The Washington D.C metro housing market has not typically been known for modern and contemporary residential design. A rich history of Colonial and Georgian homes, have been the predominate style of the luxury housing market. Other styles have transitioned across the country and have gained a foothold in the DC style vocabulary over the years. These styles such as French Country, Arts and Crafts, still came from American historic residential influences. Over the last five years there has been a market desire for new exterior styling, new and exciting floor plans and a new mixture of materials and textures. The interior of homes over the last decade have become gradually more open, light filled and modern in taste and layout. These changes reflect our ever-adjusting lifestyles and needs out a home. Americans are more casual, and more home centered, needing the home to act as a retreat/office/entertainment headquarters. These factors have changed the residential market, from production builders to custom home projects.
The market freedom has aloud us to work with our clients to create their version of a dream home. Typically leaning modern in styling, on the exterior and open and comfortable on the interior. A mixture of exterior materials allows for the play of color, texture and mass while creating our clients dream home. Materials like, large format Tile, stone or metal panels allow for that splash of excitement or depth of color that you do not get out of stucco or traditional stone or brick facade. Vertical or horizontal wood siding or Siding panels intermixed on the exterior provide a warmth and texture to the exterior of a home. James McDonald Associate Architects have had the expertise to bring these materials, spaces and rooms together in projects throughout the metro region and beyond.
Miami modern or Sleek and transitional, where are most buyers? I think that you will find a selection of home buyers who are looking for trendy, clean ultra-modern homes. The type of home with a flat roof big grand glass and the white reflective cool surfaces everywhere. This is a growing percentage of the market, but it does not fit the larger buyer profile. The large buyer profile, prefer the cool comfortable entertaining space, the large glass, but still want the space to feel like a home. They still want the cool large kitchen, the gas linear fireplaces, wine bar, and the large multi-slide window wall leading to a covered outdoor living space. They want the large family living space and open floor plan, the large office and plenty of large windows. This home falls into a broad definition of transitional. A little historical influence combined with new exterior massing, materials, and colors. This means that our home and what we want out of our homes and what are homes look like continue to evolve no mater how big or small.
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