Are you embarking on the exciting journey of designing and building your very own custom home? Working with Greensboro builders to create the home of your dreams is an amazingly rewarding process. When it comes to the layout of your home, one of the most important design aspects to focus on is maximizing space. There are many design elements that can be incorporated into your new home design to maximize both storage and living space. Consider the following and discuss your favorites with your builder.
Natural Light Makes a Room Feel More Spacious
Plenty of windows, especially large ones, let in a lot of natural light, which makes any room seem larger. Natural light is also more efficient, meaning you won’t need as much artificial light and your energy bill will be lower. It’s important to choose well-insulated windows that won’t let in outside air or let conditioned air escape, or you won’t be saving as much energy as you thought.
Households of Today Need Plenty of Storage
You can never have too much storage these days. Ample storage spaces allow for greater organization so that the rooms that are meant to be lived in can be used for their proper intention without too much clutter. Less clutter means less stress for people of all ages. So don’t skimp on the closets and built-in storage spaces.
Add Vertical Space with High Ceilings
Incorporate higher ceilings in your home to make rooms feel larger without taking up any additional floor space. This can look like cathedral ceilings in foyers and living rooms or just 9-foot ceilings throughout the home instead of the typical 8. Intricate ceiling designs can draw visual focus upward, also creating the feel of more space in each room.
Open Floor Concepts Create Space with Fewer Walls
When you have fewer walls separating rooms, the main living areas can feel much larger. Instead of a closed-off kitchen, living room, and dining room, the whole space can be opened up into one large room. Furniture can be used to designate the use of each part of the open space.
Pocket or Sliding Doors Prevent Wasted Space for Swinging Doors
Pocket doors where the door itself slides into the wall can save a lot of space in your home. You don’t have to design space for doors to swing out into the room. This can work well with bathroom doors, closet doors, bedroom doors, and more. The whole layout can be much easier to design by taking swinging doors out of the equation.
Skilled, Experienced Greensboro Builders Can Maximize Space in Your Home Design
If you want to make the most of interior space in your new custom home, discuss this with your builder. Experienced Greensboro builders, such as R&K Custom Homes, can design your home to be as space-friendly as possible so that not a single square foot is wasted. State-of-the-art design features and current technology make home layouts smarter than ever before, which are just a couple of the many benefits of building a new custom home. Call R&K Custom Homes today to get started on your space-saving home design today: (336) 362-5225.
All About The Details: Finishing Touches That Will Make Your Home Unique
Custom details that are personalized for your taste and lifestyle are what really give a custom home the function that you want and a sense of familiarity from the minute you walk in the door. So, when you’re designing a custom home that you want to truly reflect your personal style, pay attention to finishing details like:
Flooring To Suit Any Taste And Budget
The flooring that you choose really sets the tone of your home. From dark luxe hardwoods to sunny low-maintenance laminates, customizing your flooring is one finishing touch that will define the look of your home. With so many beautiful and practically maintenance free flooring options in a wide range of prices it will be easy to find a color and material that will give your home the function that you need while defining your unique personal style.
Cabinetry and Hardware To Make Your Home Functional And Beautiful
One of the best ways to customize your home is to have custom cabinetry created. No home can have too much storage, but a custom home allows you to put custom storage where it makes sense for you and your lifestyle.
You might choose to have custom storage and cabinetry put in the playroom so that your kids can have plenty of space to store their toys, or you might want a totally customized storage system built into your master bedroom closet to suit your style and accommodate your favorite wardrobe items like shoes, ties, or hats. Consider having some custom cabinetry built into the mudroom so that each person in the family has a designated place to put their shoes, coats, backpacks, and other items.
You can work with your custom home designer to have storage and cabinetry built into any part of the home. Don’t forget to choose custom hardware for those cabinets as well. Small details like cabinetry hardware and crown molding have a big impact on the style of a home.
Lighting That Makes Your Home Unique
Another finishing touch that personalizes your custom home is the lighting fixtures that you choose. From track lighting to under cabinet lighting, there are lots of options for built–in lighting that will give you additional function in your home. And lighting fixtures such as farmhouse style lighting or industrial light fixtures can give your new custom home a unique style that will be all yours. Smart lighting is also a very on–trend finish for this year.
Reclaimed Materials Bring Vintage Warmth To New Homes
Nothing makes custom homes more unique than one of a kind reclaimed materials used throughout the home. When you have a custom home built you can use unique reclaimed doors, barn wood flooring, wood beams, and other items to make your home as unique as you are. Reusing old front doors from vintage homes or installing vintage barn doors in places like the bathroom, mudroom, or laundry room is a fun way to make your home really stand out. You can also have reclaimed wood used as molding or wainscoting in the home to give it a more personal touch. If you choose one of the top custom home builders in NC, they should always be willing to work with you and incorporate repurposed materials into your home.
If you want to see a range of custom finishes and design elements that can make your home truly reflect your personal style give the team at R & K Custom Homes a call today to talk with a home design expert.
Buying Vs. Building: Your Guide To Deciding
Getting A House With The Right Function
Whenever you are looking for a new home, that home has to have the functionality necessary to make life easier for you and your family. Buying an existing home usually means that you’re going to have to trade some function in order to get something else on your must-have list. For example, if you want an extra bedroom or a finished basement multipurpose space, you may have to accept a home that doesn’t have the mudroom you want or an open concept made for entertaining.
When you have a custom home built you can select a home that has all the functionality you and your family need so that you can alleviate pressure and stress in your life. A custom-built home allows you to create a unique home that is customized specifically to provide the function that you and your family need.
Getting A House With The Features That Fit Your Lifestyle
Another factor to consider when you are choosing between buying an existing home or having a custom home built is the features that are available and the features that you want your home to have. Older homes that weren’t built for modern life may not fit aspects of the lifestyle you want to have. If you buy an existing home you may have to renovate and make changes to that home to get those high-end features that you want. Having a custom home built gives you the opportunity to have lifestyle spaces like indoor/outdoor kitchen and dining spaces, home gyms, or guest suites incorporated into the design of the home from the start so that the house has all of the lifestyle upgrades that you want in a new home.
Buying A Home That Will Be Right For Your Future
There are existing homes that have a lot of charm and might seem like they would work for your family right now. But your home should be designed to take your family into the future, not just to suit your lifestyle right now. A new home with smart technology, energy efficient design and appliances, and modern building materials is the home that will take your family into the future. To find out more about the options that a custom-built home gives you call R&K Custom Homes today.
Home Automation: What To Look For In 2019
Smart Home Security Is Going To Be Everywhere
Smart home security systems are already one of the most popular new features that Greensboro builders are being asked to consider in custom built homes. Everything from smart cameras that can record crystal clear images of the outside of the home to smart locks that can be locked and unlocked with a phone app or even face and fingerprint recognition are making homes more secure and giving homeowners more flexibility when it comes to home security.
Smart Kitchen Appliances Take Cooking And Entertaining To New Levels
Automation in the kitchen is making it easier to entertain in addition to getting everyone around the dinner table at the end of the day. Smart ovens can start preheating when you’re on your way home from work and tell you when your turkey is done so you don’t have to wonder. Smart refrigerators can scan the inside of your fridge and send you a text message when you’re running low on milk or other staples. And with smart plugs, you can turn any appliance into a smart appliance that you can control with an app or even with your voice.
Streamlined Entertainment Throughout The House
Thanks to networked AI devices, homes may no longer need separate media rooms because media can be played and shared throughout the house. You can listen to a podcast in the kitchen and your spouse can listen to the same podcast in the basement. The kids can be working on homework in their bedrooms and with just your voice you can check on them and share a song or a send a reminder. Being able to play music playlists, albums, and games throughout the house means that when you’re entertaining your guests can be scattered through the house and everyone can still enjoy the same music, games, and other diversions. Wireless streaming entertainment that syncs seamlessly throughout the house will change the nature of home entertainment.
Integrated Communication In Separate Spaces
For years now the open concept home has been at the top of the must-have list for parents so that they can keep an eye on their kids easily. But thanks to modern home automation parents can now watch their kids from anywhere in the house. The right team of the many available Greensboro builders can integrate artificial intelligence devices throughout the home so that your custom home will enable you to talk to your kids and see them no matter where they are in the home. You can also communicate with your spouse or anyone that is in the home from another part of the home or from your office or even driving in the car. Home automation means instant and seamless communication in all areas of the home. To find out more about these exciting advances in home automation and how they can make your custom home even better, call the experts at R&K Custom Homes today.
The Top 6 Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Custom Home
Not Carefully Picking The Lot For Your New Home
Home buyers often are so caught up in the planning of their dream home that they forget that the lot matters too. The location, size of the lot, and the view from the lot will all have a big impact on how you live and how much enjoyment you get from your home. Don’t get so wrapped up in the idea of the house that you forget to notice the details of the lot. Check for things like traffic, the view, and the amount of noise around the lot to make sure you don’t end up with a great house in a bad location.
Choosing A Builder Based Strictly On Price
Budgets are important, but when it comes to having a custom home built you should always prioritize the quality of the builder and the home over the price. The lowest priced builder is not always the best value. Remember that this is the home you’re going to be living in for years to come, so it makes sense to spend a little more money now to ensure that you are getting a home that you will love for many years and that functions the way that you need it to function. Compare the quality and reputations of the builders and not just the prices that they bid.
Making Big Purchases During The Construction Of The Home
It can take up to a year for a custom home to be built and the mortgage for the home won’t be finalized until the house is finished. Often people assume that because they have a contract for the house and the house is being built that it’s ok for them to make major purchases like new cars or other large, expensive items. Doing that will drive up your debt to income ratio and could result in you getting a higher interest rate or paying more for your mortgage. Keep your spending low until you have a mortgage and are ready to move into your new home.
Not Planning For The Future When Designing The Home
Thinking long term is something that many custom home buyers forget to do. You think about the features and functionality that you want in a home now instead of the features and functionality that you will need in the future. When you are designing your home, keep the future in mind. Maybe a master suite on the ground floor isn’t appealing to you now, but in ten or twenty years when it’s more difficult for you to go up and down the stairs, you might reconsider a master suite on the lower level. Think about the future when you are planning the design of your home.
Making Changes After Construction Begins
Too often, home buyers want to make major changes to the design of a home after the construction has started. This can drive up the cost of the home and cause large delays in completing the home. Take your time planning the home during the design phase and once the construction has started, stick to that plan. Don’t make changes after construction begins unless you absolutely have to.
Not Planning On Contingencies When It Comes To Construction
There are a lot of costs associated with a custom built house and the right Greensboro home builders will do their best to stay on budget. However, home buyers should always plan on a few contingencies popping up along the way that can cause delays or increases in costs. Every building project is bound to have some things that don’t go as planned and end up eating up the budget or the schedule for the new home. Smart home buyers plan for contingencies by making sure that have extra money set aside for any unexpected surprises.
If you want to learn more about the common mistakes that home buyers make when they are buying a custom home and how you can avoid them, talk to one of the knowledgeable staff members at R&K Custom Homes today.
Tips For Building An Energy Efficient Home
Seal And Insulate Your Home For Energy Efficiency
Using high-quality building materials and insulation should be a given when you are working with the best home builders. The best Greensboro home builders, like Don Mills, recommend making sure that your home is being built with high-grade insulation and that everything is properly sealed. Modern high-quality windows and doors that are properly sealed and insulated will save homeowners a lot of money on heating and cooling costs.
Choose New Energy Efficient Appliances
All new homes should come with Energy Star rated high-efficiency appliances including washers and dryers. When you are working with a design consultant to pick out your appliances be sure that you tell your consultant that you only want Energy Star rated appliances. Why is an Energy Star rating so important? Energy Star rated appliances have met governmental standards for energy usage and are certified to use less energy than other appliances. That means big savings for homeowners when it comes to the cost of running those appliances and it means lower greenhouse gas emissions that impact the climate.
The Best Greensboro Home Builders Incorporate Smart Home Technology To Improve Efficiency
Smart home technology is a great way to make your home more energy efficient. Custom home builders can make your new home a smart home so that you can save money and have an easier time running your home. With smart home features, you can turn on the heat in your home from your phone when you leave work so that you don’t have to leave the heat running all day. Just turn it on when you’re on your way home so that it’s warm when you get home. You can also set lights and appliances on timers or turn them on individually when you need them. You can run your dishwasher or washing machine in the middle of the night to use less energy and use smart home technology in other ways to save energy and make your life easier.
Consider Choosing an Exterior Design that Includes Overhangs
Overhangs at the front and side doors of your home as well as over the patio will greatly improve the energy efficiency of your home. Overhangs protect your doors and windows from the elements so that in the summer your air conditioner doesn’t have to work harder to compensate for extra sun heating up the home and in the winter your heater doesn’t have to work overtime to make up for cold air coming through the doors and windows. Well-sealed windows and doors with overhangs help create a truly energy efficient home.
The best custom home builders in Greensboro have many options to increase energy efficiency in new homes. If energy efficiency is something that you are concerned about in your custom home, be sure to speak with one of the building experts at R&K Custom Homes today to learn more about energy efficiency options in a custom-built home.
Custom Home Trends for 2019
Start with the Heart of your Home, the Kitchen
One room where design trends are always rapidly changing is the kitchen. By the time you build a kitchen, it’s already out of date. Get ahead of the game with some of these kitchen features.
Bathroom Trends for the Next Most Important Room in your Home
We also spend a lot of time in the bathroom, and style trends are ever-changing in these essential rooms. Homebuilders in Greensboro are incorporating some of the same design elements from the kitchen in bathrooms.
House-wide Design Trends that you can Incorporate Anywhere
Some designs aren’t relegated to just one room of the home. There are color pallets, tones, and textures that can be woven into any room.
Get Ahead of the Curve on your Custom Home Design
Do you want your new custom home to be on the cutting edge of structural and interior design? The top home builders in Greensboro, such as R&K Custom Homes, stay up to date with current home trends. Build with R&K and get a jump start on 2019 designs. Call for a free consultation: (336) 643-3505.
Customizing your Master Bath
The Right Layout Streamlines the Flow of Movement
When two people are in the bathroom getting ready for the day or preparing for bed in the evening, the flow of movement can make all the difference. You need enough clearance between shower stalls, tubs, sinks, and counters to keep from bumping into things and each other. It’s important to consider which way doors open, such as the linen closet, water closet, and shower door. Will it be necessary to walk through the bathroom to get to the master closet? These are important layout considerations for your master bath that custom builders in NC will be able to walk you through.
Ample Storage Helps Keep a Luxurious Master Bath Neat and Tidy
A beautiful master bath will look more beautiful when it is not cluttered with stuff. Only keep the bare minimum of the things you use daily on the counters and put the rest away in the cabinets and drawers you will have built in. You can never have too much storage space in a bathroom. A linen closet inside the bathroom itself offers a place for towels, cleaning supplies, paper products, and any other items you wish to store. The right amount of storage space, when used properly, can significantly improve the everyday look of your bathroom.
Create the Atmosphere you want by Carefully Choosing Style Elements
The style in your master bath should reflect your personal tastes while creating your desired mood. Do you want your bathroom to look and feel like a luxury spa? A large steam shower, stone tile, a jetted soaking tub, and subtle hues will help to achieve this. Are you trying to achieve a Zen type of atmosphere? Include Asian inspired elements such as bamboo and wood tones, artisanal sinks and water elements, and ornate screens over windows or on shower doors. Are you going for an antique or classic bathroom? Incorporate a deep claw foot tub and install antique hardware, faucets, and light fixtures. To achieve the right lighting concept for any bathroom, include dimmable lights and a variety of lighting elements throughout to serve different purposes.
Design the Master Bath of your Dreams with Custom Home Builders in NC, R&K Custom Homes
When you design your master bath as part of your custom home, the experts at R&K will help you to achieve the look you want with an organic flow that makes sense for everyday use. Explain your vision to these award-winning custom home builders in NC with decades of experience and watch your dream bathroom come to life. Call (336) 362-5225 for a free consultation.
Top 5 Splurges for Building your New Home
Splurge on These Items and More with the Best Home Builders in Greensboro
R&K Custom Homes wants you to have the home of your dreams, whatever that means to you. Don’t be afraid to splurge on the items you really want. This is your place and it should be everything you’ve always wanted. Call the best home builders in Greensboro, R&K Custom Homes, today: (336) 362-5225.
Simple, Smart Ways to Create More Space in your Home
Natural Light Makes a Room Feel More Spacious
Plenty of windows, especially large ones, let in a lot of natural light, which makes any room seem larger. Natural light is also more efficient, meaning you won’t need as much artificial light and your energy bill will be lower. It’s important to choose well-insulated windows that won’t let in outside air or let conditioned air escape, or you won’t be saving as much energy as you thought.
Households of Today Need Plenty of Storage
You can never have too much storage these days. Ample storage spaces allow for greater organization so that the rooms that are meant to be lived in can be used for their proper intention without too much clutter. Less clutter means less stress for people of all ages. So don’t skimp on the closets and built-in storage spaces.
Add Vertical Space with High Ceilings
Incorporate higher ceilings in your home to make rooms feel larger without taking up any additional floor space. This can look like cathedral ceilings in foyers and living rooms or just 9-foot ceilings throughout the home instead of the typical 8. Intricate ceiling designs can draw visual focus upward, also creating the feel of more space in each room.
Open Floor Concepts Create Space with Fewer Walls
When you have fewer walls separating rooms, the main living areas can feel much larger. Instead of a closed-off kitchen, living room, and dining room, the whole space can be opened up into one large room. Furniture can be used to designate the use of each part of the open space.
Pocket or Sliding Doors Prevent Wasted Space for Swinging Doors
Pocket doors where the door itself slides into the wall can save a lot of space in your home. You don’t have to design space for doors to swing out into the room. This can work well with bathroom doors, closet doors, bedroom doors, and more. The whole layout can be much easier to design by taking swinging doors out of the equation.
Skilled, Experienced Greensboro Builders Can Maximize Space in Your Home Design
If you want to make the most of interior space in your new custom home, discuss this with your builder. Experienced Greensboro builders, such as R&K Custom Homes, can design your home to be as space-friendly as possible so that not a single square foot is wasted. State-of-the-art design features and current technology make home layouts smarter than ever before, which are just a couple of the many benefits of building a new custom home. Call R&K Custom Homes today to get started on your space-saving home design today: (336) 362-5225.
Are Sunrooms Back?
Sunrooms Offer Many Benefits
Including a sunroom in your plans may be a great decision for your family. Sunrooms offer:
The uses for a sunroom are virtually limitless. How you use it depends on your lifestyle and the needs and interests of your family members. It can be a transitional space that will change over the years as your family changes.
Sunroom Concerns Now Have Solutions
Sunrooms fell from popularity for a time due to some possible drawbacks:
The many windows can make insulation a challenge for sunrooms. The room can be hot in the summer, making cooling costs rise, but may actually be pleasant during the winter when the sun warms the room naturally. It may also be difficult to extend the central air to the sunroom, but that is more of a concern when a sunroom is added onto a home after it is already built. The biggest concern is probably the fact that most homeowners won’t recoup the expense of adding a sunroom in resale value. Again, this is more of a concern for homeowners that are adding sunrooms onto an existing home, rather than including it in the original plans drawn up by a new home builder in Greensboro.
Window insulation technology has improved in recent years, making sunrooms more efficient to heat and cool. When you include a sunroom in your original home design, the central air can be extended to the room easily. The additional square footage the sunroom offers may be an advantage when selling the home in the future, especially if you plan on staying in the home for many years.
Make the Best Decision for You
The biggest advantage to custom home building is that your home can be exactly what you want. If you want a sunroom, have a sunroom. Don’t include one just because it’s the popular choice, and don’t let the drawbacks dissuade you from getting what you want. Weigh the pros and cons, think about your lifestyle, and discuss the options with your new home builder in Greensboro. New technology has made sunrooms much more efficient and useful for families. Your builder will know how to design a sunroom with the best possible benefits. Call R&K Custom Homes today to start planning your dream home, with or without a sunroom. (336) 362-5225.