The thrill of designing and building a custom home is that you can do … well, whatever you like! This is quite different from choosing an existing floor plan from a builder and making decisions on fixtures, counters and windows. When you build custom, the only limits are your imagination and your budget.
So let your mind roam, but bear in mind a few important principles as you consider unique features for your custom home:
Choose timeless style over fads
What’s in today may not be tomorrow. A basement bowling alley might have seemed a great idea years ago. Look for features that add lasting value to your home.
Go for form and function
A common characteristic of the custom home features described here is that they serve an important purpose in daily life.
Work with experienced pros
It takes a team to design, model and construct custom home features. Look for a builder with seasoned experts in all three areas.
Here are some unique custom home features that you can make your own:
Raise the Roof, with Cathedral Ceilings
A lofty ceiling height adds immediate visual appeal to your custom home. Not only does it look great but, when designed right, the acoustics can be amazing. Raised ceilings, typically near the entryway of the home, are the perfect spot for the aspiring musician in your family. The additional height also frees up wall space for oversize paintings, tapestries and other high-impact accessories that would dominate a smaller room.
Smarten Up your Custom Home
The wide range of wifi-connected devices for the modern home is growing rapidly. With the right planning upfront, you can network your appliances, security, lighting, heating and cooling. But for the best wow-factor, having networked wireless speakers built into several rooms will make your parties memorable.
Let the Sunshine In
Skylights add the warmth of natural light which can brighten a room considerably. And on a clear night you can stargaze from your lounge chair.
Don’t Visit the Spa, Build One
Bathrooms have received a lot of design attention in recent years, but you can take elegance one step further by incorporating a private sauna into your bathroom area. On a cool day you’ll be warming up in style.
Live a Connoisseur’s Life
Your custom home should reflect the things you enjoy in life. If that happens to be wine, a custom wine room can keep your prized bottles cool and dry, while also showcasing the quality of your collection.
Lose Yourself in your Own Library
Bookworms can design the perfect atmosphere for their favorite literature - a custom library. Custom built-in shelving is the perfect way to accentuate your collection, using glass showcases to highlight rare works. Comfortable seating can round out the ideal reading environment.
Heat your Feet
Radiant floor heating is a great way to improve the comfort of your custom home. These under-floor systems are hidden from view, but you’ll sure feel the warming effect when walking on them. You’ll have controls to set temperature or to set up an automated schedule. Floor heating is a great addition for bathrooms where bare feet touch what’s usually a chilly tiled surface.
Make that Driveway Shovel-Free
Residents of colder climates know the laborious chore of bundling up and shoveling snow off the driveway in winter. A driveway heating system uses electrical cables or water pipes installed beneath the driveway surface to produce heat and melt the snow away.
The Custom Home Feature Options are Endless
As a custom home buyer, you have the very rare opportunity to create the perfect living environment for you and your loved ones. A key part of this journey is finding the right partner that can help you imagine, design, model and build your custom home.
At Natale Builders, we’ve been helping clients build their dream custom home for over 50 years. Contact us to put our experience to work for you.
