Builders show: texture on tap - National Association of Home Builders show; effect on sale of bed and bath linens

Builders Show: Texture on Tap

As more people make their homes the center of their social lives, vendors are emphasizing a return to natural materials and more opulent-looking surfaces

The new American home will be lighter and brighter than in the past, with greatly expanded use of natural and natural-look materials like marble and hardwoods.

That seemed to be the consensus of vendors, designers and housing experts at the National Association of Home Builders trade show held in Atlanta late in January.

While color directions were fairly pronounced (tending toward the Southwest look), a corresponding trend toward natural materials and textures may prove to be more significant in the long run. Favored natural textures included luxurious hardwoods, mineral looks, faux stones, marble and bronze.

Also, the cocooning trend has moved into the house building industry, resulting in self-contained and opulently appointed master bedroom suites.

The increase in attention to texture took several forms. Kohler, Wis.-based Kohler, a leader in design and color direction, introduced textured bathroom fixtures in three different designs, one an abstract called Serpentine, another a floral pattern called Garland and the third a modern geometric. Texture, the company said, adds to perception of color and appeals to the sense of touch.

Texture was also highlighted with the introduction of teak, mahogany and other wooden bath fixtures, by Kohler, Eljer and others.

The Best in American Living Awards, sponsored by NAHB, Better Homes and Gardens magazine and the Professional Builders Association, noted several key building trends among the 550 entries received. The most dramatic was a return to regional traditionalism, a logical consequence of consumer preferences for traditional looks like Country and French Country.

Regional winners included a takeoff on a New England saltbox and a variation on a traditional Florida cracker home. Mission styles were popular in the Southwest.

Concurrently, there was a national trend to more and more openness, with less differentiation between rooms and more windows and skylights. Rooms tended to blur into one another, with "natural stopping places" serving the function of doors.

Ultra-private master bedroom suites were very common, replacing the more traditional family room as the primary day-to-day living space.

The result is an airier, more open environment, leading, one may conclude, to the use of lighter, airier colors in interior furnishings.

Winning architects and designers also paid more attention to detail than in the past, adding interior appointments like columns, arches, rounded walls and unusual windows. There was also a tendency toward integrating indoor and and outdoor environments through courtyards, verandas, solariums and huge windows with dramatic views. Coincident with joining the indoors and outdoors, architects further blurred the distinction in their use of both color and natural and natural-look materials.

A dominant color direction was a dark, almost teal green, with white carrying on a dramatic comeback. Other popular colors included almond, black, Vermont blue and rosy peach. In a phrase, the design direction this year can be summed up as sun, foliage, wood and stone.

That direction was clear in both in the introduction and design of new housing products. Temple, Texas-based Wilsonart, a leader in the decorative laminate field, introduced a new collection of hardwood laminated products called Craftwood. The company has attached 16 real wood veneers to laminated backs. Among the 16 are teak, African mahogany, knotty pine, red oak, zebrawood, walnut and rosewood. More exotic woods are available on a special order basis.

In tile, dramatic contemporary motifs and classic, elegant traditional looks seemed to be garnering significant attention. International American Ceramics, for instance, showed a contemporary, yet classical look in its Parthenon 8-inch by 10 inch tile, available in pewter (a hot color around the show), fleece, blush and a dramatic graphite.

Fixtures, particularly in the bath, were very elegant, with whirlpool and sauna appointments becoming stock, not luxury, features. Kohler offered several new lines of fixturing apart from its textured collections.

What most of the new products have in common, according to Dave Harrison, vice president, sales, is a movement away from hard edges to a softer, more romantic look that suggests natural shapes.

Apart from the crowd pleasing teak bath/whirlpool combo at the front of its booth, Kohler showed a strong design direction in its Vintage bathroom suite collection. The collection is dramatic, but it strongly suggests the early 20th century, with a pedestal lavatory and a "stand-alone"-style bath. The cleaned-up country design and optional wood highlights were thoroughly up-to-date, but the overall flavor was traditional.

Kohler also showed a collection of "biomorphic" design fixtures called Fleur. Produced by a Kohler subsidiary in France, the fixtures feature soft lines and an almost organic feel.

Eljer, another major player in the bath fixture market, also showed highly textured products under the name Contoura, along with dramatically modern collections like Personal Choices and Palermo. The company also introduced a series of classic (early 19th century) faucets, updated in brass and chrome, and a wild brass bathroom ensemble.

These groupings seem to be in line with what American consumers are looking for. In a recent NAHB study, consumers indicated that they want a combination of classic features (large kitchen, fireplaces, etc.) with modern conveniences (built-in microwaves, steam showers and stand-alone shower stalls.)

Consumers are willing to make sacrifices to get what they want. Asked what they would give up to have the features they considered most necessary, 36 percent of prospective house buyers said they would accept an expandable starter house and 35 percent said they would commute further to work.

In contrast, only 11 percent said that they would make do with fewer amenities, and only 5 percent would settle for a smaller bedroom. Also, only 5 percent would accept smaller or fewer bathrooms.

Those figures strongly indicate that the concept of a home as a cocoon, a comfortable and well-appointed refuge from the world, is very important to today's consumer. The preference for open spaces rather than closed-off rooms is related to a growing preference for entertaining at home, as is consumers' desire for large, well-equipped kitchens.

As people spend more time at home, and make their house the center of their social lives, the attention to detail will increase. Over 95 percent of potential homebuyers listed "quality workmanship" as a very important consideration in the decision to buy, easily eclipsing such variables as location, exterior appearance, energy features, and convenience to work, shopping and schools.

The net result of these trends should be an ever-increasing attention to interior decoration and comfort--and an expanding market for home fashions retailers.

PHOTO : Kohler`s bathroom suite collection evokes a romantic longing for early 20th century

PHOTO : luxury.

PHOTO : Teak whirlpool bath dramatizes the trend toward natural materials.

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