This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

2013 Home Remodeling Trends

Insight into the new year from a local architect

Consider these six trends in home remodeling as you contemplate
your own renovation projects in 2013:

  1. Making your home healthier  Many of us are trying to live healthier lives
    and improve our planet so it too is healthier and sustainable.  Therefore, it should be no surprise that there is a growing trend to make our homes healthier.  We can create healthier homes through a number of ways such as using low volatile organic compounds (voc) paints & coatings, materials free of toxins and harsh chemicals and making sure we have sufficient light and ventilation in our homes.
  2. Having an Open Concept Layout  The trend for homes to have an open concept layout with few, if any, walls separating key living spaces has been around for a while yet it doesn’t seem to be abating.  For houses that were built years ago, it often means walls need to be removed to create the desired openness.  Yet, contact a design professional or contractor prior to removing a wall since the intended wall may be structurally load bearing and require alternative structural support before demolition occurs.
  3. Creating a simpler, cleaner aesthetic that’s low maintenance  Look around a good many home design magazines, stores and web sites and you’ll notice a trend for homes and home furnishings to have a simpler aesthetic with clean lines.  Also, it’s no surprise that there’s growing desire for our homes to require as little maintenance as possible.  After all, who wants to spend our precious time cleaning?
  4. Renovating for greater energy efficiency & utility savings  Relatively
    straight forward projects like replacing older doors and windows with ones that are more energy efficient or adding insulation in our attics, walls and floor cavities can have a significant impact on your home utility expenses.  So, it’s no wonder why the trend continues for remodeling that will result in greater energy efficiency and lower your cooling and heating expenses.
  5. Improving your home’s security  We’ll continue to see an increase in home remodeling projects that involve improving the security of your home.  We’ll continue to see more upgrading of doors, windows & locksets with improved security features and more ‘smart home’ security system installations.
  6. Aging in Place & Living in your home longer  More and more homeowners want to stay in their homes even as they grow older. Often, the house may need some remodeling to address our mobility impairments as we age.  There are a variety of ways to make the changes necessary depending on the homeowners needs.  Perhaps it’s as small as making your kitchen and bathroom cabinets more accessible to use or it could be as big as enlarging your home to create a new bedroom and accessible bathroom on the easier to maneuver ground floor.

Ira Henowitz AIA Architect provides practical yet creative professional
architectural consulting to address your unique design challenges in your home
or workplace.  Ira can be reached at ihenowitz@comcast.net

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?