for upgrading these areas that you might have overlooked. I always appreciate a home that feels elevated to mostly the same level throughout, without a big disparity between parts of the home.
Need more content on new production homes? I’ve got a few posts to peruse below.
I started visiting model homes recently to check some out. I visited about 15 in various areas.
Here are some typical details I found that are rather less-than-desirable. :-)