Since the pandemic in 2020, many homeowners seek to improve life at home through remodels, additions or new home construction. Although many of us are now going back to the theater, movies, gyms, exercise classes or public pools, luxurious home features continue to remain in high demand. This article focuses on luxurious features such as swimming pools, saunas, spas, exercise rooms, home theater system, and soundproof music rooms.
1. Home swimming pools
A home pool can provide not only joy and great exercise, but a pool’s cold water can be good for your health. Although it’s too late to build an inground swimming pool for this summer, we recommend you start planning soon if you want a home swimming pool in a year from now. There are a limited number of inground pool contractors in the greater Portland area and they are in demand. Before you bring in a contractor, we recommend hiring a professional to draw up your plans. When you take the time to plan carefully, you can create the best indoor swimming pool or outdoor swimming pool for you.
When designing your inground home pool, we recommend you consider the following features:
- Your inground pool and its size Shape and depth should be based on how you want to use it such as lap swimming or recreational swimming with an ample shallow portion.
- Placement on property The pool’s placement is best placed away from trees because there are no automatic pool vacuums that can keep up with falling leaves. Also, using a pool cover after each use can become tiresome, so being away from any foliage will give you the best ease for maintenance.
- Custom or prefab Your pool options start with either a prefabricated pool delivered to your house in one piece or a custom pool shell. The patio around it can be as small or large as you want, depending on how much you plan on lounging or entertaining near the pool.
- Mood and materials Each pool has its own personality, from a calming dark pool to a vibrant turquoise pool. Identifying what type of pool best inspires you will help a designer select materials and the pool design.
- Solving for slopes A home infinity pool is popular and can create the impression of connecting towards the horizon, and can be a good solution for a sloped landscape.
- Connection to home Your pool is best designed as an extension or additional element to the style and architecture of your home. There are also functional questions to ask yourself: where do you want the swimmer to change? Do you want easy access to a bathroom? How about access to quick eats or drinks?
Consider incorporating elements that are both functional and integrate well with the rest of the home, such as an exterior screen or pool screen.
2. Home spas, hot tubs and saunas
Spas, hot tubs or saunas will extend the amount of time in the season to use a pool, because you can get warm before a swim, so long as you are in good enough health to handle a hot to cold experience. In fact, there’s enough evidence that a hot and cold experience increases your immunity and even mental health.
If you are not building a pool, a spa or a hot tub is still a wonderful property destination, giving more enjoyable time outdoors all year long. A spa usually refers to an in-ground structure similar whereas a hot tub is above ground and can be, with some effort, “portable”.
Spas or hot tubs are typically used by homeowners when in the company of others, especially family.
Saunas are not just enjoyable, but are good for your health, helping your body detox. There are different types of saunas, and before building one into your home or outside on your property, it’s good to know which you would prefer: steam sauna, dry sauna, steam bath, or infrared therapy sauna. You also have the option to purchase a prefabricated spa kit or a custom spa.
3. Luxury home gyms
There’s a difference between using your basement or garage as your home exercise room, versus creating that perfect place for your home gym with design-intent. You may even find that you work out more because you love this well-designed exercise room so much.
When building a new space, home exercise room ideas include:
- Quick access to a hot tub, spa, sauna and/or pool
- Shower room adjacent to the gym
- Bench nearby for adjusting shoes or clothing
- Soundproofing of walls to limit the noise within the home
- Temperature controls to keep it as cool or hot as you like
- Use of natural light with outdoor spaces
- Ample ceiling height
- Monitor placement that avoids natural light glare
- Smart Home features give you a smart home gym that can include voice-command lighting with voice command targeted entertainment.
Consider the placement of a home exercise room, such as quick access to a pool or hot tub, or an adjacent shower room.
4. Home theater and music rooms
Now that we can own large high resolution TV screens accompanied with TV surround sound systems, there has become less motivation to leave the home and go to the movies. In addition, when homeowners build a room dedicated to entertainment or music, we have seen that these rooms get used and fully enjoyed.
The most important feature of a home theater room or music room is the soundproofing. It is possible to have these rooms adjacent to rooms that need quiet through soundproofing done by specialized contractors who deeply understand how sound travels.
About Hamish Murray Construction Inc.
At Hamish Murray Construction Inc., we believe your entire home should be built to meet your unique needs. This is true whether you’re remodeling, building a new addition or planning a new construction home. We recommend working with an architect to plan a design that suits your personal needs and preferences. We specialize in taking that design and vision and transforming it into a real, usable space with the highest quality materials, products, and craftsmanship. We seek to build each project on schedule and on budget, and always with top-notch quality results. Our portfolio can be found here.
With an office located in SW Portland, we solely work with independent architects and designers, and we are all about building long-term lasting relationships. We would be happy to refer you to the right professional to help you start planning your new home project.
Contact us
We’d love to meet you. Contact us or call us at (503) 460-7203 with questions you have, or ask us about our philosophy, experience, or any other question that is on your mind.