Houston's luxury housing will be bright in 2023, according to local experts in regard to the market and design.
After years of lockdowns and quarantines, the home has transformed from a confined space to an entertaining and relaxing destination.
"I do think that people went through that phase where, right after the pandemic was over, they all wanted to get out, and now, I think we're back to staying in," said Jennifer Hamelet of Houstonbased Mirador Builders.
Houston's restaurants and bars still remain full of people, but the home is gaining in popularity as a place to be. While Houston real estate transactions dropped nearly 11% in 2022, luxury listings remained steady. These higher-ticket buyers are searching for a house that provides personality and versatility wrapped up in a welcoming home.
Outdoor entertaining
Now that most people are comfortable entertaining indoors, the focus is shifting outside.
For clients of Harris Benson, a Douglas Elliman broker associate, a well-designed home involves an outdoor space that is ideal for entertaining. His homebuyers, usually within the $1 million to $2.5 million budget, are upsizing from either a patio home or a townhome.
Benson said the formal dining room and formal living room are fading in popularity. Instead, homeowners want to expand their home's footprint outside.
Hamelet understands this desire and tries to match the garden's foliage to the house's architecture, such as incorporating warmer shades of flowers with Spanish-style or modern homes.
"The garden is another part of the house," Hamlet said. "I want you to walk out there and feel like there's additional rooms outside."
Benson said that homebuyers want features such as pools or spaces to build future pools, primary suite balconies and outdoor kitchens. Additions such as a patio with the potential to enclose or a misting system are also attractive to shoppers.
"They're looking for it to elevate their lifestyle at home throughout the year," Benson said. "People definitely want to use these outdoor spaces to entertain their families and friends alike."
Apop of personality
The stark white-and-black trend that oversaturated the home design market is coming to an end, Hamelet said. Instead, she is installing wood in her projects, from dark cherry to white oak.
"I definitely think people are wanting that warmth," Hamelet said.
White and black continue to be incorporated into her designs, but she chooses at least one color to use throughout the home, such as using chocolate brown on kitchen cabinets or green in a powder room.
"I think that we're going away from blues and grays," Hamelet said.
She predicts that chocolate brown will be the next color trend to be spotted in design-forward homes.
Laura Sweeney of Compass Real Estate and HBJ's No. 1 luxury real estate agent has also noticed new construction homes are featuring more vibrant decor.
"Still, clean lines for the architecture, but adding more color and texture," she said via email.
The one room where that pop of color may be utilized is the powder room, according to Benson.
"Everyone uses the powder bath so it's a way for the owner to show off a little bit of their own personality, a little bit of edge," he said.
Benson said that personality can be displayed through lots of color, touches of wallpaper, vintage pedestal sinks or perhaps wall-mounted taps and faucets.
"I think you're going to see a lot more personality being put into the home," he said. "The house is an extension of who we are as people."
Smart-home additions
That personality might include someone named Alexa to help run the home. More and more homeowners are interested in using or adding technology features.
"(Homeowners) want their home life to be a little easier and a way to do that is through smarthome technology," Benson said.
Whether that's a smart thermostat that adjusts automatically to Houston's indecisive weather or a security system that can be managed from a cell phone, Sweeney said the latest technology features are increasingly seen in the city's luxury homes.
The most common tech addition, however, is in the garage, where builders are including electric vehicle charging stations. Teslas are a common sight when driving down I-10 and EVs are only growing in popularity, with Texas ranking third for the most EV car registrations in the country.
Hamelet said it's cheaper to build an EV charger station with the home rather than adding it in the future.
"We never trim those EVs out because we don't know what plug you'll want," she said.
The same philosophy applies to two other common features: elevators and home generators.
That aligns with Benson's understanding of his clients.
"I think it all goes in line with the versatility of the house," Benson said. "Does someone necessarily want it today? Not always, no. But they want the ability to add an EV charger with ease, they want to add a home generator with ease."
Additional trends for 2023 that continue to be a result of COVID are storage options and home offices, according to Hamelet and Benson. Homebuyers need somewhere for remote work and storage to keep the home clutter-free and welcoming. Hamelet built two offices in the home she sold in October, including one she nicknamed "the Zoom room" with a plain white wall that can transform into a backdrop for the now ever-present online meetings.
"What people really look for is that functionality in a space that fits their lifestyle," Benson said. "A home is really an extension of who they are, and they just want it to be as functional and versatile as possible."