Bye-bye, granite countertops! As the luxury market surges in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, new trends are emerging. Here’s what luxury buyers can’t live without in 2015.
All-white kitchens
Stark white kitchens continue to be the rage, with stainless steel appliances providing a sharp contrast. Shiny white subway tiles are also popular for kitchens, offering a slightly vintage feel that matches the white and slate motif.
Super pantries
Forget the butler pantry, that hallway outside the kitchen where trained staff would pause before entering the dining room. Now, luxury buyers are interested in a super pantry—an area with plenty of prep space, storage, and even additional appliances. Why? With today’s open floor plans, kitchens are part of the flow for dinner parties and gatherings, but prep is preferred to stay out of sight. Super pantries allow caterers or chefs to get a meal together without sacrificing the “voila!” moment when the dinner menu is presented.
Bedroom trends
As they say, everything old is new again. That’s why, just a few years after you vowed never to put wallpaper glue on your walls again, you’ll likely be taking back that promise in 2015. Dramatic wallpapers, including those with texture, are seen as a hot trend this year. As we saw with bold paint colors the last few years, some luxury homeowners are also wallpapering just one wall for more effect.
Smart home technology
A sure sign of a luxury home is one that already has smart home technology built into it. Many homes have a built-in iPad in the kitchen, where they can control lighting, heating and music. Audiophiles especially love SONOS, a high fidelity speaker system that allows you to play your music collection from any device, across all the rooms in your home.
Those who tend to misplace their keys will love keyless entry, coordinated either through their smartphone, like this Ascend lock, or by fingerprint, like this favorite from Anviz.
Other top smart home devices include Nest, a programmable thermostat, Aros, a smart air conditioner, and Dropcam, a surveillance camera with night vision and a powerful zoom lens.
Bathrooms
In the past, Jacuzzi tubs have dominated the luxury bathroom scene, but today’s high-end bathrooms are all about the showers. Oversized showers, especially those with his and hers shower heads, are growing in popularity as modern homeowners eschew baths. Tankless water heaters ensure that no matter how long you stay in the shower, you’ll never run out of hot water.
Upon exit, many luxury bathrooms are also incorporating attached dressing rooms for residents. Most are a small room with a chair, mirrored walls or full-length mirrors and plenty of hanger space so you can prepare your day’s clothes in advance.
Outdoor entertaining spaces
Even in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, where we are kept inside for much of the year, large outdoor spaces for entertaining are gaining popularity. Many luxury homes now include outdoor kitchens with stone grills, top-of-the-line barbecues and covered countertops to allow for outdoor meal prep and gatherings.
In urban settings like downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, outdoor entertaining spaces are increasingly found on rooftops. Rooftop gardens and patios are common, and while they are mostly found in warmer climates, nothing says luxury like a rooftop pool party.
Searching for a luxury home?
No one knows luxury home trends like the team of specialists in Edina Realty’s Exceptional Properties division. Reach out today to be set up with a luxury home expert, or begin searching for your future home today on the Exceptional Properties website.
