Builder Magazine has picked 10 Design Trends for 2011, summarized below.   Click here for the full article.

• Honest Architecture – People are simplifying their lives and this is carrying over to the home with simple, natural materials and forms.
• Smaller Size – Homes are sized to meet practical needs rather than satisfying personal ego.

• Holistic approach – Your vegetables are organic, what about your cabinets?  People have become much more concerned with the life-cycle of what they put in their bodies and are now applying that same mentality to their homes.  *Did you know that Steven Schmidt Construction is a Wellborn Cabinetry Showroom?  Wellborn Cabinets boast complete vertical integration – a fancy way of saying they consider the environmental impact in every aspect of their business.  Read more on their website here.
• Closer-knit Neighborhoods – Urban sprawl no more.  The trend is to keep closer access to neighbors, parks, recreation and commerce… much like the homes on Ontario Circle.

• Green Building is Mainstream & Affordable – There are simple, low-cost approaches to green design: Rainwater catchment, drought-tolerant landscaping, permeable hardscapes, passive solar design and more recycling and landfill diversion.
• Shared Living Space – Smaller homes but with more bedrooms and baths to accommodate kids moving back after college, parents/grandparents moving in to help care for small children or be cared for themselves.
• Stand-Alone Structures – A second story over the garage to house a “granny flat” or studio for home-based business, or even a rental unit for extra revenue.
• Pre-Fab – Panelized wall systems and pre-fab components, but not your typical trailer park or overly mod look – homes now come in traditional styles as well.
• Materials – Sustainable & cool roofing, tubular skylights for natural daylighting, low-maintenance cladding materials i.e. fiber cement, stone tile, and natural-earth plasters.
• Mixing Styles – Old with the new, reusing, “up-cycling” and adding personal touches