By Michele Lerner,
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Television, the Internet and the high cost of land in the Washington area influence the decisions of architects, builders, interior designers and consumers when it comes to creating new homes. The popularity of home design and home make-over shows has added to the sophistication of today's buyers. Researching home products on the Internet increases this knowledge. Consumers have expectations that their homes will feature the highest possible quality materials and finishes.
Land issues have long driven choices of developers and builders, who must reconcile the desire of today's buyers for ever-larger homes with the need to build these homes on smaller lots. In addition, developers in the Washington area are responding to frustration with traffic issues and the desires of young workers and empty nesters for urban-style living by creating town-center developments with condominiums, narrow single-family homes and town homes as their primary housing stock.
"Architects need to creatively add more square feet to a smaller box because of the shortage of land," says Jack McLaurin, a principal of the Lessard Architectural Group Inc., in charge of the company's single-family and town-home division. "From a footprint standpoint, homes are actually shrinking, while in terms of square feet, they are increasing."
One of the simplest ways to add more living space is to eliminate two-story rooms such as family rooms and foyers, replacing them with extra bedrooms, bathrooms and flexible space on the upper level for play areas, reading nooks or space for computers.
"Volume ceilings are gone as an important feature in a home because people realize they would rather have more square feet in lieu of a two-story space," says Mr. McLaurin. "We're also finishing attic space in single-family homes to add living areas, something which used to more common in town homes. Finished space can also be created above the garage, whether it's attached or detached."
Mr. McLaurin expects that the Washington area will see more vertical living and more urban-style architecture in suburban areas due to the expense of land and the frustration of traffic woes that lead buyers to areas where they can walk to amenities or to public transportation.
Narrower, taller town homes with underground garages or built above a garage are becoming more common, along with condominiums designed into mixed-used developments such as a town center or close to a transit center.
"We're seeing a trend toward vertical integration in this area, with town centers and mixed-use developments with office, retail and residential components in one location," says Rhonda Ellisor, director of sales and marketing for Miller and Smith Homes Inc. "More developments are including office space and even residential space over retail space."
"Typically the homes in these developments are condominiums, large town homes and even some narrow-lot single family homes," she says. "The town center developments are particularly appealing to young singles and couples who find living in this type of community more exciting."
While many condominiums are designed as entry-level housing, just as many offer luxury-level living meant for empty nesters and wealthier young professionals who prefer the maintenance-free lifestyle. Builders are upgrading the finishes and styles in these condominiums to meet the expectations of buyers.
"We're trying to improve the livability of condominiums, making them more open so that rooms flow easily," says Mrs. Ellisor. "We're expanding the kitchens, usually adding an island, so people don't feel they are making a compromise in their lifestyle by living in a condo."
Holly Polgreen, president of Carlyn and Co. Interior Design, says some condominiums are designed to be as urban-looking as possible, with lofts, internal spiral staircases and open ceilings that reveal the mechanical systems of the home.
"In luxury condominiums, builders and buyers are looking for really high-end upgrades such as built-ins, glass-front cabinets in the kitchen, granite counters and high-end appliances," says Ms. Polgreen. "Builders are putting spa baths in condominiums and offering every style of carpet imaginable so buyers can choose what they like."
"Condominium builders are really creating a jewel of a property, not compromising on anything in terms of quality, especially in the kitchens and baths," she says.
Buyers who won't compromise on quality materials inside their new homes are sometimes compromising on the size of their home in order to live closer to services, transportation or the city.
Chris Lessard, founder and principal of the Lessard Group, buyers today are including services and community amenities in their housing goals.
"It's become more of a priority to people to purchase a home in a location with built-in amenities, either in a town center or in a planned community," says Mr. Lessard. "People are frustrated by the traffic and want easier access to stores and restaurants.
"Planned communities cluster services such as lawn maintenance, so that takes the pressure off people, and some include concierge services to take even more pressure off families," he says. "In town centers, buyers are looking for a restaurant right on their block. It used to be that having restaurants nearby was a priority for offices, but now that's part of the decision-making process for home buying, too."
Luxury condominiums offer exceptional services to their buyers, including guest suites so visiting friends and family can stay in the building rather than a hotel.
"At KSI Midtown, they've built an exhibition kitchen where a chef can be brought in to cook for a group of friends while they watch," says Mr. Lessard. "Consumers are looking for a level of service like that, which can create memorable experiences for people."
In addition to the popularity of town center developments, the Washington area is experiencing a resurgence of traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs), planned communities that attempt to replicate small-town ambience with homes close together, sidewalks, front porches and hidden garages.
"When TNDs first started in Kentlands, people weren't sure if they were here to stay," says Mrs. Ellisor. "Now we're seeing new and improved TNDs, which look better and are more acceptable to buyers.
"For instance," she says, "at Maple Lawn in Howard County, Mitchell & Best and Miller and Smith are paying more attention to the outdoor spaces and building homes which look more like a real community."
Mr. McLaurin says more attention is being given to historical style in architecture, what he calls "nostalgic architecture."
"No one wants to live in a project, they want to live in a neighborhood with different home styles near each other," says Mr. Lessard. "There is no one style which dominates our market anymore, which to some degree, is due to the affluence in this area. Wealthier, educated buyers are demanding things like varied roof pitches, jagged footprints instead of a boxlike house shape."
Brick Colonial-style homes saturated the Washington market in the past, but today's buyers are experimenting with Victorian facades and Craftsman-style homes.
"Hardiplank siding now comes in a wider variety of colors for buyers to choose for the outside of their homes," says Debbie Rosenstein, president of Rosenstein Research Associates. "In neo-traditional neighborhoods, people are adding upper-level balconies, gables and porches to the front of the home, and builders are adding more sophisticated landscaping and privacy fencing to separate the homes."
Mr. McLaurin says that brick is no longer viewed as the only valuable exterior material, with upgraded shingle, shake and horizontal siding sometimes seen as higher quality than brick.
"We're seeing lots of additional color in siding, such as pinks, greens, yellows and blues, too," says Mr. McLaurin. "A new product called pastel brick is out, which gives brick a stucco-like texture for a French or English country flavor."
Varied exterior styles are one appealing part of traditional neighborhood designs, where developers also choose to move the garage from the front of the home to the rear, sometimes even detached from the main home.
Pushing the garage back or to the side has become more popular in many developments, not just neo-traditional communities.
"The standard two-car front-load garage is gone," says Mr. McLaurin.
"Garages are designed with rear access to improve the streetscape or at least pushed back so that you are not looking at the garage when looking at the front of the house.
"Moving the garage back and to the side can create some interesting spaces, with motor courts for extra parking on the side or back of the house which make a great place for basketball hoop or mini-activity area for the kids," he says. "The transition space between the garage and the house can be used for a landscaped courtyard set under a breezeway."
Buyers want their garages to add to the attractiveness of their homes, but they also want them to accommodate as many as three cars. As Mrs. Ellisor says, often people want a three-car garage so two cars can be parked inside and the rest can be used for storage.
At Stone Lake in Howard County, Miller and Smith LLC has designed a garage that uses a two-car tandem garage with a one-car standard garage to accommodate three cars in a 28-foot-wide town home.
For the single-family homes at Victory Lakes in Prince William County, which are built on narrow lots, Miller and Smith split the three-car garage into a two-car garage and a second, one-car garage.
"Parking is generally a big constraint when you are designing town homes," says Mr. McLaurin. "We are trying to get more homes into one footprint, so we are often stacking two homes over each other in what we call a 'two-over-two' style, each with two levels. We've tried to add a third home to this footprint with an underground garage or even above-ground parking, but this usually requires adding an elevator."
As baby boomers age, elevators are becoming more and more popular in three- and four-level town homes, says Mr. McLaurin.
Demographics are also driving the move to dual master suites, with one on the first level and one on the second level.
"Empty nesters want a first-level master suite which is separate from the living areas, either for themselves or for in-laws who may be living with them," says Mr. McLaurin. "The second master suite upstairs can accommodate in-laws or grown children in a more comfortable setting, or the owners themselves can use the upstairs bedroom."
Upper levels of homes are more frequently including open space or bonus rooms for varied uses, rather than being entirely devoted to bedrooms and baths.
"On the bedroom level, we're opening up more flexible spaces which can be used for an upstairs family room," says Mrs. Ellisor.
The newest place for flexible living is on the outside of the home, where the traditional yard has been replaced with roof decks, master suite balconies, covered porches and courtyards designed to feel like outdoor living rooms.
"Ten years ago, people went out to buy the house with the biggest lot they could afford, which often meant moving farther away from the city," says Mr. Lessard. "The traffic was not as frenzied then, but now people are willing to give up that big yard for a house close to assets like parks and retail areas."
"They haven't given up having an outdoor space, but it's more like an outdoor room than a yard," he says. "Often, these outdoor rooms are defined by a wall created by part of the house or the garage."
Homeowners today are using their outdoor space as auxiliary living space, and they are often designed to be partially enclosed by the home and accessible from more than one room for greater functionality.
"Some of the options that buyers are adding to our homes at Maple Lawn, which have interior courtyards, are fountains, trellises, lighting systems and stereo systems," says Mrs. Ellisor. "You can even buy those big heaters that restaurants use for their outdoor seating so you can use the space in colder weather."
Ms. Polgreen says, "Outdoor spaces are becoming more important to buyers, so builders are trying to carve out some outdoor space wherever they can. In town homes, we're seeing balconies off the master bedroom, little porches and interior courtyards with fountains and outdoor fireplaces, with windows on three sides so the space is visible from inside the house, too."
Lighting for these outdoor spaces can add to their charm, and today's buyers recognize the importance of lighting and other detailing inside their homes, too.
"Consumers today focus on all kinds of details such as woodwork and lighting, [and] high-end name-brand appliances," says Mr. Lessard. "We have a highly educated population in this area, and affluent, too. A lot of them are well-traveled and want to bring some European sophistication into their homes."
Witness the growing popularity of home design programs on television, an abundance of decorating magazines and the Internet, where buyers can do their own research on the pros and cons of each appliance they want to purchase.
"People want everyday luxury, and they are pushing builders to other more custom upgrades in every part of the house," says Ms. Polgreen. "With the advent of interior-design shows on television as part of the popular culture, we're seeing fewer design trends of particular colors or styles. Now people can have exactly what they want, and they can find things on the Internet and in the home stores and furniture stores, which are exploding with options."
Miss Rosenstein says people will ask for anything in their homes now that they have seen in a magazine or on television, with the requests mostly involving the kitchen and master bath.
"Buyers want pendant lighting, accent lighting, lighting inside and above their cabinets, and in the toe space around the island," says Miss Rosenstein. "Pull-out drawers and appliance garages are popular, too, along with glass-front cabinets and colorful accents such as tumbled marble or mosaic backsplashes."
In master baths, buyers are often upgrading to framed mirrors that blend with the cabinets and requesting oversized ceramic-tile flooring.
"Buyers want a sense of quality in the master bath, with coffered ceilings, pendant lighting and marble flooring so that you can almost feel as if you are in a luxury hotel," says Mr. Lessard.
Miss Rosenstein says, "Lighting fixtures from brass to pewter to bronze are all popular now, and buyers also want elegant moldings and trim in as many rooms as possible. We're seeing more creative flooring, with a mix of tile and hardwood or with unusual woods such as distressed hickory. Buyers want high tech wiring for everything, and they want as much practical storage space with shelving in every possible space, including the kitchen, bath and laundry room."
Concern about the increasing price of gas has led buyers to forgo gas fireplaces and purchase electric fireplaces, which Miss Rosenstein says have been newly designed to be more attractive.
On another practical note, builders are now offering to place pest control tubes in the walls of homes as they are building them.
"Buyers can sign up for a pest control service which can access the tubes and make pest control easier," says Miss Rosenstein.
Making life simpler with nearby services, more beautiful with fine finishes and elegant baths, and more relaxing with low-maintenance outdoor space are all desires that builders are challenged to meet, along with designing a home with more living space on a smaller lot.
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