The kitchen is key in this business. Not only is it a definitive factor in most home purchasing decisions, the kitchen also represents a blank canvas for homebuyers. No single room provides more opportunity for customization than the kitchen- and customization is the name of the game here at Options For Today’s Fine Homes magazine

Rutter Development’s new high-end condominum project in Costa Mesa, Calif. is seeing a great success, filling units even as the property continues to be built. Working directly with a local, independent design firm, Rutter has produced models that tastefully craft luxury, a strong selling point in an area that is more familiar with older beach homes and fixer-uppers than luxury. The success of their long-standing partnership has spawned whispers of revitilization of Costa Mesa’s downtown.

Meanwhile, on the Atlantic coast, homebuilding giant Toll Brothers pushes through a soft luxury market by having expanding into the many disciplines that make up any given project. Their subsidiaries, including a captive design center, have allowed Toll Brothers to maximize their productivity while adhering to the company’s promise of quality.

Oh, and make sure to check out our Fantastic Finds. We’ve managed to catalogue the perfect Man Room. It is the stuff of dreams, really.

Darren Davis
Editor
ddavis@penpubinc.com

An emergence of eco-friendly technologies and the rising popularity of variant styles have allowed manufacturers to utilize a wide design spectrum in their surfaces and appliances making the design options nearly endless.

In this issue’s Creative Kitchen Showcase, that spectrum is put on display: clean, traditional cabinets by Aristokraft coupled with Miele’s sleek cooking creations, strong Craft-Art wood countertops and Bosch energy-efficient appliances, practical ideas and exciting concepts alike. This is a consumer launch pad.

Builders on both coasts are illustrating another kind of variety, as both continue to develop their respective projects despite the less-than-ideal market, utilizing different but equally successful building practices.