Charlotte is nothing if not a hot real estate market. New home builders are scrambling to keep up with the demand for inventory and the best part is, they’re taking design risks that help keep Charlotte’s streets and neighborhoods varied. Which home styles are we seeing again and again here in the Queen City, and what are their distinctive features? Here are three styles to watch.

European

Luxury builders, in particular, love evoking European design here in Charlotte. From David Weekley’s Avignon neighborhood in Southpark to various stand-alone estates at Lake Norman, European homes scream “extravagance.” Features like decorative wrought iron, stacked stone facades, and paver driveways are all common to Euro-home design; inside, these homes typically use lots of natural stone, have one or more fireplaces, and usually a grand entrance. Builders are jumping on the trend for both established and more youthful buyers – Simonini Homes loves building in this style all over the region and Grandfather Homes just introduced a highly-European “woonerf” design in their latest infill project, too.

Craftsman

Perhaps the most obvious shift in Charlotte’s new architecture is toward craftsman design. There are several builders in town specializing in this style (Saussy Burbank, Carolina Craftsman, and Bungalow Designs, to name a few) and many of the new planned communities in CLT offer craftsman homes. On the outside, craftsman homes typically have a wide-set base, colorful siding, and lots of trim (current builders favor white.) Inside, these homes are designed to be very open and flowing with big kitchens, square rooms, and high ceilings. Buyers love craftsman homes because they’re evocative of some of Charlotte’s more historical homes, fitting right in in neighborhoods like Dilworth and Plaza Midwood.

Mid-Century Modern

Modern architecture is striking, but Mid-Century Modern is a thing in and of itself. Built anywhere from the 1930s-1960s, these homes are chunky, have lots of windows, and open floor plans. Inside, beams are favored over walls and there’s a real effort to bring the outdoors in. While new builders are necessarily replicating this style, they’re taking cues from the design. And renovators and realtors alike say Mid-Century Modern homes sell super-quickly when they’re staged properly. Great examples of updated, restored Mid-Century Moderns in Charlotte can be found mostly in South Charlotte and near the Freedom Park/Park Road area.

Charlotte is a fun place to be a home builder and professional stager! With design tastes changing so quickly, it’s exciting to see what’s next in the world of model homes and new developments. Stay tuned!