Display Village Spotlight - Metricon
May 2022 in Design Inspiration
WHAT’S NEW IN HOME DESIGN?
We talk to Metricon’s Sandy Dique for her insights.
Once you’ve purchased your lot, the next big decision you’ll need to make is what to build.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, there’s no doubt that visiting a display village is a great place to start. Most estates have a range of presentations from display suites, display villages and display homes to help you determine exactly what you’re after, and Westbrook Estate is no exception.
Located at Society Boulevard, Truganina, just a short stroll from Westbrook’s Sales Centre, the Westbrook Display Village showcases 10 stunning home designs from some of Victoria’s leading builders including Metricon, JG King and Dennis Family Homes. So, it’s the ideal place for prospective homebuyers to explore a comprehensive range of house designs, all in one convenient location.
But to provide you with some additional insights about all the latest trends in home design, styling and innovation, as part of our ongoing home design series, this month we speak with Sandy Dique from Metricon and ask her what is proving popular with home buyers right now.
What are the biggest home design trends you’re seeing for 2022?
Right now, the biggest trend we’re seeing is a heightened focus on designs that include a guest bedroom with an ensuite on the ground floor to accommodate multi-generational families.
The increasing amount of time we’re now spending in our homes, especially over the past two years, has also seen a rise in demand for options like rumpus rooms, theatre rooms and ‘outdoor’ rooms where we can entertain family and friends, as well as other specific zoned areas that cater for the various – and sometimes competing, needs of occupants.
Lastly – and I put it down to the influence of The Block, we’re also seeing plenty of customers who are happy to up their spend on kitchens and butler’s pantries!
How, and to what extent, has the pandemic influenced home buyers and home design in the past 2 years?
The last two years have definitely had an impact on customers’ thinking in terms of wanting to really ‘love where they live’.
With a growing number of our customers now working permanently from home, people are less worried about buying properties that enable them to commute to work. Instead their home purchasing decisions are being driven much more by lifestyle considerations, as reflected by the wave of people who have relocated to regional Victoria and places like Ballarat and Geelong. For Metricon, that’s translated to customers spending less on land, but more on their build in pursuit of the ultimate sea-change lifestyle.
The pandemic has also influenced home design, most notably evidenced by the growing demand for dedicated zones to accommodate the differing needs of occupants – not just home offices, but also places where kids can study. So these options are being offered as inclusions in more and more of our home designs going forwards.
How much importance are prospective purchasers now placing on sustainable designs and ones that deliver a reduced environmental footprint?
There’s no doubting that customers are definitely way more interested – and savvy, regarding environmental factors than they used to be, even say 5 years ago.
People are very conscious of wanting to reduce their environmental footprint and they’re looking for home designs that enable them to achieve this. For example, requests for double glazed windows, upgraded insulation, re-cycled water connections, rainwater tanks, energy efficient LED light bulbs and solar power and the like, are now commonplace.
What is the best time to visit the Westbrook Display Village?
The Display Village is open from 11 am – 5 pm 7 days a week so people can visit anytime. Weekends are always very popular, but I think the very best time to visit is early on a weekday morning when there won’t be too many other people about.