When working on a project with a client, we often get asked our personal opinions about things. “If it were your house, what would you do.” The truth is, we all have different likes, dislikes, needs and wants not to mention we all have different habits and function in our homes differently. In this week’s blog, instead of discussing what we’d do in our house, we thought we’d list a few things clients decided to put in their homes and rave about how happy they are that they decided to do so.

1 - pot-filler

We have heard from numerous people that having a pot filler in their kitchen feels like the epitome of luxury. When building a custom home, it seems we always include this additional plumbing fixture. A pot filler doesn’t have to be installed just over the stove these days either. New trends are seeing these handy fixtures used in numerous applications, from hidden coffee bars to quick access pet stations. It can add a few hundred dollars to your budget, but based on feedback, it is 100% worth it.

2 - built-in ironing board

If you’re a millennial reading this, you will probably disagree. You personally may not even own an iron (like some millennials in our office here.) However, if you often wear a suit, have kids with uniforms or simply like to take pride in your appearance, which means wearing a nice crisp shirt or pants, a built-in ironing board is a must. There are so many interesting and clever ways to incorporate it into your laundry room these days.

3 - framed televisions

In 2018 when these TV’s first came their price was outrageous. Nowadays, they are sold for the same price as any other TV, you just need to purchase the frame additionally. Installing these TVs has became more and more popular among our clients, the idea of seeing a piece of art instead of a big, black rectangle has been very appealing. Our favourite way of installing these beauties? Include them in gallery walls! Placement can be tricky, but we have an expert or two here that can help out.

4 - universal sinks

While apron front sinks are still very popular, universal sinks are creeping up right behind them. These sinks come in multiple finishes, can be top mounted or undermount and fit in multiple budgets. Their main selling feature are the numerous accessories that come with them; strainers, cutting boards, drying racks, drain boards. These integrated tools can be customized in placement and some even nest into each other, to make cooking and cleaning up a breeze.

5 - smart home systems

There are so many smart home systems out there, we could hold a seminar on them. The one that our electricians like to work with is the Control4 system. The first time we installed it, years ago, we didn’t know much about it other than that it eliminates having millions of light switches throughout your home. Now you can just go to one little screen in your home (or in some cases even just your smart phone) and control almost everything in your home; the lights, sound, security, heating and more! Approximately 9 out of 10 clients include this in their must haves over the last few years, but like all things listed above, it’s not for everyone.

Have any of these piqued your interest? Or perhaps after reading this you’ll be googling what we’re talking about. As mentioned, we all have our own preferences, but these seem to be the top trending favourites amongst our clients in recent years. Do you have anything in your home that you didn’t know you needed? Or something you have to have next time you renovate or move? Let us know, maybe it’ll be of interest to our clients :)

Happy Thursday!