Consumers’ needs have made remodeling a bright spot in the homebuilding and design industry, and a recent report by the Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies suggests that the long-term trend will continue to be favorable.

Several factors are converging to produce the positive outlook. First, as Baby Boomers age, the turnover of their homes will generate remodeling activity. About three-quarters of home sales by people over 55 are made to people under 55. The homes of older sellers are generally older and generate immediate and significant spending on renovation.

A younger person buying from an older seller can be expected to spend about $5,000 annually on renovation, the report concludes. In addition, the median age of the existing U.S. housing stock grew from 29 years in 1997 to 32 years in 2007 — also indicating that future renovation and remodeling are more likely.

These and other factors cited in the report suggest that the long-term prospects for the remodeling market are favorable for architects and others in the building industry. These trends were a topic of discussion at the recent American Institute of Architects convention in New Orleans, where Marvin had several innovative products on display, such as the Ultimate Replacement Casement, the Ultimate Glider and the Ultimate Lift and Slide.

We’ve long been a fan of architect Sarah Susanka and her “Not So Big House” philosophy. And it seems we keep seeing more evidence that a significant number of American homeowners are more interested in craftsmanship, quality and fine design than they are in raw square footage.

Affluent, mature homeowners especially fit this profile. The more money older homeowners have, the less they demand maximum square footage. Among Americans age 45 and up planning to spend $400,000 or more on a home, only 28 percent say they want as much space as their money will buy. By contrast, 46 percent of those planning to spend less than $150,000 say they want maximum square footage for the money.

That information comes from Margaret A. Wylde’s useful and insightful book, “Right House, Right Place, Right Time,” which looks at trends in the over-45 housing market.

It’s just one more indication that many affluent, mature Americans are interested in quality design and features, not just raw space.

Marvin can help  meet the needs of these premium customers with beautiful, innovative products like our Ultimate Casement, Ultimate Sliding French Door and Ultimate French Casement. If you happen to be an architect attending the AIA Convention in New Orleans, come visit us at booth 1453 to see all the latest products that will help you give your clients the home of their dreams.

There’s a great item by Nancy Egan in the latest issue of Residential Architect magazine with some thoughts on where the residential housing market is going. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a link to an online version. But it’s worth recapping briefly.

A key issue for architects to consider is the pig in our demographic python. No, not the Baby Boomers. They’ve gotten so much attention over the decades that most people don’t realize that Gen Y (currently aged 18 to 30) is an even larger group than the Boomers.

Those 80 million Gen Y’ers are economically challenged, with high debt loads, poor employment prospects and a general malaise about the economic circumstances of their young adulthood. But Gen Y hasn’t abandoned the dream of home ownership, according to research by the ULI.

What they do want is a different kind of home: smaller, affordable, energy-efficient. Modative Architecture in Los Angeles has shown one approach with its small-lot subdivision homes, calling them “starter homes for Gen Y.”

Marvin supports this kind of new thinking with innovative, efficient products like the Ultimate Casement Window, the Tripane with Krypton and the Ultimate Glider.

Hey architects! The AIA Convention begins today in New Orleans. This is an exciting trade show and a chance for architects and design professionals to discover new products and ideas. Running May 12 -14, AIA 2011 promises to be full of information and education. According to AIA, the Exposition “introduces you to more than 800 exhibitors to discover new products, technologies, and services—professional resources that you can implement in your practice or project. You’ll have the opportunity to see and touch products, to get detailed information, and to ask questions of the manufacturer representatives.”

And the learning doesn’t stop there! The Conference has “200+ planned program offerings, including pre-convention workshops, theme presentations, continuing education learning units (CEUs) and expo education—all specifically designed to be convenient, plentiful, and well rounded. The diversity of offerings, from business planning to marketing and business development, from zero net energy design to building codes, allows you to enhance your knowledge of design, practice management, and career development. Extending the learning opportunities beyond the convention center, AIA New Orleans will host a variety educational tours that explore the soulful flavor of the city’s architecture—from historic and modern, to recently restored. In just four days, and in a single location, you can earn all of the CEUs you need for 2011.”

And of course Marvin will be there (along with Integrity Windows and Doors). Stop by booth 1453 to see great products like the Ultimate Glider with the new White Painted Interior Finish and the ever-amazing Ultimate Lift and Slide. See you at the show!

The whole world has royal wedding fever (set your DVRs for early Friday morning!), so MLuxe thought we would take a look at the residences of the British monarch and share a few pictures.

As you’ll notice, most of the decor is highly traditional, steeped in history. But the bold colors, rich textures, impeccable design and sense of place add up to a heady and memorable experience.

How would you incorporate this sort of style into your interior design? A jewel-toned velvet wallpaper with Swedish modern furniture? Gold-legged chairs to add a little grandeur to the family room? Let us know in the comments!

Buckingham Palace [image]

The White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace [image]

Windsor Castle [image]

The Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle [image]

Palace of Holyroodhouse [image]

Interior of Gallery at Palace of Holyroodhouse [image]

St. James’s Palace [image]

Prince William and Catherine Middleton at St. James’s Palace [image]

These are just a few of the fabulous homes the British monarchy gets to enjoy. Many (though not all) are open to the public, so if you are planning a trip to Great Britain, put these castles on your list!

Travel + Leisure (via MSNBC) has some interesting coverage of cool houses throughout the United States. These architectural wonders are the sort of places that are iconic, inspiring and make you wish you could live in them — even if just for one day. Here are three of our favorites. You can check out the article and slideshow for more information on these beauties.

Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif., was built by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. It sheer size (165 rooms!) and legend (it was the inspiration for the fictional Xanadu estate in the film Citizen Kane) alone make it worth visiting. The good news is that since it is now owned by the state of California, it is open for public tours.

Fallingwater in Mill Run, Penn., is the most well-known and iconic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses. Fitting in and designed perfectly around its natural surroundings, Fallingwater continues to inspire its numerous visitors.

The Taos Pueblo in Taos, N.M., is “one of of the country’s best-preserved (and continuously inhabited) Pueblo Indian settlements, built before 1400.” You don’t often hear of people living in American dwellings that are over 600 years old. Now that is cool.

All images courtesy of Travel + Leisure.

Architecture takes all sorts of different forms, but most buildings and houses, whether good or bad can be considered in the range of  ”normal.” And then there are the minority that make people stop and stare. Whether they are awe-inspiring or frown-inducing, it’s almost impossible not to have an opinion about them.

Bing recently put together a list of searches for some of the most wonderfully wacky buildings on earth. Here are three of our favorites, and we encourage you to check out the rest of the slideshow here.

It looks a little bit like part of a melted painting, but this Vietnamese house has a style all of its own.

The “Dancing House” in the Czech Republic has another local nickname — the Drunk House, due to the fact it appears to be stumbling and swaying.

No mistaking what’s in the Kansas City Public Library!

All images courtesy of Bing

We can always count on the good folks at Architectural Digest for finding incredible homes to showcase — and offering perfect photography to do the architecture justice. This photo-slideshow feature on ski-country homes is no exception.

The home in the photo above was designed by architect Antoine Predock for a 15-acre property in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. According to Arch Digest, “The logs, which Predock imagined as fallen trees, are a dominant feature of the rear elevation, extending from deep in the landscape through the galvanized-aluminum façade and into the upper reaches of the residence’s interiors.” In layman’s terms, they look really cool.

Other homes in the feature include an “elegantly vertical” home nearly as tall as the trees surrounding it, a home in the French Alps that looks like a classy European-inspired barn, and an ultra-modern home that somehow seems perfectly at home nestled in the nearby mountains and trees.

Needless to say, the slideshow is worth a look.

By way of an article in Midwest Home magazine, we learned of this gorgeous, century-old barn-turned-home on Lake Superior. Built from the existing shell of an old barn and loads of reclaimed wood, the lake home oozes character.

Ax-scarred logs from an old cabin were ripped lengthwise to harvest the heartwood that became the stairs. The rugged exteriors were put to good use, too, shipped off to a TimeWorn client in Big Bear, California, for siding on a new house. Redwood siding from one old barn was re-cut to tongue-and-groove for flooring in Tom and Nicole’s bedroom. Slabs cut from the scarred surface of logs hand-hewn by a broadax more than a century ago form one wall of their bedroom. In another bedroom, weathered Wyoming snow fence serves as both distinctive walls and flooring. Built-ins made from a variety of woods provide storage and display space throughout the house­—from the floor-to-ceiling lockers in the entryway to buffet in the dining room to the red elm dresser in the owners’ bedroom.

It might not occur to you at first, but the MH writer points out a certain disconnect that makes the home even more striking: it’s a barn in the middle of lake-shore woodlands. We’re used to seeing barns out in the open plains, near open farm land and the like.

Be sure to read the full article at Midwest Home, and check out the dozens of photos at LakeSuperiorBarn.com.

photos courtesy of LakeSuperiorBarn.com