When it comes to building custom homes, some trends change with the seasons. But Durango’s custom home builders are finding that love for the outdoors, energy efficiency and cold mountain weather dictate a lot of their clients’ decision-making.
Outdoor living is in
Higher-end homes are trending toward “mountain contemporary” designs with a cabin-like feel and resemblance but with lighter color palettes, liberal amounts of glass and extensive outdoor living spaces.
“People are really trying to bring the inside out and the outside in,” Alex Kogan of Kogan Builders said. “They want to feel like they’re part of nature.”
Builders accomplish that by installing more large fireplaces inside and custom fire pits outside, which is particularly popular with second-home buyers.
Trophy homes are out
Large, rustic mountain homes may come to mind for Durango’s resort area. But Greg Yucha, owner of Veracity Construction, said requests for “monster houses” are on the decline. Instead, home buyers are trading square footage for more quality interiors. The smaller, more energy-efficient houses cost less.
“We’re seeing smaller houses with higher-end finishes,” Yucha said. “People are concerned about utility and heating costs and things such as LED lights and higher quality insulation, as opposed to building volume. Mainly people are looking at the long-term operating costs of the house as opposed to size.”
Yucha said he’s seen homeowners, often empty-nesters and older couples, downsize from 4,800-square-foot homes to 1,800 in keeping with this trend.
People invest at work, not home
More clients tend to spend more and pay attention to aesthetics at work, while, at home, they upgrade strictly what they need to as opposed to what they want. JITA Contracting owner Joel Aguilar attributed this to the volatility of the economy and the housing market.
For that reason, JITA has shifted its clientele from largely residential to about 70 percent commercial construction. Among the company’s most recent projects were renovations to space at the Tech Center, where several La Plata County offices relocated this month.
“I’m not sure people trust the economy, so they’re just doing the basics at home; if they have exposed brick, they leave it because it’s OK,” Aguilar said. “People are generally cautious with the home and are freer at work. They don’t pay to get their home fixed, but if someone manages building maintenance at a business, people want to protect their place of work and look good.”
When JITA does take on a residential construction project, Aguilar said he’s seeing cheaper remodels and interest in rental space and building accessory dwelling units.
Heating and lighting
Controlling heat, light, snow and ice – and achieving that in the greenest, easiest way possible – are consistent interests for home buyers.
“Natural light is a big concern; I think people are tired of going into a brand new house that’s dark, but they also want natural light for heat,” said Silver Mountain Construction owner Pete Eastwood.
LED light installation is also increasing across the county because of their long life span and energy efficiency. Even though they are three or four times as expensive as incandescent bulbs, an LED bulb uses 3 percent of the wattage of an incandescent bulb, and the cost can be recouped over time.
To combat the effects of Southwestern Colorado winters on the house, builders are installing heat mats under roofs, gutters and downspouts to help reduce ice dams. Local builders are also getting requests for hydronic heating systems beneath driveways to make shoveling easier and mitigate risks accessing the home.
Edgewood Construction owner Steve Martin said there is an increased interest in technology to control heating and lighting in the home.
“People are expecting heating systems that can be controlled from their phone or computer,” he said.
Holidays motivate interior upgrades
Few new construction projects are on the books in winter, so most builders find themselves indoors redoing floors, baseboards and other interior finishing. Holiday company drives a lot of that business.
For the same reasons, local home furnishing businesses are pushing more couches and futons at this time of year.
“If someone has holiday company, they want to spruce up the house right before the holidays, whether it’s with a new sofa or lamp,” said Jackie Gillespie, manager and interior designer at downtown home furniture shop Oohs & Aahs. “But then right after you take holiday decorations down, you find little spots that you want to put something new in. People fill those voids by getting new throws or some kind of new centerpiece.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
