To use a phrase coined by Lewis Carroll in the notable novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” to his young protagonist Alice, things are getting “curiouser and curiouser,” not just through the “Looking Glass,” but also in the residential construction industry. After rebounding from the COVID pandemic’s supply chain disruptions, historically high demand and low building supplies, home builders and buyers are being buffeted by four new forces that have both sides of the business proposition— the builder and the buyer— recalculating their strategies.
 

Just ask anyone sitting in the dark, unable to warm up some soup in the microwave, or even stop the wind and rain from blowing in through a gaping hole in what was once the living room wall! Spring storms can be devastating. 
 

During the 1950s and 1960s, a sure sign that a family had “made it” was a swimming pool in the backyard. Spring forward to the 2020s, and this former “badge” of affluence is now worn by a lot more people, many of whom would be considered middle-income families. 

Making a home more eco-friendly is no longer a “go for broke” proposition. Consider the opinion of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the man who created Sherlock Holmes, literature’s master of logic and deduction. He said, “The little things are infinitely the most important.” They also tend to be the most economical. For those who want to make their home “greener,” the ways to accomplish this are elementary, my dear Watson.

Those tastemakers who influence home design trends—bloggers, hosts of home improvement shows, social media mavens, and high-profile architects—are leading the charge toward the “European” look of painted brick. Most of these “influencers” still love the natural warmth of traditional brick, but creative people, like architects, designers, and homeowners who are their clients, crave choices! 

For more than 30 years, homeowners have loved the look and durability of porcelain tile. Now, this flooring product has found even more fans. The home design experts attribute this to its “regenerative” capacity.