Are remodeling plans more eclectic today? This interview explores the regional styles a consumer can see. That's the word. I'm trying not to answer is for everybody. So there's really a broad range. If I...
That's the word. I'm trying not to answer is for everybody. So there's really a broad range. If I were answering that and you were to take it as, "Well it's the trend among all the architects and designers in town," I think "eclectic" is easily the best thing to say. The trends in Austin have changed because of the influence of national home builders. I've been to their conventions and gone to their design seminars, and it's a homogenizing of design. You'll see houses that use materials that in a different climate look wonderful; Philadelphia red brick looks beautiful in Philadelphia, and in Boston, incredible. Here, it doesn't always fit. Colonial doesn't really seem to fit. It's one of the reasons we saw so much limestone for a long time. In this light, limestone and Boston brick work beautifully. Deep overhangs that give shadows on the front of houses and buildings - that works well here. Really shallow overhangs might be good in snow country but they're not good here because we need the shade. We're seeing designs that come from all over the country, which designers give to sell to developers and builders. It becomes a style, and people go through the Sunday newspaper, and all the styles are very similar. They're a little bit eclectic, but they're basically ranch style houses with a little bit more decoration. There are steeper roofs and there are sunroofs here. But that's all they're doing is decorating the fronts.
As far as having an architect instead of doing-it-yourself, the most important thing to consider when doing remodeling would be that need to value ration. How much do you need? How much can you pay for or do you want to pay for? And make that decision early.
