Any Way You Want It

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN 9-foot ceilings and walk-in closets were the stuff that luxury upgrades were made of. That was before the housing market went on steroids and super-sized homes with cathedral ceilings and three-car garage-mahals became the new gold standard.

Size still matters in the world of decadence—but today, so does substance.

“Ten years ago our median price was in the low $300,000s, whereas today it's over $600,000 nationwide,” says Jed Gibson, vice president and director of architecture for Toll Brothers in Horsham, Pa. “Part of what's driving that price are the features people are putting into their homes. They aren't just going for bigger spaces, but also nicer things: high-end appliances, upgraded flooring, better tile, and good lighting.”

The luxury market is shifting, in part, because of who's buying. Americans ages 50 and over now control more than 75 percent of the nation's wealth and possess more than 50 percent of all discretionary income. Their ranks are increasingly made up of iconoclastic baby boomers who are pooh-poohing cookie-cutter opulence in favor of more personalized spaces.

Which features resonate most with this upscale set? Here are some tips for winning the hearts and wallets of these coveted home buyers.

Flex spaces that can be tailored—as extra bedrooms, playrooms, home offices, studios, fitness rooms, etc.—go a long way, says Gibson. This custom option appeals especially to members of the sandwich generation who are in their peak earning years and may need additional living spaces to accommodate move-back kids or older parents. (In a 2004 survey of baby boomers conducted by Del Webb, 40 percent of respondents anticipated that their adult children would move back in with them, 30 percent that their parents would move in.)

Toll Brothers has responded with a menu of structural options in its Signature line of homes topping 4,000 square feet. One plan includes a 30-foot-by-14-foot chunk of space that can be alternately constructed as a conservatory (featuring arch-top windows), a great room, a media room, or a private guest suite with a study and bath.

In this same vein, detached dwelling units such as accessory casitas, cabanas, and carriage house suites are hot properties for guest retreats, mother-in-law units, or home office studios for semi-retired boomers starting second careers.

Outside has never been so in. A recent survey on home design trends conducted by the American Institute of Architects confirms that buyers in all markets (not just warm climates) are clamoring for floor plans that maximize views, breezes, and solar exposure with integrated patios, loggias, lanais, interior courtyards, decks, and wrap-around porches. And today's al fresco living spaces are appointed with the works: gourmet grills, woks, wine and/or keg refrigerators, showers, saunas, and fireplaces, as well as old standbys such as water features and dining furniture.

At the same time, elements of the natural world are making their way indoors, creating new options in color and texture beyond the granite standard. Materials such as exotic hardwoods (e.g., zebrawood and wenge), soapstone, limestone, and slate are in vogue. So are sustainable flooring materials such as bamboo, cork, and wide-plank boards re-purposed from salvaged lumber.

News flash: Affluent home buyers have tons of stuff, and they need places to put it. This accumulation is fueling demand for bigger garages to shelter extra cars as well as big-ticket toys ranging from golf carts to motorcycles to snowmobiles, notes Bill Feinberg, an architect in Voorhees, N.J.

Inside, don't be afraid to give up square footage for salon-style grooming closets and walk-in kitchen pantries to house a proliferation of small appliances and bulk food items. In a recent study by the NAHB, 78 percent of prospective home buyers ranked walk-in kitchen pantries as “desirable” or “essential.”

The sanity that comes with adequate storage can't be understated. “Nothing reduces stress like great organization,” says Dawn Ritchie, co-author of a new book, The Emotional House. “We have huge influxes of mail and material coming into our homes every day. We need sorting areas, built-in recycling centers, functional closets, and laundry rooms with retractable countertop space. When you have items that make your life work, that's luxury.”

If today's gourmet kitchens are centers for so-called “hiving,” try outfitting them with multiple work zones, says Mary Jo Peterson, a Brookfield, Conn.–based kitchen and bath consultant. Decadent spaces double up on appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves, and prep sinks, as well as architectural features such as islands (some of which may even be portable). Just be sure to widen the standard 36-inch clearance spaces around work stations to accommodate multiple cooks, she says.

KEY INGREDIENTS: A heavy timber–trussed ceiling and custom ventilation hood make a powerful statement in the kitchen of Vicara—Plan 1, a 2,906-square-foot Spanish revival villa in Irvine, Calif.

And who says appliances have to stay in the kitchen and computers have to stay out? Intuitive floor plans recognize the way homeowners truly live and respond accordingly. “The key is to design using your head, not your habits,'” says Peterson. If the kitchen is the hub of the house, don't fight it. Designate areas there for computers, messages, schedules, and family meetings.

Conversely, don't be afraid to introduce kitchen elements elsewhere in the home. High-end buyers may savor a built-in cappuccino bar or wine fridge off of the master retreat; a beverage station in the game room; or a keg refrigerator on the patio next to the grill. Consider putting the laundry room where the dirty clothes are—near the bedrooms—instead of in the basement or off the garage.

If the kitchen is command central, then the master bath has become a sanctuary for privacy, pampering, and rejuvenation. Make it transcendent with transom windows, skylights, fireplaces, imported tiles, waterfalls, massage tables, and/or warming drawers for towels.

Deep-soaking tubs are gaining ground on whirlpool baths, although when space is limited (or even when it isn't) some high-end homeowners are dispensing with tubs altogether and opting for dramatic shower stalls with multiple shower heads. “Longevity has become a factor in bath design,” says Howard Montgomery, lead industrial designer for faucets at Kohler Co. in Kohler, Wis. Sleek, no-threshold showers with built-in seats are gaining cachet with older buyers anticipating an eventual need for accessible design.

In the end, decadence knows no limits, and the lines between custom and production are blurring. “Luxury is about convenience and space and emotional well-being, but luxury is also about luxury,” says Stephanie Henley, co-owner of Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla. “It's high-volume ceilings with incredible detailed beams, decorative paintings, murals, carvings, and moldings. It's beautiful fabrics such as silks, mohair, and high-end velvets. It's about touch and feel and how materials affect your senses.”

For one client, Beasley & Henley finished a hallway in Venetian plaster and gold leaf as a backdrop for the owner's collection of medieval armor on display. In another room, ornate capitals top decorative Corinthian columns that feature hand-carved representations of indigenous animals. “People want high-end stuff, and the architectural detailing is as important as the furniture,” says Henley.

“I think production builders and custom builders are starting to see people moving toward a different kind of luxury,” says architect Sarah Susanka, whose Not-So-Big books have catalyzed a different way of thinking about architecture and its role in creating a sense of emotional well-being.

“Every person I know in this business wants to get away from the dollars-per-square-foot equation, and it's happening,” says Susanka. “This crowd wants craftsmanship, and they're willing to spend money on it.”

Little indulgences can go a long way. A tasting menu of savory design elements: