Top Trends in Luxury Real Estate
The luxury home market is an evolving landscape. Some top trends in luxury real estate have been timeless and around for decades, while others come and go. The past few years have been an evolution of sophistication in design and technology.
Top trends in the luxury home space often reflect the lifestyle changes of the people who live in the homes. As lifestyle priorities begin to change, so do the homes. The political and socioeconomic environment also makes a vast impact. For example, as people begin to consider their environmental impact, the home is one of the first places to adjust.
Emphasis on Wellness and Health Amenities
As people become more aware of the importance of health and wellness, it is reflected in their homes. The wellness space in general has grown significantly over the past 10 years, garnering more interest in the past 5. Interest in wellness garnered growth on social media. Wellness influencers abound and are sharing their tips on staying healthy, mentally fit, and young. Clients want to bring these wellness tips and tools into their homes.
Hot and Cold Plunge Pools
We've seen hot and cold plunge pools grow in popularity, not only in the residential space but in the hospitality and multifamily industry as well. Hot and cold plunge pools have gained notoriety on social media for helping people increase their energy levels, improve skin and blood flow, and more. Clients building homes are now requesting dedicated areas indoors and outdoors to host their plunge pools
Fitness Rooms
Gyms have been around in luxury homes for quite some time. However, fitness rooms are becoming even more popular. Today, fitness rooms are leaving the garage and can be detached from the main house. They are more ornate and customized to focus on a niche. Clients passionate about weightlifting will have a specific weightlifting space with a separate stretching area. We've seen dedicated rooms for pilates, designed with full pilates equipment and mirror walls. Yoga and wellness studios are growing and will usually be separate from the home. People today want distance between their living space and their wellness or fitness space. Clients will typically bring on a gym consultant to customize their fitness space with the latest and greatest equipment.
Spa-like Bathrooms
Bathrooms are getting much larger today than ever before. Clients are thinking large and expansive. They want to create an intentional relaxing space, so they can unwind from the day. Steam showers are growing in popularity and are getting larger with multiple shower heads, sometimes spanning the top and sides. Smart toilets with built-in bidets are usually installed. Bathtubs are getting much larger and are often placed in front of a large window with a courtyard, zen landscaping, or a view.
Incorporation of Wellness Technology
Indoor air quality has become a priority in recent years. The home building process has improved to focus on air quality through the materials being used. Interior designers work to choose fit and finish by choosing low-emitting materials and adhesives. Air quality technologies are now more advanced and are being installed in new luxury homes. There are air purifying systems that can be installed that will alert you of pollutants and even clean air of smells.
Water filtration systems are more robust and are a priority for many home-building clients. Smart home filtration systems are being installed that will remove contaminants and improve general water quality.
Eco-friendly and Sustainable Living
As global warming and climate change awareness increases, people feel motivated to decrease their environmental footprints. One of the first places this happens is through the home. Homes are becoming more sustainable in the last decade. People are installing solar panels, even solar shingles, and buying eco-friendly appliances.
Solar Panels or Solar Shingles
If you take a drive through Austin, or most neighborhoods in and around major cities, you'll see plenty of solar panels across homes of all kinds. Solar panels and systems have been installed in homes for several years now. As technology advances, new products are coming out. In the luxury home space, you'll still find a lot of homes with solar panels. However, solar shingles have now hit the market. There are Tesla shingles and GAF shingles. Solar shingles can be installed along with a roofing system, which is convenient if you're building a new home. Unfortunately, the technology isn't quite perfected yet. There are still issues that need to be resolved before these systems become truly efficient and better than your standard solar panels.
Energy-Efficient Systems
More interior designers and luxury home clients are seeking whole-home energy-efficient systems. This includes Energy Star Certified appliances. A new trend has emerged, the preference for electric appliances like electric water heaters and induction stoves as they are better for the environment.
Lighting represents 5% of a home's electricity. Luckily, there are energy-efficient lighting systems now available. LED lights with programmable smart technology are becoming increasingly popular.
Smart-Home Technology Integration
One of the most prominent trends in luxury real estate is technology. Almost all new luxury home clients will have a smart home system installed. There are several on the market and all are offering more features as technology evolves. With a smart home system, lighting, climate, shades, security, and entertainment can all be connected through one system and app. You can check on your home's security while away from one app and set lighting and entertainment moods when you have guests over.
Luxurious Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor living spaces are a priority and are getting larger. As the wellness trends continue, outdoor time is becoming more important to people. There is a focus on outdoor entertaining and community.
Conversation Pits
Conversations pits are making their way back from the 1970's. However, this time it is introduced outdoors. You can find built-in conversation pits with fire pits in the center. It's an intimate space perfect for conversation with friends and entertainment. These built-in sitting areas are usually fairly large and are placed by the pool so guests can stay connected to other pool guests. A swim-up bar can be added between the conversation pit and the pool.
Infinity Pools
Infinity pools have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. These pools were mostly found at hotels until recent years. Now, clients want to bring the luxury of a hotel into their backyard. An infinity pool creates a luxurious and spa-like experience. It's even better, but not necessary if the property has a view. It can work out quite well if the pool is raised due to topography.
Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor kitchens are also growing in popularity and size. Today, outdoor kitchens are no longer just a grill but almost an entire kitchen with ovens, grills, keg taps, wine coolers, and more. Outdoor kitchens have grown in quality with the latest appliances, stone countertops, and a lot of storage and cabinets. Outdoor kitchen finishes are being built with the same quality finishes as the indoor kitchen, just adapted to suit the outdoors.
Elaborate Gardens and Courtyards
Architecture is a key aspect of all top trends in luxury real estate. Landscape architecture has become more advanced in recent years. Luxury home clients expect lush backyards. Courtyards and gardens are very popular. Courtyards typically have water features to create a zen space. Benches, stone details, and a variety of native plants and flowers complete the courtyard.
Entertaining
When it comes to luxury homes, entertaining is often at the forefront of priorities. Why build a huge home without the intentional space to entertain? Unique features, some classic and some new are being architecturally planned in the early stages of the building project. We've seen all of these in our own building projects and expect to see these trends for the next few years at least.
Butler's Pantry
Butler’s pantries have been designed in almost all of our recent new builds. Butler pantries or chef's kitchens are perfect for entertaining because you can cook or have a chef in a hidden kitchen while your guests commune in the main kitchen. In the past, the butler's pantry has been used to store excess kitchen appliances and used as a staging room for meals. Today's butlers’ pantries in modern luxury homes have expanded to become second kitchens. These pantries have ovens, stoves, steamers, full fridges, sinks, and other items to make it convenient to cook an entire meal without disturbing the other areas of your home. Butlers’ pantries are a luxury but can be a great addition if you host frequent events, dinner parties, or have a large family.
Wine Cellars or Rooms
In the luxury home space, we've evolved past the built-in wine cooler or wine cabinet. We've been seeing clients request entire wine cellars or rooms that complement the dining space. Wine connoisseurs or wine lovers can make their collection a conversation piece through a glass-encased, temperature-controlled, wine room. We've seen some stunning wine rooms with beautiful built-in cabinetry and plenty of racks to hold dozens of bottles of wine. These wine rooms make for a beautiful display in the main area of a home and will have guests talking for sure.
Built-in Bars
Custom home clients who opt out of wine rooms, but still love to entertain, are opting for built-in bars near the living or dining room space. Full-size bars are being designed and built, typically with all of the essential appliances to store and make drinks. Bars are a fantastic complement to entertaining and offer another space for your guests to enjoy. Bars are a must-have for holding events and hiring bartenders.
High-End Offices and Hobby Spaces
Home offices and spaces for niche hobbies or side hustles are growing in popularity. Studies have been around for a long time. The number of studies in luxury homes is increasing to accommodate other family members. It is now common to have two or more large offices in the home, specifically designed to be an office. Since the pandemic, people have started to become more accustomed to working and doing hobbies at home. This has also increased the desire to have rooms dedicated to a specific hobby. We are seeing clients request studios or rooms for podcasts, art, golfing (with golf simulators), and other hobbies.
We have experience building many of these top trends! If you're planning to build your dream home, contact us today to find out more about our custom home-building process.