Style trends that will define luxury homes in 2024

What do wealthy homeowners wish for most in their homes?

Coldwell Banker Real Estate has released the company’s first-ever online guide, called “Best of the Best,” that showcases luxury home trends and “must-have” amenities.

Agents in the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program shared insights into what affluent homeowners have been looking for and what will define luxury homes in 2024, including chef’s kitchens, spa-like bathrooms, and indoor-outdoor living spaces. This group of specialists handles an average of $288 million in luxury home sales per day, according to the company.

“I love being able to offer my clients trustworthy insights into what’s trending in the luxury home design space,” Jade Mills, an agent in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills and international ambassador for the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program, said in a statement. “This guide is truly a game-changer for wealthy consumers, supplying them with on-trend products that not only elevate their homes, but also add comfort and convenience to their lives.”

Below are the style trends that Coldwell Banker’s guide says are defining luxury homes and some insight from Harkeet Chadha, an associate broker at the Coldwell Banker Realty office in Old City.

The guide lays out what makes a “luxury chef’s kitchen.”

It must have two islands with lots of space for cooking and entertaining. “This maximalist approach to counter space is a winning feature of today’s luxury kitchens,” the guide says.

It must have range hoods that are “an object of beauty” and make a statement with pops of color and unique designs. “This useful appliance is now a star player in the kitchens of beautifully designed homes,” according to the guide.

For the most upscale homes, stainless steel is out. Paneling refrigerators and other appliances so they blend in with the kitchen cupboards is in. That’s what the top luxury interior designers do now, the guide says.

And a centerpiece of luxury kitchens are “elegant oven ranges” and designer appliances.

Chadha said people are paying for higher-end appliances and “making the kitchen out of a lifestyle magazine.” He said one of the most beautiful kitchens he’s seen had granite countertops that were illuminated from below by LED lights.

The merging of indoor and outdoor living is the biggest trend in luxury outdoor spaces, according to most Coldwell Banker luxury specialists surveyed for the guide.

This trend extends homeowners’ entertainment spaces. Owners of luxury homes are opting for outdoor sitting areas and bars and outdoor kitchens that have pizza ovens and built-in grills, top-of-the-line appliances, and lots of counter space.

Adding a deck with a built-in grill and a refrigerator was one of the major upgrades that Chadha’s clients made after they bought their Delaware County home from a builder, he said. Part of the deck is covered by a pergola. The property now is listed for sale for more than $1.4 million.

According to Coldwell Banker’s guide, the two most popular amenities to have outside in a luxury home are cabanas and natural water features.

Structures such as cabanas and pergolas that offer shade and a place to relax bring the feeling of a resort to a private home.

Water features such as swimming pools, waterfalls, fountains, and ponds “contribute to an oasis-like atmosphere that every luxury buyer seeks,” according to the guide.

In Philadelphia, luxury buyers want rooftops with 360-degree views, Chadha said.

Buyers purchasing the most upscale homes often want their bathrooms to have a spa-like feel.

Large freestanding tubs are “statement fixtures” that “often serve as an artistic focal point for the room, not to mention offering an indulgent soaking experience,” according to the guide. Chadha called stand-alone tubs “a must now.” They’re the leading trend in luxury bathrooms.

Other spa-like bathroom elements include infrared saunas; heated floors and towel racks; and showers with massage jets, customizable water pressure, and ambient lighting.

According to the guide, double vanities are practical and convenient and add sophistication and symmetry to the space. The guide calls double vanities “the luxury standard in primary bathrooms nowadays.”

That’s not always the only thing that’s doubled. Chadha said he was in a house recently that had “his and hers” toilets.

“Incredible technology” is “one thing the most desirable luxury homes have in common,” according to the guide.

These homes include technology meant to enhance homeowners’ wellness with products such as advanced air purifiers and gyms with touchscreen mirror displays that virtually bring fitness instructors into the home.

In these houses, tech systems automate and optimize security, privacy, lighting, entertainment, and comfort. The smart thermostat is a “cornerstone” that’s become a given in luxury homes.

A new product the guide labeled an “ultraluxe pick” is a $10,000 sound-therapy meditation pod that owners can lie inside. The “womb-like” structure is meant to improve well-being through body vibrations and music.