Trends Forecast 2006

By KAREN-LEE RYAN
Staff Writer, the Tennessean, 1/1/2006

Sometimes, predicting the future requires looking back — to 2005, at least. When it comes to home building and design, what surfaced as sought-after last year will likely reach the broader housing market this year.

The American Institute of Architects last year launched a quarterly Home Design Trends survey, showcasing the findings of 600 residential architecture firms. "Architects design a fairly small percentage of homes, but they really are the trendsetters," says Kermit Baker, chief economist for the institute. "It helps us find out early what the key trends are."

Current affairs, from aging baby boomers to rising energy costs, clearly impact what people want in houses. According to the institute surveys, more people want their homes designed with open floor plans that include home offices and home theaters. People also are paying more attention to outdoor living space and energy efficiency. And home builders here in Middle Tennessee are no exception. Several local builders agreed that these rank as some of the hottest themes in new construction.

Home offices

In the American Institute of Architects' spring survey, the home office came up as the most popular special function room. Baker attributes it to the surging cost of gas and ever-increasing traffic, and he thinks the home office will take on even more prominence going forward. "What's going on with energy prices and traffic congestion will encourage folks to telecommute full-time or part-time," he says, noting that a home office allows more flexibility in the workday.

Keith Porterfield, chief operating officer of Goodall Homes — builder of homes and condominiums in Wilson, Sumner and Robertson counties — notes that, locally, more people want extra wiring for home offices, which often take shape in bonus rooms if they're not in the original floor plan. Gene Hughes, CEO of Hughes-Edwards Homes in Hendersonville, says offices are getting larger and more organized, with additional shelves and bookcases.

Home theaters

Like SUVs in the 1990s, televisions are getting ever larger (and flatter) in this decade, and people are increasingly dedicating entire rooms in their houses for home viewing. Chris Parker, owner of Parker Custom Builders in Brentwood, says the home theater is "almost an expected item — and it's got to be tricked out."

He built the award-winning Amélie for this fall's Parade of Homes, which included an indoor and outdoor home theater, both with screens over 100 inches. Even though he focuses on high-end custom homes, he notes that the recent drop in prices have put plasma TVs, flat screens and projection systems within reach of most people. He says more and more people want the multi-media experience at their fingertips. And, he adds, "People want as big a screen as they can afford."

Hughes agrees: "Home theaters are big!" Virtually every house he's building includes a home theater, many with projection screens and a bar area for entertaining. "It's a big, hot trend," he says.

Outdoor living spaces

Nearly 50% of architects in the first-quarter survey reported an increase in the popularity of outdoor living spaces. "There's a lot of energy and money going here," Baker says. This nationwide trend to extend the living area beyond the walls of a home has certainly taken hold in Nashville.

"It's everywhere," notes Parker, who says creating outdoor rooms for living and entertaining is fairly cost-effective. "It doesn't require an addition to the house, but it can add the equivalent of one or two rooms." Plus, Nashville's climate is conducive to spending plenty of time outdoors, so it's no wonder more people are adding outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and entertaining areas.

Goodall Homes has more and more buyers requesting smaller yards, according to Porterfield, but they still "want the living space extended out, with decks, sunrooms and patios — it's an extension of the home."

Energy efficiency

With home heating costs soaring, energy-efficient products for the home are gaining ground. "There's a strong concern in that area, which has been heightened over the last four to five months," AIA's Baker says. "There's more emphasis on technology to ensure that homes are as energy efficient as they can be."

Parker, whose Parade home featured a Bosch tankless water heater, increased insulation and a high-efficiency HVAC system, says he's tried to create a niche focusing on energy efficiency and energy savings. "People are really taking note of it," he says, regardless of the cost of the home. Tankless water heaters, which can cut water heater costs in half because they heat water only as it's used, are definitely catching on.

"It's the easiest sale I have," says Hughes, who thinks they are a good investment with quick payback because they offer endless hot water. Plus, "You don't have to pay for gas when you're out of town or not using hot water."

Open floor plans

As baby boomers age, open layouts have grown steadily more popular, and that trend will continue locally and nationally, everyone agrees. "Most definitely the trend is toward more open floor spaces," says Porterfield, noting that an open layout offers more flexibility. "People are not confined by four walls."

Hughes says, "People like coming in the front door and seeing the entire house. . . . They don't want the walls."

In the past, homes were more "segmented," says Baker, noting that people are designing homes less for entertaining and more for daily living — and the open layout provides more options.

Another factor is the baby-boom generation thinking about their retirement years, and how they can make their homes more livable.

"People want less distinct enclosed space, more adaptability." •