Discover 10 Top Design Trends in New Homes Today

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen

Thinking about buying a new home? Wonder what the top trends in new construction are today? Eric Sasser, President of Sasser Construction, and East West Realty recently shared some of the top design trends in new homes today at a recent Hampton Roads REALTORS® Association seminar. 

1. Downstairs master bedrooms or main floor living house plans

2. Details that are uniquely your own – Brushed and polished contemporary to rough hewn and reused, this will make for dynamic, timeless interior details

3. Renewables/ green energy efficient construction

4. Open plans – casual lifestyle. Larger center islands, larger kitchen and great room layouts, taller ceilings in areas like family rooms and sun rooms, built-in bookshelves, wider plank flooring

5. Storage/storage/storage- Drop zones, larger pantries, well designed shelving and cabinetry

6. The death of the formal dining room. Breakfast rooms are becoming larger or connected to a sun room

7. Walkable neighborhoods– homebuyers want walking trails or sidewalks.

8. Outdoor rooms that extend the living space of a home.

9. Thrive in place design – people fear nursing facilities more than death

10. More Contemporary/Modern clean lines in lights/faucets/appliances

Sasser also touched on some of his predictions with where he sees the direction of the new home industry.

• The new home inventory in Hampton Roads is at an all time low with regard to new homes on the market for sale. Builders, however need to be aware of the new home preferences of today’s buyer when building models for sale.
• While the Craftsman Cottage style is still prevalent in our market, a more Modern Farmhouse style is  hot. It’s new and different, and appealing to many new homebuyers. Multigenerational lifestyles must be considered in designing a new home today. Sasser sees a trend toward communal cooking with eating spaces for friends and neighbors. Sasser’s award winning 2016 Parade of Homes model was a Modern Farmhouse style home.
• Sasser predicts solar energy will become mainstream within 5 years as manufacturers make solar panels more affordable to install.
• Technology is also here to stay.  With the popularity of Siri, Alexa, Echo, google home, and Apple Homekit, you’ll be seeing more home automation, facial recognition, and in-home cameras. People will demand more technology in their new homes.
• Sasser also predicts more homes designed for the 55+ age market will become more commonplace- by necessity and by zoning issues (less cash proffers for localities for developers).