These Residential Architecture Trends Are Timeless and Classic
Building a custom home or substantially remodeling or adding to your existing home enables you to get exactly what you want in terms of style, design, layout, and functionality. There’s no need to scour the real estate market to find the right house, nor do you need to part with a treasured family home.
And when you want truly timeless design with attention to detail and proportion, an architect near you at NSPJ can help guide you through the process. This includes a discovery meeting, in which you have unlimited opportunities to share the features of your ideal home – including luxury add-ons to make your custom design and build truly spectacular.
These are some of our clients’ favorite features of their custom homes, designed by our residential architecture team.
Courtyard
Incorporating landscape architecture into your custom home is a must. Whether your front door is accessible through a courtyard, or it’s more of a private outdoor space at the back of your home, courtyards allow residential architecture to connect seamlessly with nature.
Courtyards are a timeless outdoor feature that work with any architectural design style.
Walk-In Pantry or Butler’s Pantry
Cooking becomes a pleasure with a spacious kitchen in your custom home – but a butler’s pantry or walk-in pantry adds storage and workspace tucked away from sight.
Gaining popularity in 19th century England and the U.S., butler’s pantries or walk-in pantries stored valuable silverware and china and provided a place for household staff to work and rest – hence the name. Today, our clients commonly request these spaces as part of their residential architecture projects.
But in a modern custom home, these rooms let homeowners maximize their organization for countertop small appliances, dry goods, bar goods, and more. These spaces keep clutter tucked away, so your main kitchen area serves as a stunning showpiece and a family gathering spot. This is especially true after a party, when you can tuck your dinnerware away in the butler’s pantry, out of sight from your guests.
Private Staircases in Custom Homes
A grand staircase allows for grand entrances, but for a more discrete path up and down, private staircases to the primary suite or children’s bedrooms are a great addition to a custom home.
Private staircases are much-traversed by household residents, keeping the main staircase clean and pristine for guests. Private staircases also follow a direct path from the main living areas of the home to bedrooms and bathrooms, making traffic flow run smoothly, even in busy households.
Rooftop Terrace
For a relaxing afternoon in the sun or an evening with a cocktail in hand, a rooftop terrace with a bar and seating area is just the ticket for your custom home.
A rooftop terrace works well with nearly any style of residential architecture, but modern, flat roofs offer an ideal space. If a rooftop terrace isn’t a possibility for your custom home, a balcony or series of balconies from the primary bedroom or family room are a perfect way to bring the outside in and create a space for relaxation for the whole family.
Mother-in-Law Suite
Whether you’re looking to dedicate space in your new custom home for multigenerational housing, create a spot for guests to stay, or plan to Airbnb part of your property, a “mother-in-law” suite is the perfect choice.
These private living quarters can either have separate entrances or connect to the main home, providing residents with everything they need, including a prep kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom, and living area.
Sliding Walls
Bring the outside in with sliding walls. NanaWalls or similar installations create a multi-season room that transitions the inside of your home to outdoor living spaces and landscape architecture. These are especially ideal if your custom home is also your lake house or vacation home, but they also are a wonderful addition for accessing a courtyard or backyard oasis.
Sliding walls work best in the Midwest when they open into a large screened-in porch to keep insects and other pests out of your home.
Tower Rooms
If your custom home will be located on a plot of land with an incredible vista, request to create a space in your home meant for taking it all in.
Tower rooms with a separate staircase provide views of the landscape. These spaces can also double as a home library or office, play space for the kids, or an impressive guest room. The ideas are truly limitless, and a residential architect can help you decide the right form and function.
How to Contact an Architect Near You to Get Started
When you’re ready to bring your custom home to life, choose an architecture firm with a legacy of excellence. Proximity doesn’t matter; NSPJ Architects, located in the Kansas City metro area, creates residential architecture that defies trends and timelines for clients all over the country.
Send us a message online to learn more about our custom home design process.
