Page # 27
6. Going Green
Believe it or not, artificial grass has enjoyed great improvements over the years and has cropped up in outdoor living designs throughout South Florida, especially in cities like Miami where contemporary style is king.
“ I’ m seeing it— especially in areas where there is a lot of shade,” says Keene.“ We like to use it in between travertine pavers to create diagonal patterns. The reason we’ re seeing it more and more is because it doesn’ t require irrigation. Sprinklers will keep the pavers wet all the time, and they can get moldy. Artificial turf manufacturers have really come along in the advancement of turf; it’ s hard to tell the difference.”
7. Technology
For the finest Florida homes, technology is not a“ nice-to-have” but a“ musthave” feature— and it’ s just as important for the outdoors as it is for the indoors. Wiring for outdoor TV screens is a given— and TVs are everywhere in today’ s luxury backyards: above the bar, above the fireplace in the lounge area, in the dining room. without the worry of insects,” says Weremeichik.“ Those screens, in some cases, hold in 80 % of your air-conditioning if it’ s an indoor / outdoor space. You can keep your doors open and let the air flow to your outdoor patio.”
All of Keene’ s luxury residential projects have some sort of smart home technology integration, he says. Weremeichik has seen an uptick, as well.“ This technology is slowly creeping its way into new homes, and home design and building professionals must adapt new plan designs to accommodate these needs,” he notes.
Lighting is another important consideration. From task lighting( so you can grill at night) to dimmable ambient lighting, the trend is moving in one direction and one direction only:“ Everything is LED right now,” says Keene.
“ TVs are becoming the norm, because on a really nice night, you can watch a movie outdoors while in the pool or sitting by a fire feature,” says Weremeichik.“ That’ s part of entertaining.”
Keene agrees:“ Nine out of 10 of my projects have a television built-in. TVs are very important. It’ s part of entertaining. People also see the outdoor living area as an extension of the house. It’ s just another zone.”
Other favorite outdoor technical features in Florida are permanent aluminum screens that are motorized.
“ Controlled via remote, these retractable screens drop down in between the columns of the outdoor pavilion, and you can enjoy the evening hours outdoors
Page # 96
8 | Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate