Kitchen & Bath Design News

AUG 2014

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Consumer Buying Trends { Demographics & buying patterns for the home } August 2014 ForResidentialPros.com | 9 A CYGNUS BUSINESS MEDIA PUBLICATION SALES OFFICES EAST/SOUTHEAST Joanne Naylor 540 Lee Court Wyckoff, NJ 07481 Phone: 201/891-9170; Fax: 201/839-9161 E-mail: joanne.naylor@cygnus.com Vaughn Rockhold 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Phone: 216/272-1008 E-mail: vaughn.rockhold@cygnus.com WEST/SOUTHWEST Kim Carroll 7355 19th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98117 Phone: 206/781-0714; Fax: 206/473-0724 E-mail: kim.carroll@cygnus.com MIDWEST Jim Philbin 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Phone: 262/473-9192 Email: jim.philbin@cygnus.com PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE/CLASSIFIED ADS Nancy Campoli 558 Prospect Avenue River Vale, NJ 07675 Phone: 800/547-7377 x6127 E-mail: nancy.campoli@cygnus.com EDITORIAL OFFICES 3 Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 301N Melville, NY 11747 Janice Anne Costa, Editor Tel: 631/963-6233 E-mail: janice.costa@cygnus.com Anita Shaw, Managing Editor Tel: 631/963-6209 E-mail: anita.shaw@cygnus.com Kimberly Berndtson, Senior Editor Tel: 920/563-1722 E-mail: kim.berndtson@cygnus.com Kristina Diggins-Reisinger, Assistant Editor Tel: 631/963-6204 E-mail: kristina.reisinger@cygnus.com CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1233 Janesville Ave. Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Phone: 631/845-2700; Fax: 631/845-2741 PUBLISHING HEADQUARTERS 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 300 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Eliot Sefrin, Publisher Emeritus E-mail: eliot.sefrin@cygnus.com Mark Taussig, Group Publisher E-mail: mark.taussig@cygnus.com REPRINT SERVICES For reprints and licensing please contact Nick Iademarco at Wright's Media 877-652-5295 ext. 102 or niademarco@wrightsmedia.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS, BACK ISSUES 1233 Janesville Avenue Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Tel: 920/563-1761; Fax: 920/563-1704 MAILING LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson Tel: 847-492-1350 ext. 18 E-mail: ejackson@meritdirect.com Web site: www.ForResidentialPros.com ® WASHINGTON, DC — As the nation's housing market continues to improve, a growing share of residential archi- tects are reporting an increase in demand for larger homes, as well as greater interest in accessibility-related features and outdoor living space. Those trends are among the key fndings spotlighted in the American Institute of Architects' latest "Home Design Trends Survey," a quarterly poll conducted among a panel of more than 500 architecture frms that focus their practice in the residential sector. "Facilitating greater accessibil- ity into and around the home has become the dominant home layout consideration," said AIA Chief Econo- mist Kermit Baker. "With home sizes increasing only modestly, households are investing more attention in en- hancing outdoor living areas and blending the indoor and outdoor spaces of the home." According to the Washington, DC- based AIA, while entry-level homes are not seeing much in the way of space gains, upper-end housing and additions to existing homes are increasing in size. Across the entire housing market, 15% of surveyed resi- dential architects report increases in home sizes, a fgure that has gradually been trending up since 2010, the AIA said. In contrast, the share of respondents reporting that home sizes have been decreasing declined to 20% in 2014, down from almost 34% in 2013 and a high of 57% in 2010. While trends in the square footage of homes are somewhat mixed, residential architects generally agree that home volumes (for example, ceiling heights and two-story entryways) continue to rise. In fact, while 28% of respondents report volumes to be increasing on average, only 7% see them as declining, ac- cording to the AIA. The share of residential architects reporting increasing home sizes also varies by the type of home, the AIA noted. For upper-end homes, 25% of architects say sizes are increasing, with a comparable fgure for additions and other improvements to existing homes. A much smaller number of residential ar- chitects see these types of homes or projects getting smaller. Entry-level homes are still facing more space pressures, as only 6% of respondents report sizes to be increasing, while 28% are reporting declines in the size of these homes, the AIA said. Among the other key fndings of the AIA's latest Home Design Trends Survey are: Accessibility remains a dominant trend in home layouts. As home sizes declined during the past downturn, and have re- covered slowly in recent years, households have been moving toward more fexible uses of space, according to the AIA. This has included the growing popularity of an open space layout, often with informal family space integrated into kitchen space. Informality in home layouts also has become more popular, with casual eating areas substituting for formal dining rooms, and family rooms and dens substituting for formal living rooms. The popular- ity of outdoor living mirrors this trend. However, r e si - dent ia l a rch itect s report that the most signifcant trend in home layouts is im- proving accessibility. In-home accessibility (for example, wider hallways and fewer steps) is reported as increasing in popu- l a r i t y b y a l m o s t t wo-t hirds of A I A survey respondents, wh i le 55% repor t t h at acce s sibi l it y into and out of the home (for example, ramps and on-grade entrances) is becom- ing more popular. In both instances, these sha res have been trending up over the past several years. Outdoor improvements and property enhancements remain a priority. With home sizes increasing only modestly, households are investing more energy in exterior and prop- erty improvements. Outdoor living space, which may include anything from decks, porches and grilling areas to fully fur- nished outdoor rooms, continue to grow in popularity, even in areas that have relatively limited outdoor seasons, according to the AIA. Almost seven in 10 residential architects report outdoor living to be increasing in popularity, while only 4% report it to be declining. Related to the increased popularity of outdoor living, blended indoor/outdoor space was reported to be increasing in popularity by a majority of respondents. Exterior lighting and security lighting has been a feature that continues to grow in popularity, the AIA observed. ⬆ Outdoor living spaces continue to grow in popularity, according to the AIA, with luxury features including high-end grills, outdoor refrigerators, weather-resistant cabinetry and more. Photo: Courtesy of Liebherr Larger Homes, Accessibility Among Key Growth Trends Source: American Institute of Architects KEY RESIDENTIAL ELEMENTS GROWING IN POPULARITY % OF SURVEYED ARCHITECTS REPORTING INCREASES 2014 2013 Home Size/Square Footage 15% 12% Home Volume 28% 24% In-Home Accessibility 65% 64% Single-Floor Plan 47% 46%

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