The key for home builders is finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.  For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one.  Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today.

Here are 9 “must” features in new homes:

Large kitchens, with an island.  If you’re going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them, in the kitchen. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes.

Energy-efficient appliances, high-efficiency insulation and high window efficiency. Among the “green” features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.

Home office/study. People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the shift from boom to correction.

Main-floor master suite. This is a must feature for empty- nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.

Outdoor living room. The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in New Hampshire. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.

Ceiling fans.

Oversize custom showers. Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, but they clearly went down a notch in the latest survey. Oversize custom showers with seating areas moving up in popularity among our clients.

Stone veneer  and timber details on exteriors.  Vinyl doesn’t make the cut.

Two-car garages. A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often than not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move up and custom categories.

The best way to create a smooth transition from indoors to outdoors is proper choice in materials. Wall finishes, flooring, paint colors and fixtures can and should all be carried from the interior space to the outdoor living areas. For example, repeating a granite or stone slab material that was chosen for the kitchen counter or interior wet bar to the exterior fireplace surround will create a feeling of continuity. Wall treatments such as Italian plaster, natural stone and faux finishes can also be used indoors as well as outdoors to further add to continuity of design.

Today’s outdoor rooms are not your average backyard spaces. They incorporate televisions, integrated audio/visual systems, fireplaces, wet bars and outdoor kitchens. These spaces should be considered as part of the bigger picture. This integration of outdoor living rooms, kitchens, televisions and entertainment systems, bars and outdoor showers is a critical component in creating a lifestyle experience to which most homeowners aspire.

Comfortable seating is a must as is a functional and relaxing dining area. Choices in furnishings and colors to coordinate with the interior of the home will further a feeling of connectedness, making the outdoor living space feel like an extension of the interior.  Thoughtful planning and design incorporating architectural overhangs, heating, lighting and comfortable, durable materials are the foundation of effective outdoor rooms.

At Northcape Design, we offer our customers a full line of outdoor cabinetry and appliances.   Atlantis outdoor cabinetry is weatherproof, meaning it is capable of being exposed to sun, rain, snow, and extreme high and low temperatures without being effected. All cabinetry boxes (and some doors and drawers) are made from solid marine-grade polymer Perma-Panel, which gives Atlantis cabinetry its weatherproof qualities. It can be placed poolside, or on a deck or patio without covering and can stand up to anything Mother Nature can dish out.  Solid wood doors and drawer heads are available in Teak, Cypress and Bamboo, three wood species often used in outdoor furniture and other outdoor applications.

The array of outdoor appliances including built-in grills, side burners, ventilation hoods, refrigerators, cocktail/beer stations and ice machines add flair and convenience to outdoor cooking and entertaining. Atlantis Outdoor Kitchens offers the finest appliances made especially for outdoor living from trusted names such as Lynx, Marvel and Vermont Castings.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it!  Please contact us – We would be happy to give you some ideas on enhancing your outdoor living spaces.

1. Wire for everything now…even wireless – If you are building or remodeling a home, start with a plan for future wiring needs. Wire is necessary to support wireless applications. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA professionals make it their business to stay current to offer expert advice about technologies on the horizon.

2. Insist on integrated systems – Make sure the electronic equipment you are buying can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system. Systems that communicate simplify your life and offer peace of mind by “watching” over your home.

3. Integrate lighting and heating control – Going green meets convenience. Get the most out of your system with the least amount of energy consumption. System integration provides automatic energy-efficient adjustments saving you time and money.

4. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.

5. Buy an experience, not a box – Find an electronic systems contractor that allows you to test drive the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It’s smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value.

6. Simplify your controls – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you. New technologies offer control from other devices and even through Internet browsers anywhere in the world.

7. Increase your expectations – Your home electronics system is a big investment and you deserve to be satisfied with it. CEDIA professionals will provide you with extensive options, comprehensive designs, complete installation and especially, in-home service for your systems.

8. Think “green” – By utilizing green practices, you can save money by having a more energy efficient system and help save the planet. Ask a professional about how you can “go green” in your home.

9. Ensure the experts work together for you – Maximize your home’s electronic systems capabilities by having your architect, builder or remodeler, and interior designer collaborate and partner with an electronic systems contractor from the beginning of the planning process.

10. Consult a professional – Today’s integrated electronic systems grow, evolve and change over time, constantly adding entertainment, comfort and security features. Select an electronic systems contractor you can trust and who will support your electronic integration needs for years. Having a long-term relationship with one professional will maximize the reliability and enjoyment of your home’s electronic systems. Find a CEDIA Certified Professional near you at www.cedia.org.

“Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.”  Ernest Hemingway

There is little that symbolizes our sense of romance more perfectly than a bottle of wine.  Wine becomes the embodiment of celebration and merriment as we raise our glasses, make our heartfelt toasts and clink our glasses! 

Today, more homeowners are discovering the pleasures of storing wine in their homes.  Wine cellars, once considered an indulgence, have become more accessible, convenient and practical.  There are a wide variety of options available, ranging from a small under counter cooler to a walk-in wine cellar with an adjacent “grotto” tasting room.  Small coolers can store 25 to 100 bottles; larger refrigerated cabinet units can hold up to 500 bottles.  With a walk-in cellar the sky is the limit, and it will accommodate the wines that are ready to drink now as well as that special Napa Cabernet or French Bordeaux that will improve over years of cellaring.

For many years, my own “wine cellar” was a spare closet in the basement, a marginal solution at best.  I became inspired to design and build my own real wine cellar after Robin and I attended a meeting in the Napa Valley area.  We spent an extra five days touring the vineyards and sampling many wonderful wines.  After seeing some incredible wine cellars and tasting rooms, our old closet in the basement no longer measured up!  However, there was a 6’ by 7’ corner of my basement workshop next to the family room that I really wasn’t using to its potential . . .

I began my education on wine cellar construction.  The three enemies of wine are heat, light and vibration.  Of these, heat is the major concern.  Most experts agree that a constant temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 60 to 70% are ideal for long-term wine storage.  Temperature fluxuations can push wine past the cork as it expands and suck air into the bottle as it cools, increasing the ullage and therefore the amount of oxygen.  The addition of oxygen can age wine prematurely.  

As I started to gather information regarding wine cellars, I mistakenly believed that a basement area would be a suitable place to site a passively cooled cellar.  I read the only book that I could find on wine cellar construction and the author convinced me that it is extremely difficult to regulate the temperature in a passively cooled wine cellar.  In fact he recommends insulating all walls equally, even the side facing the foundation. The book, “How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar, 3^rd Edition” by Richard M. Gold, Ph.D. is available on Amazon.COM and is full of great information.  I also gleaned many details for wine racking from racking suppliers on the Internet. 

Here are a few of my notes on the construction of my cellar:

FRAMING:

Standard 2×4 or 2×6 framing is fine as long as you can fit the required insulation in the walls and ceiling.  You may need to “furr-out” existing framing.

VAPOR BARRIER:

A vapor barrier is required if refrigeration is used.  The plastic should be applied to the warm side of the wall and ceiling.  In this case that would the exterior of the cellar.

INSULATION:

The general rule of thumb is “more the better”.  Minimum requirements are R-19 in the walls and R-30 in the ceiling.  You can use fiberglass batts, Styrofoam or foil-face rigid insulation, sprayed foam or blown-in insulation.  Use whatever works in your situation.

AIR INFILTRATION BARRIER:

I used Tyvek on the interior of the walls and ceiling, and taped the joints to further limit any migration of air.

INTERIOR WALLS & CEILING:

You can use a wide variety of wood paneling including cedar, mahogany and redwood.  This is generally left without any sealer or finish so that moisture is not trapped under the finish.  Drywall can be used if it is the moisture resistant green board type.  It can be painted with mildew resistant latex paint.

CELLAR DOORS:

An exterior grade door must be installed as a cellar door.  It is very important to have complete weather-stripping on the jamb and a good quality sweep on the bottom.  Any glass inserts must be double-pane insulating glass.

FLOORING:

Tile can be used, but a concrete floor can be fine as is or stained with an opaque concrete stain.

LIGHTING:

Lighting can really enhance the ambience of a cellar.  Use dimmers to control the brightness (and the heat!).  Rope lighting is easy to install and can be used for display areas.

REFRIGERATION:

There are several different types of cooling systems including units that exhaust into an adjacent room and split systems that have condensing units located outside the house.  We used a “WhisperCool” through wall unit and it is performing beautifully.  Whatever unit you use should be sized for the cubic space that you have.

WINE RACKING:

The possibilities are numerous and range from boards on cement blocks to custom designed racking that looks like it came from the finest furniture craftsman.  I used red cedar to match the paneling and left it unfinished.

Cheers!!