Looking Back: Ten Years of Luxury Construction Trends in Los Angeles (2013 Recap)
A look back at the decade of luxury construction trends across LA — from the rise of open plans to the return of the formal dining room.
At year-end 2013, our team at New Horizon Development looked back at a decade of luxury construction trends across LA. Some observations that have aged surprisingly well — and a few that haven't.
The open plan won, then quietly lost
The mid-2000s open plan is on its way out at the top of the market. Clients want defined rooms again — a real dining room, a real library, a real family room — connected by generous openings but not collapsed into one volume.
The scullery came back
The working back kitchen has returned as a standard feature. This is a very old idea; it has simply been rediscovered.
Steel casement windows are everywhere
The clean-lined steel casement — long favored by the great LA architects of the 1930s — has been the dominant window story of the last decade.
The primary suite is a wing
The primary suite has grown from a bedroom-plus-bath into a wing of its own, often occupying an entire floor of the residence.
Ten years on, the profession still gets the same questions from luxury clients — and we still answer them the same way. Design for how the family actually lives; build for how long you want the house to last.
