Why settle for one when you can have two? This is the prevailing mindset among affluent homeowners embracing the latest in luxury and high-tech home amenities. From dual studies for retirees to outdoor kitchens and double dishwashers, the trend of doubling up is becoming the norm in high-end real estate. In addition, features like laundry chutes in walk-in wardrobes, secondary saunas, and cold plunge pools in master en suites are gaining popularity.
Nina Maya, of Nina Maya Interiors, highlights that not only do chief executives and entrepreneurs desire a wellness space in the garden, gym, or basement for family enjoyment, but they also increasingly request additional saunas, steam rooms, or cold plunge pools in the master en suite.
“It’s that immediate access. Sometimes if it’s in the garden, it takes a bit of effort to walk down to that area of the house,” Maya explained. “These high-end executives, founders, and entrepreneurs want to wake up, jump in the sauna, have a cold plunge dip, all within the master retreat. But they also want either a freestanding area in the garden or under the house that they can enjoy as a family.”
Innovative Wellness and Convenience Features
Maya has also received requests for pulsed electromagnetic field therapy mats in home gyms. These mats, when charged, deliver pulsed electromagnetic fields that are believed to aid in the body’s natural recovery processes. Enthusiasts claim benefits such as strengthened immunity, improved sleep, detoxification, pain management, and enhanced mental clarity.
Red light therapy panels are another popular addition, with full-body panels often installed in walk-in wardrobes, master en suites, or gyms. These panels range from $2,500 to $7,000, while infrared beds can start from $25,000. The therapy involves LED emissions targeting body cells and systems, with purported benefits including wrinkle reduction, hair growth, wound healing, pain relief, and improved sleep.
“You can have full-body exposure to that light for 10 minutes a day while you’re working out or getting dressed,” Maya noted.
Further embracing convenience, multiple laundry chutes connecting to the main laundry area are trending. “If you’ve got a large home, people want an access panel in their wardrobe, in their kids’ bedroom wardrobes, or whatever room you’re in, where you can put the laundry in the chute. It’s the convenience of getting the laundry efficiently,” Maya said.
Architectural Elegance and Aesthetic Trends
A grand entrance is a significant consideration for luxury homeowners, according to architect Vicky Cutler of Cutler & Co Architects. An entry foyer with a view leading to an outdoor space is highly desirable.
“They want to look towards the backyard and see a pool, grass, and luxury. It’s the sense of arrival and the views through the house,” Cutler stated.
Round driveways are also gaining traction, offering the convenience of dropping someone off at the front door while providing access around the back or side of the house. Marble remains a timeless choice, but micro cement is emerging as a trend. This thin cement-based coating, mixed with resins and pigments, can be applied to floors, walls, ceilings, and furniture.
Curved staircases are currently in vogue, but Cutler believes sweeping staircases have lasting appeal. “Only houses with the right proportion and size can accommodate a large sweeping high stairwell, whereas others try to mimic that with a curvy one,” she said.
Entertainment and Luxury Living Spaces
Interior designer David Hicks observes that among homes valued at $10 million or more, there’s almost a checklist that includes a steam room, sauna, Pilates zone, and entertainment areas with commercial-grade bars featuring glass washers and ice machines.
“More and more people are entertaining at home rather than going out. The other trend is glass-encased entertainment zones where they can be opened up to be half inside, half outside,” Hicks explained.
Glass is increasingly used as a showstopper in luxury homes. Hicks recalls a project where the bottom of a pool served as the ceiling of a hallway, and another where a pool’s glass base allowed light to filter into the basement, creating an underwater ambiance.
As these trends continue to evolve, the luxury home market remains a dynamic field, constantly adapting to the desires and lifestyles of the wealthy. With a focus on wellness, convenience, and entertainment, the future of luxury home design promises to be as opulent as it is innovative.
