(3.5-min read)

As you begin to design your new home, the lighting options have never been more abundant. In fact, they may be downright intimidating. Between the different hues, fixture styles, and materials, it can be hard to know where to begin! One immensely popular option for any space of your home is recessed lighting. But just because its popular may not make it the right choice for your new home construction. In this piece, we’re going to look at the pros and cons of recessed lighting. 

Pros of Recessed Lighting

Tucked Away for a Larger Feel

Recessed lighting really shines (pardon the pun) in how expansive it can make your ceilings feel. Standard hanging light fixtures, even if they’re only hanging inches from the ceiling, can make it feel that much lower. Recessed lights provide a much more expansive feel to the ceiling. 

More Room For Activities

Not only does recessed lighting offer the illusion of higher ceilings, but they actually provide more space in tighter areas. Even a few more inches of space can be immensely helpful in tighter spaces such as bathrooms, closets, hallways, or kitchens. 

Highlight Objects or Spaces

Much like directional track lighting, recessed lighting fixtures can be used to bring intension to certain aspects of a room. Having recessed fixtures over framed photos, paintings, or sculptures immediately attracts the eye to such stunning pieces of art. 

Recessed Lighting Classes Up The Joint

While there are classy ways of dressing up a space with other forms of lighting, few compare to the “expensive” feel of recessed lighting—despite recessed lighting not being much more expensive. For a high-dollar look, recessed lighting certainly helps sell the luxury and class of the space. 

The Cons of Recessed Lighting 

Dark Ceilings

Recessed lighting is excellent for shining light down from the ceiling, but not at illuminating the ceiling itself. While hanging lighting fixtures still give off a bit of light on their backside that shines back up into the ceiling, the back of the recessed lighting fixture is invisible. Some call this the “cave effect” due to the dark ceiling. Still, some actually like the cave effect, as it makes the room feel a little more spacious and relaxed in the evenings. This is a matter of preference. 

Energy Inefficiency

Unlike other lighting fixtures that only require the drilling of small holes into the ceiling, recessed lighting involves the drilling of reasonably large holes in the ceiling. Though modern recessed lighting fixtures have a great deal of insulation to attempt to remedy energy inefficiencies, many of these inefficiencies still exist. If you have many recessed fixtures in a single room (maybe to combat the “cave effect”), you’re looking at a potentially leaky space that either lets out heat in the winter or cool air in the summer. 

Is Recessed Lighting Worth It? 

Ultimately, installing recessed lighting or not in your new home construction is a matter of preference. These fixtures can offer an immensely spacious and elegant vibe, but may also keep your ceilings themselves in the dark while proving to hike energy bills. 

Need Help Deciding? 

Receive professional new home construction consultation from the property experts. You’re invited to get to know the professionals from Perry Hood Properties and get started designing and building your dream home. 

(4-min read)

Few other home styles have weathered the storm of design fads like the ranch-style home. Let’s take a look at why these homes initially took off and why they remain popular among home buyers and even home builders. 

How the Ranch Home Came to Be

Though associated with the post-WWII boom in housing, ranch-style homes initially landed in the hearts of Americans at the beginning of the 20th century. The two main selling features of ranch-style homes each contributed to the other—simplicity and price. Probably some of the first open-concept homes of their kind, ranch-style homes featured very expansive living/dining room areas offset by bedrooms and low-graded roofs. Though typically one-story, part of their popularity grew from the ease of their expandability through the option for a split-level layout is so desired. Ranch-style homes were incredibly simple, which allowed for limitless customization for occupants. Whereas traditional floor plans more-or-less dictated furniture placement and space usage, ranch-style homes included expansive spaces that could be used or set up however the homeowner so desired. 

Why “Ranch” Style? 

Despite the majority of ranch-style homes not existing anywhere near a ranch, the “ranch” name came from the Spanish colonial inspiration prevalent in California, Nevada, Arizona, and other parts of the American Southwest. The open layout and low-grade roofs proved popular in more desert climates but were equally as effective in other parts of the country. 

The Ranch-Style Boom

As World War II came to a close and millions of families sought suitable housing during the Baby Boom of the 1940s and 1950s, the new construction of ranch-style homes exploded. Part of the reason for the expansion was due to the home’s flexible design, simple construction, and customization. Few other styles of a house could fit the different needs, styles, and preferences of millions of families. Ranch-style homes could conform to the needs of families of varying socioeconomic levels and were incredibly simple to expand. They could be built upon basements in the upper Midwest or on concrete slabs in areas with rockier soil. Their exteriors could be outfitted with brick, wood, stucco, or siding. They could comfortably accommodate an attached garage or not. The main living room could have a dividing wall to assign space to a dining room or not and could lead straight back out to a patio…or not. 

The End of the Ranch-Style Boom

Somewhere around the 1970s, the number of ranch-style homes being built started to subside. The primary reason was the desire for larger homes. The majority of ranch-style homes ran from 1,000 to 2,000 square foot in size. Modern tastes can require homes to run in the 3,000 square foot ranges or even higher. 

Who Still Likes Ranch-Style Houses?

Despite many people seeking out multi-level homes to maximize their square footage options, according to a 2019 Google keyword study, more people were searching for ranch-style homes than any other style of dwelling. One theory is that younger families may be looking for smaller places in the more historic areas. Another theory is the growing number of empty-nest Baby Boomers looking to downsize their home to a more manageable one-story home that reminds them of their upbringing. Other theories point to new homeowners preferring minimalistic homes with retro flair. Whatever the reason, all signs point to a resurgence in the popularity of the ranch-style home layout. 

New Home Construction in Tulsa, OK

If you’re looking for quality new home construction services in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, you’re invited to meet with the new property professionals at Perry Hood Properties. Whether you prefer something ranch-inspired or far from it, the custom home builder experts from Perry Hood Properties can deliver your dream home that exceeds your expectations. 

(4.5-min read)

“Open floor plans are all the rage these days.” 

Most new home construction today is indeed done so in what is called an “open floor plan.” In a house with an open floor plan, aside from the bedroom and bathrooms, more common areas flow into each other with a higher level of openness than traditional floor plans. There are many reasons why open floor plans have taken off in style and function, but let’s quickly take a look at their traditional floor plan counterparts. 

Traditional Home Floor Plans

Believe it or not, there once was a time when one couldn’t see the kitchen from the living room or even the dining room of a house. In most homes before around the 1940s to 1960s, homes were primarily compartmentalized. If you’ve ever visited one of these homes, you would notice a separate front room, living room, dining room, and kitchen—none of which allowed for easy communication between each room’s inhabitants. This compartmentalization going back centuries was due primarily to the challenges associated with heating and cooling the spaces. Large open spaces require a combination of powerful HVAC units and efficient insulation—neither of which was affordable until around the 1970s for many families. Around this time is when we see a sharp uptick in new home construction utilizing what would be called an “open floor plan.” 

Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans didn’t immediately connect all common spaces in a home the way many do today. Starting in around the 1970s, open floor plans began mainly by removing the walls between the kitchens and dining spaces. As HVAC units grew increasingly efficient and adequate insulation more abundant, more and more sections of new homes opened up to one another for a more substantial feel. Open floor plans exploded in popularity. Despite this, they still had their negative attributes. 

Pros of Open Floor Plans

Enhanced Socializing

Open floor plans make communicating and socializing across spaces in the home effortless. Someone cooking in the kitchen can easily maintain a conversation with someone lounging in the living room or a child doing homework at the dining room table. 

Furniture Positioning Flexibility

With many traditional floorplan layouts, furniture positioning options were limited. With open floor plans, specific spaces can be customized for different needs with the simple placement of a piece of furniture. 

Multifunctional Spaces

With open floor plans, one space can be a living room, entertainment room, office, or homework spot all in one. Other areas can double, triple, or even quadruple in purpose. 

More Shared Natural Light

Open floor plans mean fewer walls to block out natural sunlight from the windows. This greater access to windows means an even more open and luxurious feel. 

Cons of Open Floor Plans

Expensive Temperature Control

Open spaces will always be less efficient to heat or cool. Though better insulation and modern windows can limit the influence of outside air on inside temperatures, it will always be less efficient with larger spaces. 

Noise Control and Lack of Privacy

One of the greatest detractors of open floor plans is a lack of sound control or privacy. If someone wants to watch a movie undisturbed while someone else is entertaining friends and still someone else needs to work on homework, all three groups are at odds with each other. 

Cleanliness & Upkeep

The more open sections of a home are to each other, the more dirt, clutter, and mess can move from place to place. Also, simply because of the sheer quantity of furniture and accessories in what feels like a single “space,” open floor plan homes can feel less tidy and more cluttered. 

Finding a Palatable Solution

One of the best ways to ensure your home achieves the best flow with the minimal downsides is with a custom floorplan. New home construction is more accessible and customizable now than it ever has been in the past. It’s never been easier to work with architects and builders to achieve the house that appeals to both your modern open and traditionally compartmentalized preferences. 

New Home Construction in the Great Tulsa, OK Area

If you’re considering new home construction in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, you’re invited to meet with the residential property professionals from Perry Hood Properties.

(3-min read)

No matter how modern home design becomes, there will always be a yearning for a touch of old-world charm. Some opt for natural wood tones. Others prefer a more traditional floor plan. These are superb options. Still, a sure-fire way to obtain a traditional coziness is with exposed rafter beams. But why are exposed rafter beams so appealing, and how can you achieve them? 

Let’s Go Back

Believe it or not, those massive beams overhead in many homes were not originally there to give off a rugged, architectural aesthetic. Many are there to hold up the house! Before the advent of modern HVAC, raised ceilings were less about making a room feel more substantial in traditional homes than they were to supply a place for heat to go during the warmer months. The heat in a room only rises as far as the ceiling will let it, making raised ceilings a must for homes in places with brutal summers. With exposed ceilings comes exposed framing. This framing not only held up the roof of the house, but also the weight of the upper floors. 

Where’d They Go? 

As the residential HVAC systems became more common, the need for higher ceilings mostly went away. Instead, homeowners sought to keep their energy bills lower. Lower bills also meant lower ceilings as a means of causing air conditioners and heaters not to exert as much energy altering the temperatures of the headspace. As ceilings came lower, exposed rafter beams became covered by sheetrock, plaster, and other materials. 

Don’t Call it a Comeback

So, why have exposed rafter beams made a return to interior design? Simply put, insulation has gotten better and cheaper. While, yes, a homeowner can expect to pay more in utilities to heat or cool a come with expansive ceilings, innovations in home and window insulation have significantly reduced the price of regulating the temperatures of high-ceiling homes. This increased insulation efficiency has led to new home construction that features open ceilings with exposed rafter beams.

But what about ceiling beams in interior design? 

Decorative Ceiling Beams

The cozy charm of exposed rafter beams has inspired home renovators or those building new homes to consider exposed ceiling beams solely for decorative reasons. There’s only one problem for many of them—the frame of their homes don’t require such beams. For this reason, some have opted to install overhead beams purely for their aesthetic appeal. These beams can add the cozy kitsch of a log cabin getaway in any lower-ceiled room as much as they can in living rooms with raised ceilings. It’s never been easier to achieve the best of both worlds—modern construction and old-world charm from exposed rafter ceiling beams. 

Whatever You Want—It’s Your New Home Construction

Trying to fit your design preferences into an existing home can be difficult. For this reason, many have opted to custom build a new home to their specifications. If this sounds more up your alley, the home construction professionals from Perry Hood Properties can help you design and build the home of your dreams in the Greater Tulsa, OK area.