When Designing Your Custom Home, Consider the Holidays

Holidays can be so much fun—all the incredible decorations, gatherings with family and friends, and all the amazing smells from the kitchen. If you're one of those people who love the holidays, you'll want to think about them as you design your custom home.

In this article, we'll talk about the design touches that can make a difference when it's time to celebrate the holidays. From smart storage spaces to a kitchen built for entertaining, you can fill your house with features that make life easier during the holidays and year-round.

Build Holiday Storage into the Design

Holiday Decorations

Most of the year, your holiday decorations sit in boxes, out of sight and out of mind. When it's time to use your holiday decorations, it's helpful if they're organized and easy to access. Storage is often one of the last things people think about when stating their needs for their new home, but storage is essential if you have boxes and boxes of holiday decorations.

Work with your home builder to create storage spaces where your decorations can easily fit without being in the way. Typically, you'll have some storage space in the basement. But carrying decorations up and down stairs is no fun, and the area that is left after everything else you want might not be large enough for what you own.

Consider a storage room on the main level or storage space in the garage. A third or extended garage bay can be helpful for storage if your lot allows it. If square footage is a concern, and the height of the ceiling in the garage will be tall enough, you might consider a motorized overhead storage system. The cost of these systems is less than the cost of additional square footage, and it makes excellent use of space you otherwise wouldn't use.    

Holiday Dishes, Serving Trays & Platters

Whether it is for the holidays or you love to entertain year-round, where will you store your seasonal serving pieces and linens? Since you are building a custom home, you might consider a large walk-in pantry. Or, you might consider upper cabinets. The latest trend is adding cabinets above your cabinets, as shown in this photo. Of course, you can showcase your china by having cabinets with glass doors, or you can go with solid doors. We have seen these above 30-inch cabinets and 42-inch cabinets. If you go with cabinets over 42-inches, you'll need to be sure you have a ladder to reach them.

Coats

Do you throw parties over the holidays? Where will your guests hang their coats? You might think this is a no-brainer, but many homes are built without a coat closet, and a coat closet by the front door just makes sense. But you might consider two coat closets—one by the front door for guests and one by the garage door for you and your family.

While you're at it, talk to your builder about a built-in bench where your guests can sit down to remove their boots before taking off their coats. Benches can easily be designed for storage, where guests can leave umbrellas and other winter accessories. 

Add Electrical Capacity for Holiday Lighting

How many inflatables do you install on your lawn over the holidays? Do Santa and his reindeer live on your roof? Or do you love the holidays so much that you want your yard to be seen from the International Space Station? If you are the latter, you'll want to ensure that you have adequate power in your electrical panel to keep all those lights on and twinkling. 

In addition to adequate electricity, additional outlets make decorating easier. Add an outlet in the eaves to plug in lights around the roof without dangling unsightly extension cords down the siding. Add a switch for that outlet at the front door to turn your lights on and off easily. 

Other places to install outlets include:

• Front porch
• Back porch/patio/deck
• Garage
• In your landscaping

Keep in mind that the exterior isn't the only place where plenty of outlets must be available. Homes with an open layout have large expanses inside without walls. Let your builder know your decorating plans, so needed outlets can be placed in the floor to avoid running extension cords across your home's interior. And, if you have a fireplace with a mantel, you might also consider adding an electrical outlet in the mantel to plug in your Christmas village or mantel decorations.

Install LED Landscape Lighting

Most of the year, your landscape lighting serves the function of lighting your property and creating an outdoor ambiance. During the holidays, this lighting can have another purpose: to spread holiday cheer. Modern LED lights change colors easily, allowing you to create a nighttime landscape that shows your holiday spirit. The best lights are controlled by a smartphone and can be turned on and off with the touch of a button on an app.   

Build for Holiday Entertaining

If you love to gather large crowds of friends and family around you during the holidays, talk to your builder about creating spaces that facilitate entertaining. 

Whether you like sit-down dinners or prefer buffets, you might consider a movable kitchen island. For sit-down dinners without a dining room, the island can be moved out of the way to make space for additional leaves in an expandable kitchen table. If buffets are your preference, a movable island helps you to serve dinner without all your guests walking through your workspace.

Don't forget to add an extra bedroom or two to accommodate out-of-town guests, or better yet, consider building a guest suite to give everyone their own space and keep stress to a minimum.

Create a Spot to Showcase Your Tree

Nothing is more fun than setting up the holiday tree in a location where it is easily seen from the street. Not only do you get to enjoy your tree, but your neighbors will also as they drive by.

Consider a picture or specialty window where your holiday tree can be displayed. Add vaulted ceilings to make space for a tall, full tree. 

Contact Sugar Creek Homes

One of the reasons to build a custom home is so that your home will fit your lifestyle. Start planning for those future holidays with Sugar Creek Homes. Call today to get the conversation started.