* Retro is declining
I was very happy to see the 90's retro style emerge.
People were designing and building homes with beautiful links to the past. What a change!
But, the major developers began designing huge projects with fake looking retro features.
Many neighborhoods were filled with homes that were so much alike
you had to remember your house number to find your home.
A new name emerged, "cookie cutter homes."
As the building boom increased, homes got larger and larger.
In their efforts to keep up with the Joneses,
people built old styled homes that looked like mansions.
But, they were only ten feet away from their neighbors.
Master bedrooms and bathrooms got so big and elaborate,
that they became more expensive than the rest of the home.
If families really need resort master suites to escape their children,
why did they even have a family?
One article humorously labeled these homes "McMansions," fast food architecture.
"It looks good, but is it really good for you?"
Happily, common sense is returning to home design.
The most fake retro styles are already out.
The most genuine, natural retro styles are being combined with a new modern style.
* New modern style emerging
If you examine advertisements, design magazines, and home-style books,
you will notice this new modern style taking hold.
Even automobiles have left the traditional squared off look for exciting curves with bright colors.
This new style is based a little on the past, but it is now going in a different direction.
Here are some elements I have noticed:
INDIVIDUALISM: Many will no longer settle for the same house their neighbor has.
Even if they are buying a new home that is already built, they want to make changes.
People expect their home to be an expression of who they are. Some entertain often.
Others are private. Some want openness. Others would rather have a feeling of shelter.
They even have different storage needs that must be met.
SLEEK LINES: What are especially cool are the sleek, bold lines
of finely crafted wood that are being seen in many nice homes.
This look emphasizes the beautiful wood grain,
instead of intricate lines of complicated trim.
Sharp angles or gentle curves are appearing everywhere
including the roofs, walls, cabinets, and doors.
BOLD COLORS: Anything bold is in style. Even the oranges and avocados of the seventies!
They can be colors from the previous century, or new colors, but they are bold.
And, you no longer have to have the colors of your furniture match your artwork.
People are turning their back on the conservative, restrictive color rules of the nineties.
Colors are becoming more artistic, by expressing individual tastes.
PRACTICAL DESIGN: Many are no longer designing their homes
to satisfy the real estate appraiser.
If they do not want a huge master bathroom they will not have one.
They want a great room that is comfortable,
instead of an impersonal auditorium.
They do not want features that are designed only
to impress someone who might buy the home some future day.
If they cannot design for their own needs, why build a custom home?
These new practical designs take into consideration each person's needs and desires,
and how to satisfy them in a way they can afford.
Sarah Susanka has written several books encouraging this idea.
To her surprise, her book, The Not So Big House, became a best seller.
She was interviewed on many television talk shows.
This shows that people want more practical homes.
GREEN DESIGN: You might remember the failure of many of the environmentalist ideas
of the seventies. Some solar homes were filled with unreliable, ugly machinery.
This caused many to reject anything environmental.
But, rising energy costs have reawakened the public to environmental homes.
Also, many homes have had serious quality problems.
Poor building design and construction have led to very expensive moisture and mold issues.
Many new materials were of poor quality or filled with toxic chemicals.
But, in the last thirty years much progress has been made in environmental technology.
Environmental groups have realized that to make progress they need to promote practical ideas.
By working with industry, they have come up with some very good solutions to these problems.
All of this has made it more easy to have a home
that is "green", or environmentally correct. Most people are not willing to go to extremes.
But they do want an efficient home that is low maintenance,
and allows them to have a comfortable lifestyle.
They especially appreciate environmental ideas that improve their quality of life.
"Green" has become cool. Natural materials and finishes are beingn used.
Windows are being designed to provide extra solar heat in the winter.
This brings us to the final design element in this new modern style.
QUALITY: The seventies and eighties hit a real low in construction quality.
The nineties did not improve much. Now the public is demanding better quality.
They want materials that last longer. They want better construction techniques.
The automobile industry woke up to this fact and has improved their quality.
They knew they were losing business to foreign manufacturers.
Now, a typical engine can last three times longer than those in the fifties.
What about the homes we design and build?
In the past many compared homes by how much they cost per square foot.
Now many would rather build a smaller home to afford better quality.
* What This Means for Us in the Mountains
More and more of my clients are aware of these trends.
They want their home to be designed to fit their own styles and needs.
Others in the design and construction field tell me they are seeing the same trend.
This is good for us if we respond. We need to educate ourselves on good design and construction.
Let's not make the mistake of thinking we can build the same old, cheap, poor quality homes.
This area has seen a fast pace of building for a long time, even when other areas have slowed.
By offering what the most educated consumers expect,
we can attract the kind of people that will contribute more to our economy.
Good quality developments do not ruin the mountains, they add to their beauty.
* Design Ideas at The Mountain Home Show
If you would like to get some great ideas for your mountain home,
come see my booth at the next Mountain Home Show.
There you can browse through interesting design books and
watch a computer slide presentation of a few of the best designed homes in this country.
At The Mountain Home Show you may also get an invitation to an open house of
The Mountain Model Home and Cabin.
For more information on The Mountain Model Home, click the picture below:
For a written proposal, including the cost of plans, make a free, no obligation appointment.
How to Contact The Mountain Home Show
Appreciation......
This web site contains information obtained from various sources.
The Mountain Home Show is not liable for the accuracy of this information.
Please contact the source of this information with your questions.
My wife, Rosemarie and I had the privilege to visit the mountains
in northern Italy.
The scenery looks very much like ours except for one tremendous difference.
The buildings and landscaping are far more beautiful.
The town of Como, Italy has been a popular resort community for two thousand years,
but it has not been ruined.
Each building, from the huge mansions,
to the small cottages is an asset to its neighborhood.
That is the way we should all design and build. Fortunately it's now in style.
New Homes I have Designed
Remodeling Projects I have Designed.
My Procedures for Designing and Planning
Richard C. MacCrea
Home Planner
Email Richard
P.O. Box 446, Murphy, North Carolina 28906-0446
(828) 837-5787
Other Pages on this Web Site
The Mountain Home Show, Home Page and Site Map (How to find what you're looking for)
Detailed information about the home show (For guests and exhibitors)
Articles (About designing, building and remodeling a mountain home)
The Mountain Model Home (An experimental home that is extremely energy efficient)
The Mountain Model Cabin (A very small mountain cabin designed to sleep four comfortably)
Construction Diary (The joys and frustrations of building these two model homes)
Home Designing and Planning (How to get great plans for building or remodeling your home)
Email Us (Questions about The Mountain Home Show or Your Mountain Home Project)
The Mountain Home Show, P.O. Box 446, Murphy, North Carolina 28906-0446
The Mountain Home Show owes its success to the businesses that participate in the show. They arrange such wonderful exhibits. It is obvious that they take great pride in their work and our show.