How many times have you heard the expression “They don't build houses like they used to”?   I think that is a compliment or at least I will take it as one.   Our company does a lot of remodeling designs on older homes.   You know the kind; large dining rooms and bedrooms with “Barbie Doll” kitchens and baths. No insulation in the walls, damp and musty basements.  Everyone has an opinion on why older homes were laid out the way they were.  The ladies in the office think that these older homes were designed by men with little or no input from women.  Don't tell them I said so but there is a small possibility they could be right.

The internet, HGTV and many design publications have opened a world of information on everthing imaginable as it relates to house design.   Homes today are designed for the way we live.   But not only is it a place to “hang our hats” but an indication of what type personality we have and how we value our public persona.   Today’s consumers are very savvy and realistic about their home layout and what they want and need.

As I discussed in “Building Green Without Breaking the Budget” more emphasis is put on energy conservation than we have ever experienced before.   Walls and ceilings are well insulated, windows and doors are designed to be air tight, furnaces and air conditioners are energy efficient.   Building codes are more comprehensive and safety concerns are built into the code to protect all who enter the home.   New construciton is monitored and blueprints are reviewed for structural integrity more closely than we have ever seen in the history of the building industry.   Many components of the house are now manufactured in a controlled environment and are delivered to the site for assembly.   This enables a home to go up and be under roof in record time offering valued protection from the elements.

It seems we are busier today than ever before and it is not uncommon for several people to work in the kitchen at the same time, so kitchens must be larger.   Pantries and double wall ovens and microwaves are great additions to today’s kitchens; they require little space but add an abundance of convenience.   Islands and peninsulas define the kitchen and yet visually open them to hearth rooms and great rooms creating very desirable areas that allow the family to gather in large open areas.   Counter seating provides a multitude of options; it can serve as a place for visiting with the cook and yet not be under foot.  The location of counter seating in most cases offers a view to the TV and conversation can be enjoyed to various locations.

If you want a hearth room and need to keep your square footage low think about how you really live in your home.    Do you need formal spaces?   Could you locate the secondary bedrooms to the upper or lower level and keep the master suite on the first floor?  This will allow you to enjoy more public living space on one level.   Move the master bedroom to the second floor and free up even more square footage on the main level for gathering rooms.   Computers, computer games and large screen TV’s monopolize our free time; each item requires a dedicated space.   If you don’t have the budget to expand your house to fill these needs think about nooks for a built-in desk or book cases.   Bonus rooms above the garage can be great places to expand living space without incurring a great deal of cost.

Re-dedicating square footage to fit your needs can be easily accomplished in many of our designs.   Today’s trend seems to be heading in the direction of eliminating the formal dining room and using the space as a library or study.   Maybe a fourth bedroom is not something that is important to your small family.   Expand a bath, create more closets, create a sitting room in the master bedroom, or move the laundry room to the existing space.   There are as many ideas to modify a home plan as there are minds to imagine them.

If I were a mathematician and my job was to solve 2 + 2 = ?, there would be only one answer of 4, not 5, 3, or 6.   Design is not like math, you can make the answer anything you want it to be.   It is all about you and what you want in your new home.   You can eliminate the rooms you don’t want, make the rooms you like larger, have open rooms for a spacious feel, or have closed individual rooms for the cozy effect.   It is all about what is important to you.   As you look through our collection of designs think about spending a day in the home from the time you get up until you turn in for the night.   Often people look at a design and picture the perfect party, or their daughter walking down the stairs on prom night.   While these are neat dreams it is not a realistic outline for how you actually live in the house.

The one piece of advice I would like to think about is making the house fit you, not you fitting the house.    As you walk through a department store there are racks after racks of clothing, you only purchase the items that fit and suit you.   There is nothing wrong with the items that you don’t select, they could be perfect for someone else, just not for you.   Your home is the same way - it has to fit your needs.   Don’t change your wants and needs to fit the home.

So the next time you hear someone say “They don’t make houses like they used to” you can know that we have come so far in designing for safety, structural integrity, convenience, comfort and efficiency that your response can be “thank goodness”!