04 Jun Trending
When building or remodeling a home it’s easy to search the area nearby or the internet for inspiration. That’s the advantage of technology nowadays really. The disadvantage is that everyone else does the same thing. This may not matter so much to some individuals, but how do you avoid making decisions that seem like great ideas now but may be eyesores for you down the road? Sometimes the trends you see everyone else going with, may not be the best decision for you.
One aspect to help in the decision making is the consideration if your choice is actually going to help your case or not. Let’s use an example of a spiral staircase for a moment. When making and drawing up plans, the spiral staircase is often a simple workaround for tight spaces and the visual aesthetic is usually quite pleasing in the final product. However if you’ve never lived with one, they can sometimes be quite tiresome in the functionality department and can make life more difficult than it needs to be. Textbook example of form over function.
Another example to look at in a different light is something as simple as your garage. Most folks will swear by an attached garage versus its separated counterpart. However most folks don’t take into consideration the added cost to heat/cool such a space or the possible worry of exhaust contamination to the rest of your home. Doesn’t seem like much and this may not fall under the “trend” umbrella, but it’s also something most folks wouldn’t even take a second glance at.
Spiral staircases and garages may not fall into the category of a trend but hopefully the examples make you look at your plans in a different light. When subjects like making your home “green”, both in building supplies and added fixtures/appliances come up, are you making the right decision to add some of those products or would the possibility of eliminating them entirely be the greener thing to do? These are the trends we’re talking about. It may be cool to say you have your very own, “insert fancy new gadget here”, but is it something that 5+ years down the road you’ll be happy you spent the money and attention on? We’re not saying you shouldn’t make dreams a reality, that’s what we do on a regular basis at Guthrie Construction, but in a few years how are you going to feel about the decisions you made today?
