January column for Builder & Developer magazine now online

My column for the January 2015 issue of Builder and Developer magazine is now posted online.

For this issue, entitled "Practicality and Nostalgia Meet Technlogy," I wanted to review some of the new housing trends we can expect in 2015. An excerpt:

We’ll start seeing less of what I like to call the two-story, “impress the in-laws” foyers. Instead, look for larger garages with nooks for hobbies as well as specialized storage areas throughout the home where everything has its place to minimize clutter. In addition, given advances in portable fireplaces which don’t require traditional venting, look for more indoor and outdoor fire pits and even painting-sized options which can be hung on walls.

In terms of design cues, don’t be surprised to see some updated relics from the past which have been re-purposed for 2015, such as free-standing bathtubs accompanied by open wall niches for storage. The durability of porcelain is now competing with other materials as imitation wood for flooring options, which not only saves money (and the environment) versus the real thing, but is more resistant to moisture and actually stands up better to high-traffic areas over time. Similarly, the durability of naturally occurring quartzite is starting to edge out man-made quartz due to its closer appearance to marble as well as being nearly indestructible...

To read the entire column, click here.

To read the entire January 2015 issue in digital format, click here.