A granny flat was once a small and mere additional house in the backyard, but they have developed into beautiful versatile homes. For a long time now, there has been a rising demand for granny flats in Sydney owing to their uses and ability to increase the value of the property. The rest of Sydney’s leading builders are also conforming to this trend, constructing granny flats that are a far cry from being dark, cramped structures, but indeed spaces that are in vogue and conform to living standards. Join us in this article where we will outline the current tendencies in granny flat designs in Sydney, getting opinions from insiders.
1. Multi-Functional Spaces
Another area that cannot go unnoticed is that of functionality with most designers focusing on incorporating as many functionalities into the granny flats as is possible. As living costs go up, and more people find themselves requiring additional space or at least more independent accommodation, the relevance of granny flats can not be limited to just that of additional accommodation for granny. From a home office, to a spare room, to a rental unit, the new generation of granny flats is very versatile. It is remarkable, however, that Sydney builders are applying the open plan solutions and using the versatile furniture to maximise the usability of such zones. For example, living space can be converted quickly to working space, or a bedroom.
2. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
Affordability and sustainability are the buzzwords in today’s built environment and granny flats cannot afford to ignore. Local builders in Sydney are gradually embracing green buildings that reuse energy and hence have less effect on the environment. It has recently been discovered that features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting system, energy-efficient appliances are now seen in granny flat construction. Also, due to the concerns for sustainability, more building societies use recycled timber and low volatile organic compound paints. These are parts of the green designs that assist in reducing the carbon intensity of the property apart from serving to cut the costs of utility bills thus making granny flat a viable solution for the environmentally friendly homeowners.
3. Maximising Natural Light
Natural lighting is another trend that is slowly being adopted in the granny flat design trends. This is mostly present in the form of large windows, skylights, and glass doors in a bid to admit as much natural light as possible into the structure. It offers not only the cheerful character that all the spaces look light but also improves the perception of space, thus increasing even the room, if it is compact. Specifically, in Sydney having a good amount of natural light is easily achievable due to the climatic conditions and, therefore, natural light can be used both for practical and decorative purposes. The application of lighter colours to the inside as well as the use of reflectors intensifies the light feeling, thus providing comfortable accommodation.
4. Smart Home Integration
Another factor that has affected the granny flat design is the revolution of smart homes as well. Many architectural professionals in Sydney are already including the smart home system to granny flats to enable the residents to have a better control of the living environment. Lighting and climate control, security systems, voice-activated devices – it goes without saying that smart technology is improving spaces, including granny flats. These designs are especially popular among young families and homeowners who are eager to use the perks of contemporary technology on a small area that is relatively simple to maintain.
5. Indoor-Outdoor Living
As is the case with other suburban cities, Sydney enjoys a mild climate, and therefore, the kind of architectural design that integrates interior and exterior spaces is preferred in all kinds of housing, including granny flats. Many granny flats are being built with sliding doors that can open up the interior of the small house to the outdoors such as a deck, patio or courtyard. These compound spaces are considered to be just a continuation of the interior space, suitable for hosting, or just admiring ‘the great outdoors’. This week some of the trends that are being employed in designs include the use of large sliding doors, bi-fold windows and the use of the outdoor kitchen. This design trend also improves the general outlook of the granny flat and also furnishes an extra space for the inhabitants to relax.
6. Customizable Designs
In many cases, there is emerging a typical trend of customization when it comes to designing a granny flat, owing to the uniqueness of homeowners. Currently there are many new generation architects in Sydney who provide a variety of styles including modern and contemporary in the construction of granny flats, giving the clients a chance to select a design they like. It doesn’t matter if it is choosing the appearance of the specific materials, or selecting custom-built cabinets, or including even customised architectural elements: It is very important that every aspect of the granny flats’ design is entirely customizable, which means that the homeowners get their vision become a reality.
7. Compact Luxury
Although the granny flats are smaller than the main houses, there is the new trend of installing luxury in the small structures. High quality of interior design equipment is being installed as well as quiet high-end appliances as well as high quality of fixtures. New home buyers are receiving unique items like durable floors, personalised lighting, bathroom designs like those in spas, among others. This trend is attractive to the homeowners and it entails having the comfort of a big house but in a small house.
Contemporary granny flats in Sydney have certainly evolved a long way from the rather simple structures that they were in the past. Contemporary homes designs are elegant, resource conserving, and flexible to ensure that the occupants stand a chance to get whichever they desire. Trends such as multi functional rooms, smart home integration, and interest of people in integrating indoor and outdoor living, have been well incorporated into granny flats by leading builders from Sydney. Regardless of whether you are searching for a way to increase the value of your property or design a space that can be utilised as a granny flat – the above mentioned trends show possible current and future developments in granny flat construction.