Designing for Trends Not Fads

Sater Design Collection was established in 1994. Since that day we have been designing house plans with trends and not fads in mind. Trends have a much longer life span than fads. Frank Lloyd Wright set a trend for prairie style houses back in 1909. A trend that persists today.

When you look through our house plans you will see some very strong trends. We feel these features follow a trend of usability and sustainability. Hopefully some of our customer’s homes will be around for 100+ years like The Robie House, and they will still be as relevant then as they are today.

The Open Floor Plan Trend

Many of our house plans feature an open floor plan style. A good example of this is the Caspian model (9005) - with the kitchen, great room, and dining area all open to each other. The focus is placed on the people in those spaces and not on the rooms themselves.

When the zero-corner glass walls are opened up, the large open interior space blends with the veranda and outdoor kitchen. This brings the outdoors inside, making the home feel limitless. The desire to feel more connected to the environment around us is a trend that has not, and will not, fade.

The Narrow Lot Home Trend

They say land is a good investment because they are not making any more of it. The trend for quite a long time now has been for more and more carefully designed communities. These communities use the available space as economically as possible. This has resulted in a need for house designs that can fit on a narrow lot.

A great example of this trend is our Anvard model (9004). This is an award-winning house plan specifically designed for use on a narrow lot. With narrow lots it is even more important for a home to live larger than it actually is.

The Anvard features an open floor plan just like the Caspian. The kitchen is situated to look out over the great room and the dining area with the patio beyond. When the pocketed glass doors are opened, almost one third of the home is opened up to the outside. When the glass doors open, its large patio and covered solana make this home feels much larger than its 2779 sq. ft. of living space.

The Cabanas & Separate Guest Suite Trend

A cabana might not be associated with multi-generational homes, but they are. A cabana is not necessarily a luxury feature. However, it can be a very practical component to a modern home.

Between the aging population, longer life spans, and at times a poor economy, there has never been a time when extra separate living space has been needed more. A cabana with its own full bath can have many uses beyond entertaining over night guests.

The ability to give a family member their own living space is a trend we have always believed in. The Bingley is one of our latest examples of this trend. The Bingley offers a generous cabana with its own full bath. The cabana also offers access to the back yard. There is also has a 3-car garage which enhances this plans ability to be a true multi-generational home.

What is Your Designer Following?

Fads can be fun. Who doesn’t like a brown polyester suit with white platform disco shoes? But as fun as those things are, they do not stand the test of time. And that is really the difference between a fad and a trend.

It is important to know the designer you get your house plan from understands the difference between a fad and a trend. Sater Design Collection has known this difference for over 24 years. All of our plans have been designed with an appreciation of the past and an eye towards the future.