by Vickie Austin
One homebuilding company recommends you start designing a legacy home with this question in mind: What story will this home tell decades from now?
Look into the future
We have a hard enough time projecting our futures when it comes to career choices or our investment portfolios. But with a homebuilding project, you can peer into the future and see what will last, leaving a legacy for your family if that is your intention.
First, designers recommend you start by looking at the function of your home and how it might adapt across different stages of life.
If you’re building a young family, you’ll want to make room for all the changes that happen from birth to empty nesting. Maybe you want to accommodate senior parents or grandparents who will need access but also privacy, or perhaps you and your soulmate want to age in place. Whatever the time of your life, think ahead to what you’ll need.
Ignore the trends, they tend to vanish and then you’re left with blue and gold shag carpeting. For aesthetic choices that will stand the test of time, cleave to the classics. Choose quality wood and natural stone that will increase in beauty and value over the years. One builder recommends metal roofing, fiber cement cladding and weather-resistant windows.
Begin with neutral palettes that can hold up as you roll out the styles you enjoy, changing when you’re so inclined.
Details count
Every detail counts when it comes to designing a home that lasts. Whether your taste runs to minimalism or you’re a collector, the small things can make a difference.
Pick items made with quality, durable materials. That porcelain tub, the heavy beams above the doors, the wrought iron fence you scored at a recent auction all reflect your heart and your spirit. Avoid plastic or materials that won’t last under the punishing Arizona sun.
When it comes to furniture, give yourself a wide berth. Reward yourself with that Biedermeier chair you’ve lusted after for so long — items that will only gain value in the years ahead.
Thanks to the rollover of a generation, large antiques that were built to last are available at shockingly low prices. Collections of tiles, whether they’re from England or Mexico, can be embedded into your fireplace hearth. Better yet, let family members choose a tile they love so when they visit, they can always remember they’re a part of your home.
Some heirlooms are inherited and others created in the present with an eye to the future.
Whatever design you land on, think of your home as a generational inheritance that will reflect your tastes and the history of your family and home. Align your home with the environment, from front door to gardens.
