While many of us find the quaint charm of an older house to be irresistible, somewhere around the 1970s to 1980s, that charm went out the window. Actually, it might have been lost in all of those dark self-contained rooms being built just 15 to 20 years ago. Today's home builders and home buyers, however, run screaming from tiny, dark rooms and instead are knocking down walls in the pursuit of open-air spaces. Even the most "traditional" among us crave a little taste of contemporary -- a skylight, French doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, decks -- and the good news is that home designers have reconciled the two. Builders and home owners have managed to pull off a feat that used to be considered impossible: the juxtaposition of traditional with contemporary. Opposites do attract, it seems.

Ask multifamily housing developers, and they'll tell you that renters want fireplaces and are willing to pass up units that have every other amenities in order to get them. A National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey found that 77 percent of new-home buyers prefer a fireplace in the family room ("den"); and 50 percent would like a fireplace in the living room. Fireplaces continue to be one of the most popular upgrades. Gas fireplaces, in particular, are skyrocketing in popularity because home owners are attracted to the low degree of maintenance they require (although owners do have to sacrifice the snap, crackle, and pop a traditional fireplace allows). Fireplaces are considered both economical and relatively easy to install, just about anywhere in a home.

Natural light, however, takes first priority among the preferences of '90s home buyers. A survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that home owners preferred skylights particularly in the following rooms: bathroom, 65 percent; kitchen, 50 percent; and master bedroom, 33 percent. But the desire to bring the outside in isn't the only thing motivating home owners to build skylights. Skylights also create the illusion of bigger rooms, and thus, more space, another priority for today's home owners and buyers.

Decks combine the best of both worlds, the blending of nature and the need for open space. Decks are invariably considered a boon for any home on the market, as you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn't turn down the temptation of an evening under the stars, either relaxing on a blanket or chair, alongside a blazing barbecue.

It used to be that the kitchen is where meals were prepared, period. When the cooking was finished and the meal was over, the family adjourned to the living room. Never the two shall meet, right? Wrong. Modern home buyers want informality -- an escape from the rule-bound, cubicle-ridden atmospheres in which they work every day -- and in the process, home builders (who have been listening carefully) have knocked down the walls, so to speak. The kitchen is not only open; it's open to the den, the more informal (and preferred) meeting place of the family. The living room often remains separate, and family members tend to retreat there primarily when guests are visiting, or simply when they need a little peace and quiet from the chaos generated by the kitchen/den set up.

In order to preserve that wide-open feel, home owners have two choices: either get rid of the clutter, or hide it somewhere. Hiding one's "stuff" seems to be the more popular choice of home owners, because builders not only are building more closets; they're building bigger ones. NAHB finds that 46 percent of home buyers choose a single walk-in closet, while 35 percent select his-and-her walk-in closets. People who build their own homes often build closets the size of small bedrooms, and incorporate such handy amenities as motorized conveyor belts, ladders, shoe racks, jewelry drawers, and customized combinations of drawers and sliding shelves.

But the quest for space doesn't stop at closets. In addition, home builders are building more bedrooms -- take, for instance, the current push in multifamily housing development for three-bedroom units, which property management companies couldn't rent to save their lives just a few short years ago. Consider that home offices are extremely popular, as well, even for people who work full time away from home. Kitchen pantries aren't even up for discussion with today's buyers; they're imperative. While those of us who have large attics and basements are considered lucky, those of us who don't have an even greater need for extra space.

Three-car garages are hot commodities in the building market -- even for home buyers who don't own three cars. That extra space, instead, is often used as additional storage space. Two-or-more car garages are preferred by approximately 88 percent of home buyers, according to the NAHB.

Aside from our pack-rat mentality, why do we home owners love space so much? It affords privacy. So in addition to extra bedrooms, we're building extra bathrooms. Today's home buyers can't even fathom the days when three-bedroom and four-bedroom homes were built with one bathroom, almost universally located on the first floor. Approximately 46 percent home buyers select 2½ baths, and 25 percent choose three or more baths. And of course, such amenities as two-bowl vanities and separate shower/bath are popular sellers and choices for upgrades, as well.

The average new-home buyer spends approximately $6,000 on upgrades, according to NAHB statistics. Savvy home builders have taken today's buyer psychology to heart, placing a premium on both light and space in their home-building projects.

Published: May 4, 1998

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