More Than a Bathroom, It’s a Sanctuary!

As a Texas custom home builder, we know that the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s a space where we begin and end each day, so it’s important that it’s comfortable, functional and luxurious. With that in mind, we’ve put together some of the latest trends in bathroom design to help you create a unique and luxurious space in your home, and we’re always here to help!

Master Baths: A Private Retreat

Master baths are no longer just a place to wash up and get ready for the day. They have evolved into luxurious retreats where homeowners can unwind, relax and rejuvenate. Some of the latest trends in master bath design include:

  1. Spa-Like Features: Homeowners are incorporating spa-like features into their master baths, such as soaking tubs, steam showers and heated floors.
  2. Statement Lighting: Unique lighting fixtures can add a touch of glamour and drama to your master bath. Pendant lights, chandeliers and sconces are all popular choices.
  3. Unique Materials: Incorporating unique materials such as marble, onyx, and quartzite can add a touch of luxury and sophistication to your master bath.
  4. Heated floors: We know you don’t always need this feature in S. Texas, but it’s a wonderful addition on those chilly winter mornings and nights. 

Guest Baths: Style and Functionality

Guest baths are an opportunity to showcase your style and hospitality to your guests. Here are some of the latest trends in guest bath design:

  1. Bold Wallpapers: Bold and graphic wallpapers are making a comeback and can add a fun and playful touch to your guest bath.
  2. Vintage Fixtures: Vintage fixtures such as clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks and brass faucets can add a touch of character and charm to your guest bath.
  3. Floating Vanities: Floating vanities are sleek and modern and can make a small guest bath feel more spacious.

DIY Projects: Personal Touches

If you’re feeling creative and want to add a personal touch to your bathroom design, here are some DIY projects to consider:

  1. Painted Tile: If you have plain white tiles in your bathroom, consider painting them with stencils or patterns for a unique and colorful look.
  2. Custom Shower Curtains: Custom shower curtains can add a personal touch to your bathroom and can be made with a variety of fabrics and trims.
  3. Repurposed Furniture: Repurposing an old dresser or console table as a vanity can add a rustic touch to your bathroom design.

The latest trends in bathroom design are all about luxury, originality and, of course, functionality. Whether you’re designing a master bath or a guest bath, there are plenty of options to help you create a unique and stylish space that’s so much more than just a bathroom. As a Texas custom home builder, we can help you incorporate these trends into your custom home design to create a bathroom that is both beautiful and functional. Give us a call and let’s get started! 

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The Board and Batten Fad!

If you’re a fan of rustic or farmhouse-style design, you’ve probably seen board and batten accent walls popping up all over Pinterest and Instagram. It’s a look that’s really in style right now, according to Jason Gale, owner of Texas Signature Custom Homes. 

“What I find funny is everyone used to put the siding on the back in subdivisions where you have to have 75% masonry to hide it. Nowadays, people are putting it on the front and doing rock or stucco in the back because that’s the look they want!” he said. 

But what exactly is a board and batten accent wall, and why is it such an exciting trend in home design? 

As a Texas-based luxury home builder, we’re here to answer those questions and give you some ideas for incorporating this trend into your new or current home.

Board and batten is a type of siding that’s been used in traditional American architecture for centuries. It consists of wide, vertical boards (the “boards”) with narrow strips of wood (the “battens”) covering the gaps between them. This creates a textured, three-dimensional look that can add visual interest and depth to any wall. It’s becoming a more popular choice as opposed to using paint or wallpaper on an accent wall.

Of course, we love to incorporate this imaginative style into our client’s new custom homes, but you can also add one to an existing home, if you like to DIY! To create a board and batten accent wall, you’ll need to start with a smooth, flat surface. You may need to remove any existing trim or molding and use drywall to smooth out the surface.

Once you have a smooth surface, you can start adding the boards and battens. You can use pre-made board and batten siding, or you can create your own by cutting the boards and battens to size. The boards are usually 6-8 inches wide, and the battens are 1-2 inches wide. You can space the boards and battens however you like, but the most common spacing is about 12 inches between each board.

Now comes the fun part – choosing a design for your board and batten accent wall. You can create a simple, classic look with straight boards and battens, or you can get creative with different shapes and patterns. Some popular designs include X-shaped patterns, chevron patterns, and even diamond-shaped patterns. Truly, sky’s the limit here!

Incorporating different colors and finishes can also add visual appeal. You can paint the boards and battens different colors, or use different stains or finishes to create a textured, multi-dimensional look.

Whether we’re building a beautiful new dream home for you or you’re simply wanting to update your current space, a board and batten accent wall is a trend worth exploring. It can add character and charm to any room, and with so many design options, it’s a great way to express your personal style. 

At Texas Signature Custom Homes, we’re always excited to incorporate unique and original design elements into our homes, and we think board and batten accent walls are a perfect example of that.

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Get Inspired by These 2023 Home Design Trends!

Open-Concept Design in the Texas Hill Country Near Fredericksburg

2023 is promising to be an exciting year for luxury custom home building and design, with a range of cutting-edge and avant-garde trends emerging in the market. As a high-end luxury custom home builder in South Texas, we’re well-positioned to take advantage of these trends and bring them to life for our cherished clients.

One trend we’re seeing is a renewed focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Homeowners are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. This has led to the use of more sustainable building materials, like reclaimed wood and bamboo, as well as the incorporation of features like solar panels and green roofs.

As everyone’s electric and water bills are skyrocketing, it’s essential that we consider all of the sustainable tools available to us. We recently had the pleasure of installing a rainwater catchment system for our client in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg. She’s ecstatic about how pure and clean the water is – perfect for washing windows with no streaks! Additionally, we use spray foam insulation and tankless water heaters to cut down on electric bills. The upgraded costs typically pay for themselves within 12 months as the electric bills are DRASTICALLY reduced. 

Another trend we’re seeing grow is the use of technology to create smarter homes. From automated lighting and temperature control to voice-activated assistants, homeowners are looking for ways to make their homes more connected and convenient. We’re able to incorporate these technologies into our designs to offer our clients the ultimate in modern luxury.

Another exciting trend that brings family and friends together are homes with open-concept designs. This means fewer walls separating living spaces, which creates a more spacious and airy feel in the home and allows for greater natural light and better flow between rooms. Details such as large windows, skylights, and sliding glass doors help to bring the outdoors into the home in such a glorious way. 

Finally, we’re also seeing a renewed interest in traditional design elements, like ornate moldings, detailed millwork and grand staircases. These elements add a sense of grandeur and elegance to the home, creating a sense of timeless beauty.

We’re committed to staying ahead of the trends and introducing them to our clients in order to build custom homes as unique as your signature! 

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If You Love to Entertain, This Prep Kitchen is for You! 

Prep Kitchen & Pantry

As a luxury custom home builder in Texas, we recently had the pleasure of constructing a stunning new home in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg for one of our clients who couldn’t be more happy! Among the myriad standout features of this home is the modern prep kitchen and pantry, which includes a unique swinging bypass door that connects the main show kitchen to the prep kitchen.

A prep kitchen is becoming a more popular addition to custom homes and is truly ideal if you love to host parties. This highly functional space is designed specifically for food preparation and organization. It’s often smaller than the main kitchen and offers additional counter space for chopping and preparing ingredients, which allows you to keep any mess hidden from guests. 

A prep kitchen can also be equipped with a sink, refrigerator and, just like the aforementioned Fredericksburg home, the inclusion of a swinging bypass door between the main kitchen and prep kitchen, which offers numerous benefits. 

For one, it enables the homeowner to seamlessly move back and forth between the two spaces, making it easier to prep and cook meals. It also allows for more efficient use of space, as the prep kitchen can be used for its intended purpose while the main kitchen is being utilized for cooking or entertaining.

In addition to the convenience and functionality of the swinging bypass door, the modern prep kitchen and pantry also offer a number of aesthetic benefits. The sleek design adds a touch of luxury to the home and makes it a visually appealing space. The pantry, which is a key component of the prep kitchen, provides ample storage for dry goods and small appliances, keeping the main kitchen free of clutter.

Overall, the inclusion of a modern prep kitchen and pantry with a swinging bypass door is a valuable asset for any luxury custom home. It offers convenience, functionality, and elegance that adds value to your home. As a Texas luxury custom home builder, we are always looking for ways to incorporate innovative and practical features like this into our projects, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to include it in this beautiful new home.

Check out our reel on social media so you can see how we incorporated the swinging bypass door. Isn’t it time your kitchen looks and functions exactly the way you want it to?! 

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Have You Ever Heard of a German Schmear? 

German Schmear Technique Used on a Texas Signature Custom Home in Fredericksburg

No, we’re not talking about that yummy cream cheese that you spread on bagels, although that sounds good too! In fact, the word schmear is the German for smear and is a common term in our industry.

A German schmear is a traditional finishing technique used for brick that involves smearing mortar over the face of a brick or stone wall surface. This unique style mimics the look of irregular stones and heavy mortar joints and, interestingly, has been used on cottages and even castles for centuries throughout northern Germany. 

Due to the significant number of German settlers in Texas and their influence, this technique is often found on Texas Hill Country Homes and is still being used today on newly-built houses. The photo seen here is actually a snap from one of our own Texas Signature Custom Homes outside of Fredericksburg and is a perfect example of this rustic yet elegant stonework. 

A classic schmear involves white mortar over read brick, but there are endless brick colors and mortar tints that could be used instead. Also, German schmears aren’t necessarily relegated to solely the exteriors of a home, but can also be used to update your interior brick walls and even a fireplace. 

We love using stone with a German schmear on our custom homes because, not only is it a charming finish, but stones were the first building blocks of human-made dwellings and easily stand the test of time. It’s no surprise to us that the first-ever stone house was built in 3500 BC in Scotland is considered the world’s oldest house. 

If you want to find out more about using a German Schmear for your next custom built home, you know what to do. Give us a call! 

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