7 Luxury Home Features
When the pandemic relegated all of us to the safety of our homes, it underscored the paramount importance of our living spaces. After all, when you’re spending so much time in any one space, it should absolutely speak to you. Now that we’ve emerged from the pandemic, that key takeaway remains.
Our homes are our castles, our sanctuaries, our gathering spaces, and our playgrounds. They’re where we go to retreat from the everyday world, as well where we convene to share special moments with loved ones. Which begs the question: Is your home living up to its potential? If not, will there be a better time than now to take steps to improve it? The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be enjoying your home to its fullest potential.
While there are many possibilities when it comes to enhancing your home, some upgrades are especially luxurious. Read on for a roundup of seven high-end home features with the potential to transform your quality of life in your home, along with how the Che Bella Interiors design team can help you create a luxury home that is beautifully yours with our home remodeling services in the Twin Cities metro area.
1. Home Theaters
While trips to the movies were certainly a casualty of the pandemic, home theaters were already picking up in popularity pre-pandemic. Today, more than 80 percent of high-end homes have movie theaters.
Not only do home theaters give you access to the beloved movie-going experience without dealing with parking, crowds, and overpriced popcorn, there are other benefits, too. You can choose your own comfy and attractive furniture, customize the sound and acoustics, and watch whatever you want whenever you want. Not to mention the ability to invite family and friends to join in the fun.
Another reason to consider incorporating a home theater into your remodel or new home project? Home theaters have the potential to increase your home’s value — especially if you adopt a design-conscious approach. The best home theaters involve much more than a big screen and some seating. Instead, they incorporate luxurious design details, including high-quality upholstery, excellent lighting, and even fireplaces.
In addition to adding value, a home theater remodel can also improve your home’s salability. Conversely, lack of a home theater can detract from a home buyer’s perception of value — particularly if you live in an upscale neighborhood, according to some realtors.
==> Learn more about our Globetrotter project, a multi-purpose basement finishing project that allowed our homeowners the ability to transition from a space of zen to a space fit for entertaining in their own home theater.
2. Home Gyms
Luxury home gyms are having a major moment, with many homeowners choosing to either create high-end home gyms from scratch or to transform existing rooms into custom workout spaces. We’re talking about much more than a couple barbells and a treadmill. Today’s next-level home gyms are setting a new standard across everything from ambience to equipment.
When designing a home gym that you’ll actually use (and want to use!), form and function go hand in hand. Key functional elements include flooring, mirrors, lighting, windows (and fresh air), air flow and hygiene, and equipment. And don’t forget about the latest technology tools designed to help you track your workouts, connect with the world, and stay motivated.
Decor is equally important with your home gym remodel. While some people prefer a sleek, modern, industrial look, others may prefer a more spa-like and serene environment. Colors, textures, materials, and design styles are all considerations that can help you create the home gym of your dreams.
3. Outdoor Living Areas
“Bringing the indoors out” has been trending for some time now, but the pandemic underscored the value outdoor living areas can add to our lives. Today’s exterior areas have moved from an afterthought into the spotlight. In doing so, they’re also blurring the conventional line between outdoor and indoor space.
According to Houzz senior editor Mitchell Parker, “In 2022, we anticipate seeing more and more photos on Houzz of outdoor living rooms that look like indoor rooms….Houzz search data has shown that people want their backyards to be relaxing extensions of their interior living spaces.”
If you haven’t reevaluated your outdoor areas and options recently, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. “There have been major advances in outdoor materials in recent years, allowing manufacturers to create stylish and durable outdoor sofas, tables, rugs, chairs and decor. Add an outdoor fireplace, maybe a TV, and the line between indoors and out seemingly disappears,” continues Parker.
One way to achieve an especially seamless transition from the indoors to out is to use similar hues, finishes, and themes. Read more about outdoor living spaces here.
4. Pools
With summer approaching and warmer temps on the horizon, there’s no better way to find relief in the season that swelters than with a backyard pool. But all pools aren’t created equal. Depending on your space and your goals, you’ve got many options from which to choose.
In addition to classic swimming pools, lap pools and plunge pools are increasingly in demand. Other pool trends include organically shaped pools that integrate with their natural surroundings and dark pool interiors.
Want to really take your pool area to the next level? Consider adding a pool house to go with it. The sky’s the limit when it comes to today’s pool houses. Whether you just want a small space for changing or extra square footage that can double as room for entertaining, guests, an office, or something else entirely, a pool house is the perfect way to expand your home’s livable space.
5. Saunas
“Wellness” is one of the biggest buzzwords of our time, and the interior design world is far from immune. Spa-quality bathrooms, meditation corners, and wellness accents like Himalayan salt lamps and biophilic design (AKA, plenty of plants) are a few examples of wellness-forward features we’re seeing.
Perhaps no other design element embodies the wellness trend quite like saunas and steam rooms. Whether you add a home sauna to your home gym, pool area, or bathroom, saunas are an excellent way to elevate your environment.
But today’s sophisticated saunas are much more than plain wooden boxes. In addition to showcasing unexpected materials like glass and stone, high-end saunas have near-endless interior design options across everything from seating to color palates. Mindful lighting and advanced tech are also wonderful ways to transform time in the sauna into a truly restorative experience.
6. Libraries
Think home libraries are for the fussy and fancy? Think again. According to Elle Decor, “they’re no longer just for cigar-chomping and brandy-swilling.” In fact, when it comes to creating spaces in your home that can be an oasis from the outside world, is there anything better than a tribute to the ultimate escape….books?
Whether you have an entire room to dedicate to a home library or will carve out a designated nook in your den or home office, there are many ways to create a luxe library. We love House Beautiful’s lineup of exquisite library ideas, including hanging artwork, contemporary styling, sculptural shelving, themed wallpaper, modular shelves, lacquer, loft libraries, mirrored ceilings, and more.
7. Wine Cellars
Wine cellars are no longer the exclusive domain of the rich and famous. Today, they’re ideal for any homeowners looking to accommodate growing wine collections, gain better access to their bottles, and preserve their condition. New technology — including everything from smart-home apps that optimize temperature and humidity to thumbprint-reader security systems — also means new options for how people live with their wine.
Wally’s Wine & Spirits president Christian Navarro told Forbes, “What we’re seeing now—especially in new developments—are all these incredible wine rooms and cellars that are not only practical spaces for storage but the aesthetic center of the house.”
According to wine cellar design specialist Evan Goldenberg, more wine cellars are occupying prime first floor real estate to allow them to “become more of a showpiece and integrated with living and entertaining spaces so [collectors] can show off their treasures.”
Not sure exactly what will work best in your personal in-home wine cellar? That depends entirely on you. “It boils down to how passionate they are about their collection, where they have the best space in their home and how they want to live with their wine,” concludes Goldenberg.
Home Remodeling Services from Che Bella Interiors
While luxury home renovations can feel like an extravagance, the pandemic challenged us all to think about many things differently — including our living spaces. Rather than viewing home renovations and home improvements as an expense, think of them as an investment in your quality of life in your home.
At Che Bella Interiors, we offer comprehensive remodeling services aimed at helping our clients in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the Twin Cities think more mindfully about how they want to live — and feel! — in their spaces. Then, we work with them to articulate that vision and execute on it.
Whether you know exactly what you want or you’re looking for in your home remodel project or you’re just starting your search for home ideas and inspiration, we’d love to help you create a space that is beautifully yours. Contact us to learn more about incorporating one or more of these seven luxury home updates into your home remodeling project.
