A Life of Luxury

15 Sep A Life of Luxury

It’s not uncommon to associate a life of luxury with a mega mansion covered in marble and dripping in gold with a garage full of Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. While this may be common among some of the flashier celebrities, does the same ring true for the not famous wealthy? Maybe not. We try to stay on the cutting edge of home buying trends, so we’ve examined a few of the most recent trends in the world of luxury living.

High-Tech and Small

With the Internet of Things (IoT) becoming exceptionally popular, smart homes have become a must have for tech-savvy luxury buyers. They want to be able to turn their lights off and on, adjust the thermostat and unlock or lock their doors with their smart phones. Part of this is out of convenience, but another reason is because of a focus on being more environmentally conscious. According to Inman, the new luxury homebuyers have a lot of respect for the environment, and want to conserve as much energy as possible. Being able to adjust the air conditioning throughout the day or turning off lights plays a part in this.

Perhaps one of the more shocking revelations is that millennial luxury home buyers aren’t looking for the mega mansions. They want smaller homes with open floor plans that create a good flow and are inviting. They’re more about smart space, not how much space a home has.

Go Matte

It seems everything these days is going matte. Matte nail polish, matte car paint, matte lipstick. Matte has also made its way into the home appliances industry. This is becoming increasingly popular among luxury buyers. They’re asking for refrigerators with a matte finish to better hide smudges, fingerprints and dirt. Inman notes that buyers appreciate this new finish because it’s much easier to clean and maintains a sleek, clean design aesthetic.

Another benefit of this fairly new design style is that is blends in well with stainless steel and black and white appliances. Appliances with this finish carry a hefty price tag, so being able to replace them over time, as opposed to all at once, helps balance out the price. It is, however, in high demand among luxury home buyers.

Comfort Before Beauty

Real wood floors have been a coveted feature of homes for the past century and for good reason. They’re sturdy and add charm to any house. But that’s no longer what luxury buyers are looking for. These buyers are all about comfort. You won’t find trendy concrete and tile floors in their homes. They’re all about cork flooring.

This environmentally friendly product offers more give, which makes it more comfortable to walk on than traditional wood and tile flooring. Often thought of as less aesthetically pleasing than the alternatives, cork is making a major comeback. It is now offered in a variety of colors and finishes.

Circadian Lights & Outdoor Showers

You’re probably wondering what our circadian rhythms have to do with lights and luxury buyers’ demands. According to Inman, GE will release smart LED lights that sync with the body’s circadian rhythm and adjust the lights accordingly. The lights are “designed to sync with your sleep cycle. You’ll be able to set it to change from energizing white light during the day to a warmer, more relaxing orange glow in the evening,” Inman explains. Sounds pretty cool, right? Luxury buyers think so, too. It’ll be on their wish lists.

Among the other less traditional luxuries are outdoor showers and private museums. These are luxuries that would have most of our heads spinning, but in high demand among the wealthy. Some buyers are even purchasing homes next door to provide for separate guest living when they have people visiting!

Time to Buy

The above luxuries are all incredible amenities that anyone would love to have. But with those amenities comes a big price tag. If you’re looking for a more subdued kind of luxury (spacious floor plans, granite countertops), stop on by to learn more about our luxury homes.