The economy is on an upswing. And so is the interest in luxury housing in the metro market, according to area home builders who specialize in custom homes.

“Everyone has felt the effects of the downturn in the economy the last few years,” says Jim Harmeyer of Tyler Homes in Altoona. “But things are definitely turning around,” says the busy builder who constructs 20 to 25 custom homes each year. Homes costing $500,000 and above fit into the luxury category, in his opinion. He has been in the business for 22 years.

For some, luxury might be measured in square footage. But Harmeyer says it’s not always about the 7,000- or 8,000-square-foot home. “A home in the 4,500-square-foot range can cost $1.5 million or more, depending on the amenities and materials. People tend to want a huge kitchen, a large master bedroom suite with volume ceilings, large foyers, and lots of windows.”

In the Midwest, Too

A recent story in the New York Times discussed the cutbacks and now the return in luxury home interest in larger markets around the country. But the trend also is hitting Iowa, say the local builders. Buyers never really abandoned the idea of luxury homes. Instead, they just took a sabbatical. And now they are back.

“What’s interesting,” says Kevin DePhillips of Homes by DePhillips, “is that many homeowners are skipping one phase in the upscale market. Some clients who built earlier in the $300,000 to $400,000 range would normally move up to the $600,000 to $700,000 range for their next home. Instead, though, they’re jumping directly up to the $1 million-plus range. It’s very interesting.” Kevin works with his father, Mick DePhillips, who started the company in 1973. They build about a dozen custom homes each year.

Kevin Johnson, who started Accurate Development in 1991, has about 30 housing starts this year. He mostly builds custom homes and also does some specs. “That way, people can see what we can do.”

Return of Confidence

Johnson feels the economy is rebounding at a nice pace and homeowners are more confident about building. “While 5,000 square feet and above fits into the luxury market, it’s not really about the size of the home. It’s really more about the choice of higher-end materials and about how the space is to be used.”

He says clients are choosing homes that are less formal and with more usable spaces. There’s a bathroom for every bedroom, along with nicer details throughout the home.

Other luxury home options that are catching on are the large laundry/mudroom areas with lots of built-in storage wherever possible. The mudroom area, often with cubbies, provides a spot to store backpacks, coats, and boots near the entrance to the garage.

Media rooms, sunrooms, and the so-called “dirty kitchens,” or prep kitchens, are must-haves for some homeowners. DePhillips has added some prep kitchens locally. “It’s a separate, smaller kitchen space off the main kitchen. It’s a place to prep food for a dinner or a party without the mess being in the main kitchen,” he explains. “It’s also the place where smaller appliances such as the coffeemaker or the espresso machine or the big mixer can be placed and left out. That way they don’t clutter the counter space in the main kitchen.”

Another must for many is the walk-in pantry, again to cut the use of space in the bigger kitchen. “They keep getting larger and larger,” says Harmeyer. Some years back he started adding the “grocery getter” to his pantry plans. A small door from the garage directly into the pantry offers a means to unload groceries directly from a vehicle into the pantry without carrying bags through the house.

Other Luxury Trends

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) cites other trends for the luxury market. One is green building, reflecting an interest in concern for the environment. Features such as solar panels, water-saving appliances, and renewable building materials are becoming more important to many homeowners.

Still other clients want the addition of yoga studios, resistance pools, and dedicated fitness rooms. Screened porches for entertainment and relaxation also make many wish lists, along with high-tech amenities often to be controlled by smartphones.

A newcomer to clients’ wish lists is elevators, Harmeyer says. “I’m seeing that clients in their mid-40s are taking a good hard look at the future. They might want a two-story home for this phase of their family life, but they understand that a two-story might not be what they want or need 25 years down the road. They are wanting to put in elevators to allow for those changes. They are looking at their home as a luxury investment in the future.” He is currently building a home with an elevator in central Iowa.

Another trend Harmeyer sees is the aspect of multigenerational living. “They might be thinking that their aging parents will need a place to live at some point. Health issues are becoming a focal point for them. It’s a form of long-term planning to consider these matters while they are building now. It’s a way to create suites for their parents instead of care facilities.” Such suites might include a living area, kitchenette, full bath, and bedroom spaces. It gives the family members some privacy but still has them close by.

The NAHB also says universal design, which features wide doors, lower countertops, and minimal stairs, is a consideration for many clients looking to build a home to stay in as they age.

“The sky’s the limit, that’s for sure,” says DePhillips.

Johnson agrees. “The industry truly is back in the swing of things.”

Consumers will be cleaning up their kitchens in 2014, at least from a design standpoint, according to research released today at the 2014 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

“While transitional styles are still number one, we see kitchen design trending more contemporary this year, with clean, simple lines, less clutter, and little ornamentation,” said John Petrie, CMKBD, of Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and 2014 NKBA President.

The outlook is based the findings of the NKBA 2014 Kitchen and Bath Design Trends Survey, which also revealed these trends in kitchen design:

• Contemporary will be the fastest growing kitchen style in 2014, with 62 percent of respondents saying it’s on the upswing after ending 2013 in second place. Transitional maintained a very small lead as the number one look for kitchens. Shaker styling is a solid third due in part to its versatility, lending itself to traditional or contemporary.
• More than half (56 percent) of the respondents included accessible and/or universal design and easy-maintenance features in their kitchens, and demand is expected to continue.
• Two-thirds of NKBA kitchen designers incorporated docking and/or charging stations in their kitchens, as well as a desk or home office area. Some 56 percent included a flat-screen TV in their kitchen projects. These trends show no signs of powering down soon.
• Outdoor kitchens continue to be popular, with 43 percent of respondents designing them in 2013 and 41 percent expecting a marked increase in 2014.
• 63 percent of respondents specified energy-saving appliances in 2013, and 60 percent expect to see more demand this year. Almost 40 percent of designers specified water-saving kitchen faucets in 2013, and 47 percent see the market expanding in 2014.
• Furniture-type pieces were specified in kitchens by eight out of 10 respondents in 2013, and 56 percent expect to do more in 2014.
• Some 70 percent of respondents expect quartz countertops to increase in 2014. Almost a quarter of respondents specified countertops with recycled materials and 40 percent expect to do more in 2014.
• Wood, the most specified flooring in 2013, will grow even more in 2014.
• Glass, now number three for backsplashes, is predicted to grow in popularity in 2014.
• Satin nickel, now the most popular faucet finish, is expected to continue to flourish in 2014, as will polished chrome.
• Stainless steel is the most popular sink material with porcelain enamel a distant second. Granite composite, now number three, is expected to grow in 2014.

The 420 kitchen and bathroom professionals who participated in this year’s research represent a significant segment of the market for professionally designed and installed bathrooms in the United States and Canada. Respondents reported kitchen project prices ranged from less than $20,000 to more than $100,000.

Respondents reported the products, colors and features they used most often in their 2013 kitchens, then predicted which ones will flourish or fade in 2014.

In the fading column, NKBA members are doing fewer kitchens with highly ornamented Tuscan and Provincial looks. Distressed and/or glazed finishes are also less popular, as is country/rustic styles. They expect to use fewer electric cooktops and porcelain enamel sinks in 2014.
Dozens of NKBA members reported that they created kitchens with features to accommodate cats and dogs, from day beds to feeding stations, litter box cabinets to doggy faucets.

America’s bathroom styles are shifting. According to research released today at the 2014 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), we like our bathrooms contemporary, spa-like, accessible, and easy to maintain.

“Spa-like bathrooms and Zen-like retreats are definitely desired aspects of today’s bathrooms, driving a more contemporary aesthetic,” said John Petrie, CMKBD, of Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and the 2014 National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) President.

The ascendency of contemporary style is a major shift in the NKBA 2014 Kitchen and Bath Design Trends Survey. As recently as a few years ago, traditional styling represented three-quarters of the bathrooms designed by NKBA members. Traditional bathrooms are now trailing contemporary (68 percent), while still representing 62 percent of the bathroom projects completed by NKBA bathroom designers in 2013.

Other key findings about bathroom design trends include:

• Beige and bone color schemes, with white fixtures and polished chrome faucets were popular designs in 2013. Gray, the third most popular color scheme in 2013, will be by far the fastest growing in 2014, according to 58 percent of designer respondents.
• 57 percent of NKBA respondents specified bathrooms they described as universal design/accessible in 2013. And 60 percent anticipate doing more in 2014.
• A fully 64 percent of NKBA designers specified a soaking tub in a master bath, with 42 percent expecting that trend to accelerate in 2014. Their preferences lean towards free-standing non-jetted tubs.
• About one-third of bathroom designers included shower lighting; and 70 percent included benches or seats in showers. Both are expected to increase in 2014.
• Electric radiant floor heating was specified by 55 percent of respondents and half see it increasing in 2014.
• Steam showers gained steam, with twice as many respondents specifying steam showers as whirlpools for master baths in 2013. 44 percent of respondents see the demand for steam showers increasing in 2014.
• Approximately half of NKBA respondents specified no-threshold showers, and seven out of 10 expect to do more in 2014.
• 84 percent specified comfort height toilets and 81 percent, comfort height vanities in 2013. Almost two-thirds see them increasing in 2014.

The 420 kitchen and bathroom professionals who participated in this year’s research represent a significant segment of the market for professionally designed and installed bathrooms in the United States and Canada. Respondents reported bathroom project prices ranged from less than $5,000 to more than $30,000.

Respondents reported the products, colors and features they used most often in their bathrooms in 2013, then predicted which trends will flourish or fade out for 2014.

In the fading column, a decline in Provincial and Tuscan-style bathrooms was noted, as well as a decline in rustic and country looks. Black is the least popular fixture color and is predicted to decline more in 2014.

“The outlook for 2014 bathrooms is a simple style, with emphasis on clean lines and accessible functionality with easy maintenance,” said Maria Stapperfenne, CKD, CBD, of Tewksbury Kitchen & Bath in Whitehouse Station, N.J.