At Reality Homes, our focus is always on making your dream home a reality. This means creating unique designs that capture your taste and lifestyle — so your home nurtures all that makes you, you.
Part of that process includes looking at possibilities one might overlook. While you want your home or custom-built home to stand the test of time for years to come, you still want to keep up with trends.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the hottest 2024 custom home trends that can improve your home and quality of life.
Natural Lighting & Eco-Friendly Custom-Built Homes
In the past decade of the custom home-building industry, we have seen more and more eco-conscious people wanting to incorporate eco-friendly and sustainable items and practices in their homes. Which is very different from what we are used to seeing in custom homes built 30 to 40 years ago.
This brings us to our top 2 hottest custom home-building trends of 2024:
- Natural lighting
- Eco-friendly home-building materials
Of course, light has been a crucial consideration to humans for as long as we’ve existed — but this consideration for natural lighting and eco-friendly home materials has become particularly prioritized lately. This is especially true A) in the Pacific Northwest, where our winter days are infamously dark and short, and B) as energy costs for non-natural light and other energy sources increase.
The more natural lighting you have from your windows and the more eco-friendly materials you use for your custom home building, the less your monthly energy expenses will be. Also, because more natural light means less reliance on electric light fixtures, this will save you a ton of money during the building process of your custom home.
Overall, the main focus is natural light and sustainable custom home-building materials, which has led to larger windows, skylights, and building materials.
Energy Efficient Home Appliances
Now, to take your eco-friendly custom home to the next level and continue with hot custom home industry trends, energy-efficient appliances are highly requested along with custom-built and eco-friendly kitchen trends.
Let’s dive in.
Custom Home Kitchen Trends
As we’ve collectively become more food savvy and more people have become inspired, skilled cooks, home buyers are looking for larger kitchens and better custom kitchen floor plans. (How many times have you walked into a friend’s house with an especially great kitchen and thought, “Look at all that counter space”?)
Beyond just ample counter space — which, again, is an absolute game changer — there are a few other trends that have emerged in the kitchen industry for new and custom-built homes that are easy to come by, such as:
- Custom cabinetry
- Custom cabinet finishes
- Custom counter tops – quartz and quartzite are the highest trending countertop materials in 2023-2024
- Open kitchen floor plan with ample seating
However, some other popular custom kitchen features and personalization opportunities that you might not think of at first include:
- Pot filler faucets
- Big personalized pantries
- Wet & dry bars
Pot filler faucets are something that could be easy to overlook — until the moment that you’re hauling a giant pot of water from your sink to the stove, thinking “Dang it, I wish I’d put a faucet in that was more convenient for cooking.”
While not everyone may want one, they can be a lifesaver for people who make soups, stocks, tea, and steamed or boiled dishes often. They also can have a huge impact on the quality of life for people with conditions like arthritis or certain disabilities that make carrying lots of weight, such as a pot filled with water, a challenge or downright impossible.
Additionally, we’re seeing a lot of interest in big pantries, often either walk-in or integrated into your kitchen space. After all, if counter space is so valuable, shouldn’t the space to organize and visualize your ingredients be too?
Along with the aesthetic component, personalization opportunities for a custom-built pantry are really useful for organizing your ingredients. It’s especially helpful if you’re someone who thinks more clearly when you’ve got a better visualization of what you’re working with.
Lastly: We’re seeing a lot more wet bars and dry bars in homes nowadays. Essentially, these are two versions of a countertop bar area in your kitchen — the primary difference is that a wet bar has a sink, hence the name. Regardless, many are choosing to include this trend in their kitchens because of how great they are for entertaining.
The wet bar’s sink allows your bar area to be more contained, meaning you don’t have to flit back and forth around the kitchen to make and serve drinks. While the following isn’t comprehensive, common components for your custom-built bar area should include:
- A mini-fridge for chilling liquor, beer, and certain white wines
- Cabinets, shelves, and other storage for bar ingredients
- Built-in wine racks
- Glass door cabinets for display
Overall, when you are considering building a custom home with the recent trends, keep Reality Homes in mind. We offer floor plan personalization to incorporate the trends of today and match your lifestyle.
Visit us again soon, we’ll have a second part to this article with more trends of what we’re seeing in new and remodeled custom-built homes — both inside, outside, and the little extras in between.
Contact Reality Homes Inc. to get started on making your dream home a reality!