Since 9/11, area homeowners have been shifting toward upgrading their homes and yards to create their own sanctuaries for entertaining and relaxing.
It started with reluctance by many to travel far from home. Then, as Baby Boomers age, many are seeking everyday relaxation and peace. Now, with the current economy, some find that putting their resources into home extras can be more cost-effective than other pursuits they spent money on in the past.
"I think that Baby Boomers are reaching a point in their lives when maybe they’re less apt to travel," says Kirt Schwarm, manager at Zillges Materials in Oshkosh. "Maybe they’re looking to relax a little more than play. People are taking shorter vacations and enjoying these things around their home.
"When you think of all the toys adults can buy, they can be very expensive and have a very short use on an annual basis — $8,000 to $10,000 for a hot tub may not seem like such an expensive proposition for something you can use 365 days a year."
Schwarm says the majority of hot tubs are installed outdoors as part of a trend toward more extensive outdoor living spaces. Many people find them a relaxing, therapeutic way to enjoy the best attributes of water without leaving their own homes.
"Hot tubs used to be considered a party kind of thing, but we’re seeing more of an emphasis now on therapy and relaxation," says Schwarm, "When you put a tub outside and it is a calm day of 10 to 15 degrees, when you sit in 104-degree water, it’s very warm. There’s nothing better in life than sitting in a hot tub looking up at the sky with snowflakes coming down."
Options include different lighting systems, fountains, music systems and electronic entertainment.
Water features, fire pits or fireplaces, patios and grilling areas extend the home’s living space and offer new ways for homeowners to entertain and relax.
The hypnotic qualities of fire also lead many owners to add indoor fireplaces, Schwarm says.
"Most people are mesmerized by fire and running water," he says. "There’s a fascination, a soothingness. Having a fireplace in a home creates a sense of independence and security. In some cases, fireplaces are for efficiency, but in many places it’s purely aesthetics."
Schwarm says new fireplace designs respond to this innate need. Most now offer larger fireplace openings with unobstructed glass fronts.
"All people want to see is the glass and the flames," he says.
Many people are adding multiple fireplaces — not just in the family room but also in kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, Schwarm says. Styles can be matched to any decor, and many fireplaces are built vertically or in an extra-wide horizontal design at eye level.
Andrew Smith, landscape designer with Stuarts Landscaping and Garden Centers in Oshkosh, also has seen increased demand for fireplaces and expanded outdoor living environments.
"There are full outdoor fireplaces, outdoor kitchens with grills and ranges, built-in sinks and refrigerators," he says. "Any luxury you have on the inside can be extended to the outside. It’s the whole concept of outdoor living. The quality and variety of outdoor furniture that’s available has increased greatly, and outdoor structures provide shade and a sense of space in the yard."
Smith says many people looking at these sorts of additions are working hard and may not arrive home until later in the evening.
"You want to be able to maximize that time you have at home," he says. "On a nice July evening, sitting under the stars with a fire roaring in the fireplace and sipping a glass of wine is all the resort a lot of people need. Making that sort of investment in your home is never a bad thing."
New designs in landscape lighting are a huge part of the outdoor living environment. They offer low-voltage mood lighting and fully automated systems that allow greater control of the light.
"Less is more," says Smith. "You’re not trying to make it look like Vegas. You’re putting just the right amount of lighting where you want it to create a mood."
Smith says water features are still popular outside, but homeowners are getting away from higher-maintenance ponds and now are adding pondless waterfalls.
"You still get the sound of running water, but the systems recirculate and they become very maintenance-free," he says. "You just treat the water with a chlorine tablet to keep the algae down and occasionally have to clean leaves off the waterfall. Children or dogs won’t fall into the water."
Home shows on television are the source of many home improvement ideas.
"They see what’s possible and are out there looking for it," says Smith. "If they can afford it, they’ve started to implement these ‘rooms’ in the landscape. It’s a sense of changing values. [Outdoor spaces offer] a place to reconnect with family and gather in a space that’s comfortable and beautiful. People would rather reinvest in their house than lose their money in the market."
Family entertainment and convenience also are important inside the home, according to George Webster, general manager of Suess Electronics in Appleton.
"The home of the 21st century is now here," he says. "We are seeing lots of people coming in and requesting the ability to control the lighting in their homes."
Webster says with multiple light switches and electronics in every room, many larger homes can take a 20-minute nightly round to turn everything off. Controls now allow homeowners to handle all the lights in their home with one button, turn on a pathway of light as they enter the home from the garage, or set up a vacation mode to simulate an occupied home.
Families also are adding whole-house intercoms that integrate the phone system. Instead of the traditional "blob-on-the-wall" intercom, Webster says, new systems incorporate multiple phone lines and allow communication between rooms, through the entire house, or with visitors at the door.
"People expect to have a phone in the home anyway, and this really is an elegant and sophisticated way to communicate within the home," he says.
These systems also allow people á
on their way home to turn on the lights or turn up the heat so the home is ready and waiting for them when they arrive.
Upscale entertainment rooms can be used 24/7. Home theaters with sound systems, a projector, a large screen upwards of 100 inches, source equipment like cable, satellite or high-definition DVD, and theater-style seating are becoming a focal point of many homes.
Webster says many homeowners are switching from hard-media CDs and DVDs to systems integrated with stored media on an iPod or a connection to a movie rental service that offers access to 14,000 movies at the touch of a button.
"That’s changing how we think about things," he says. "We’re simply ordering something that appears instantly and in high definition. This can connect to any TV, but we’re seeing many of our customers buy one who also are purchasing big screens or home theaters."
Webster said home theaters can be expensive, "but there’s nothing wrong with a build-up approach. It allows someone, over a period of time, to build a system they’re proud to own rather than settling for something they buy right away. In home theaters, projectors are now very inexpensive. But the quality of the screen is important. You should spend the money on the screen because the screen will last forever. You could purchase a good screen with a less expensive projector and upgrade the projector later."
Remote controls also can be upgraded to reflect new technology that might be added over time.
"Especially with what we’re experiencing in the economy, people still need to be entertained," says Webster. "We are seeing more of this cocooning or nesting. Modern consumer electronics are affordable and allow lots of options to keep the family entertained and together."
