Tag Archives: custom built home

2023 Home Design Trends to Consider!

Open Floor Plan Concept

Open Floor Plan Concept

2023 is promising to be an exciting year for luxury custom home building and design, with a range of cutting-edge and avant-garde trends emerging in the market. As a high-end luxury custom home builder in South Texas, we’re well-positioned to take advantage of these trends and bring them to life for our cherished clients.

One trend we’re seeing is a renewed focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Homeowners are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. This has led to the use of more sustainable building materials, like reclaimed wood and bamboo, as well as the incorporation of features like solar panels and green roofs.

As everyone’s electric and water bills are skyrocketing, it’s essential that we consider all of the sustainable tools available to us. We use spray foam insulation and tankless water heaters to cut down on electric bills. The upgraded costs typically pay for themselves within 12 months as the electric bills are DRASTICALLY reduced.

Additionally, we can install a rainwater catchment system for our clients, to ensure not only sustainable water but extraordinarily clean water as well.

Another trend we’re seeing grow is the use of technology to create smarter homes. From automated lighting and temperature control to voice-activated assistants, homeowners are looking for ways to make their homes more connected and convenient. We’re able to incorporate these technologies into our designs to offer our clients the ultimate in modern luxury.

Another exciting trend that brings family and friends together are homes with open-concept designs. This means fewer walls separating living spaces, which creates a more spacious and airy feel in the home and allows for greater natural light and better flow between rooms. Details such as large windows, skylights, and sliding glass doors help to bring the outdoors into the home in such a glorious way.

Finally, we’re also seeing a renewed interest in traditional design elements, like ornate moldings, detailed millwork and grand staircases. These elements add a sense of grandeur and elegance to the home, creating a sense of timeless beauty.

We’re committed to staying ahead of the trends and introducing them to our clients in order to build custom homes as unique as your signature!

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Kitchen Countertops: What’s Classic, Complicated & Trending

Countertops are the focal point of your kitchen, and can anchor the style of your home. Arguably one of the most used rooms in the house, the kitchen is on the front lines of a family’s daily routine. A good countertop should be stylish but practical for the lifestyle of the homeowner. With so many trends to choose from, let’s take a look at the style, cost, and upkeep of the most popular choices.

One low cost and trendy option is butcher block countertops. Not only will this cost you less up front, but a wood counter will add warmth and an organic style to any space. This light alternative may be ideal for some food preparation but poses some challenges in upkeep. A wood surface is porous, not heat resistant or waterproof, and prone to staining and cracking. Many of these drawbacks can be mitigated with proper care such as oiling and refinishing, but butcher counters may not be ideal for every lifestyle. If you still love the style, we recommend committing to proper care and using wood as the counter on an island or limited space and incorporating more hearty countertops elsewhere.

Another option that is making appearances in modern homes is concrete. Not only can this be a less expensive alternative, but concrete can be pre-made or custom poured in your actual home. This material makes an industrial statement with its bold yet minimal design. It’s important to keep in mind that concrete makes for a heavy counter and is also prone to chip, stain, and fracture, which can be difficult to repair. While the potential fragility can be discouraging, concrete can be sealed to help protect against heat and stains.

Stainless steel offers another surface that can incorporate an industrial feel into your kitchen. This alternative is in many professional kitchens, is heat resistant, and can be an ideal surface to prepare food upon as it is easy to clean. Surprisingly, stainless steel can sometimes be more expensive than some economical stone options .

While prices for marble, granite and quartz counters vary, generally marble costs more on average. Marble offers both a timeless and elegant style and has been used in European kitchens throughout history. While the surface can be scratched or chipped, it is possible to polish out these imperfections. Additionally, sealing the surface protects against stains. As with other stone options, marble is heat resistant which is a luxury in the kitchen.

Granite is the most popular choice for home kitchens. It can stand up against, heat, knives, spills and any other catastrophe a kitchen should undertake. Granite does needs to be sealed to prevent staining and also is known to chip at corners though rounded edges reduces this risk. This popular classic offers a unique natural pattern in every slab and comes in a variety of styles contributing to its popularity in America’s kitchens.

Quartz is another stone option but is technically considered an “engineered stone” created from stone chips bonded with resin. Quartz is similar to granite in its ability to survive daily abuse from cooking with rounded edges helping to guard against chipping. This man-made material has diverse patterns all mimicking stone.

With so many options to choose from, its important to consider both style, intended use and your commitment to upkeep as you design your home kitchen. Under the right contexts, all of these materials have pros and offer a unique feel to your custom space.

Source: consumerreports.org

 

How to be an Urban Farmer

chickens

Just because you live in San Antonio, and don’t have a ranch in the country, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the country lifestyle. Urban farming is growing in popularity, which means you can still enjoy owning a brand new contemporary custom home with easy access to all of the amenities of living in the city and at the same time connect to the land and animals around you.

Starting Your Micro Chicken Flock

If you’re looking to expand your farming instincts beyond just a bit of gardening, consider starting your own micro chicken flock. People all over the city are starting these mini flocks in order to enjoy farm fresh eggs in their own backyard. It’s much easier than you think, and the benefits far outweigh the hassle.

The chickens will help your lawn and garden flourish – it will look greener than ever before – because they are nature’s fertilizers. They’ll also help maintain any potential bug problems. Yes, it’s true – chickens are not naturally vegetarians. This is a good thing!

Here are some tips to help you get started:

-          If you have an HOA, check with them first to make sure you’re even allowed to have chickens.

-          Get the chickens when they’re baby chicks, especially if you have kids. They’ll love watching them grow, and if you’re only going to use them for eggs, it’s okay to name them! You can order them online or purchase them in and around town.

-          It’s important to know what you want the chickens for, because different breeds are good for different things. For example, the Orpington and the Silkie are affectionate and therefore good family pets while the Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars will lay you the most beautiful pastel blue eggs.

-          Baby chicks and grown chickens have different needs so make sure to thoroughly research before buying, but you’ll definitely need a chicken coop. If you’re super handy, build your own, or you can also buy one. You want to make sure whatever home you give them keeps them safe from predators and can facilitate a heat source on those rare occasions it freezes.

-          Save your compost and feed it to the chickens. They’ll pretty much eat everything.

-          Beware of roosters – they’re noisy!

For more information on how to make city life as country fun as life on the farm, check out the Urban Farm Magazine or a zillion other resources online.