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At the height of the housing downturn the most impacted areas in new home design were also once the most lucrative: kitchens and baths. For several years new home owners passed on popular and expensive add-ons to their kitchens and bathrooms such as water filtration systems, large pantry areas and natural wood cabinets. However, a recently published A.I.A Home Design Trends Survey indicates these functions and more might see a comeback.Renovation and remodeling contractors want to make the most of a renewed interest in these once popular amenities. Homeowners who passed on the functions to save money during construction are now more interested in having it installed after the fact. Meanwhile, some architects report an upward trend in the kitchen space requested by customers during the design of their new homes. What might it mean for renovation and remodeling contractors? More business.The area that received the most attention was the kitchen. 22 percent of respondents in the A.I.A report said the size of the kitchen is increasing in new home design and construction. The rediscovered focus on size opens up the possibility of remodeling and addition work that can be done in this popular and lucrative sector. The dominant feature requested for new kitchens are renewable materials. Almost half of the surveyed architects said that materials such as bamboo, cork and concrete are becoming increasingly popular.Bathrooms are a different story. The report suggests their size and quantity is remaining stable but with an added emphasis on accessibility of design. The trend towards more accessible, safer bathrooms has long been anticipated by contractors as current generations choose to stay in their homes into old age. Doorless showers and handheld shower heads are a popular addition to customer bathrooms.Contractors are already beginning to mount advertising campaigns aimed at these unique customers. It remains to be seen if homes constructed in the residential downturn will become the latest, hottest market.Overall, the report indicates a trend of stabilization in the design of kitchens and bathrooms with notable upticks in certain areas. Savvy renovation and remodeling contractors are cashing in on the number of households that renounced popular features during the downturn. Meanwhile, others expect more remodeling and addition options as the size of kitchen and bath design continues to increase in new home construction.Check out the AIA’s full fourth quarter of 2010 Home Design Trends Survey Report.

It is finally the time you have been looking forward to. You have given it quite a bit of thought and planning, made all the sketches and gathered photos and are now are ready to build your new home. The problem is that most builders will not work from sketches and photos. And to aggravate the matter, not only does your local building inspector require specific technical working drawings, but so does the subdivision planning review board.The solution is to hire a home designer. These professionals are trained to take your ideas and hopes and put them to a working drawing. Not only drawing the plan, but also helping you to put the right design elements into your home to give it a beauty and charm that reflects your personality and taste. A home designer, also known as an architectural designer, is trained with the skills needed to make sure your home meets codes and is functional.Once you have found a designer, there are several things you will want to discuss with him or her. The first is your budget. An experienced designer will know how to keep you within your spending limits. I personally have met with clients that had elaborate kitchen designs which went well beyond the expected amount of money allowed for its construction. The solution was that we found a cabinet builder who made the same type of cabinets the clients were wanting at a fraction of the cost that the national brand asked for theirs.Another thing would be your sketches of the proposed layout of the home. Some people do not realize that the single line drawings they made of their plan will loose four inches or better when the wall thicknesses are properly drawn. Space, among many other things is sometimes misunderstood or improperly account for.For instance, you may be expecting a ten foot by ten foot room but after the wall thickness is added, the room ends up something like nine feet four inches by nine feet eight inches. The designer will posses the skill to gain this lost area back to the planned size but rest assured, it will be at the cost of some other room or area of the home. Make sure to spend time discussing the layout so that you are happy with the finished product and its dimensions.There are many other things that will be involved in the final design of your home that I am sure your designer will mention. Always try to be available to your designer should they have questions as this will make things flow more smoothly to a finished product.