Winter Home Luxury Features Guide

When the temperatures drop, there’s nothing like waking up toasty warm while snow falls outside, or coming in from a crisp day and bundling up on your couch. To make your house feel even more luxurious in the winter, try adding one (or all!) of these seven winter features to your custom home:

1. Heated Floors

No matter how well-heated your home is during the winter season, bathroom floors can still really hold in the cold. Radiant heat coils installed under the floor can turn your cold toes delightfully warm.

Heated floors are a popular upgrade for master baths. Homeowners can pre-set the temperature and step on toasty tile in the morning — or the middle of the night. Some types of flooring are better than others when paired with a radiant floor-heating system:

• Tile and stone: Likely yes
• Rubber and concrete: No
• Hardwood and manufactured wood: May be okay, but not optimum

2. Indoor Sports Court

An indoor swimming pool and home fitness center are two great ways to stay active when the weather outside turns cold. Another option is an indoor sports court, which you can have built with your home.

An indoor court is fun for children and adults. Youngsters can use it to ride scooters or skateboards, build forts and tunnels, skip rope, and just generally run around and play. For adults, an indoor court can be used for basketball, volleyball, hockey, tennis, racquetball, Frisbee, putting, badminton, Ping-Pong, or other activities.

3. Upscale Mudroom

A luxury home’s mudroom can be much more than a nook where you take off your boots. To upgrade this space for the winter season, include:

• Hooks for hats
• Shelves for bags and backpacks
• Closets for bulky coats
• Stands for wet umbrellas
• Cubbies for purses and personal items
• Benches and plastic storage bins for damp winter gear

Other upscale mudroom ideas include a dog-washing station, sink with cleaning supplies, bulletin boards, and mats with floor drains. When designing your mudroom, prioritize its purpose: to create an attractive, functional transition space from the outdoors to the cozy indoors.

4. Patio Enclosure

Covered patios aren’t just for nice weather. Custom-fitted transparent panels can surround the patio to keep out rain, snow, and wind while letting in light and views. Sturdy, easy-to-hide enclosures turn outdoor spaces into all-season areas, enhancing comfort for families and guests.

5. Motorized Shades

Honeycomb window shades improve energy efficiency, but motorization adds a new layer of luxury. Wi-Fi-enabled motorized shades can be controlled via smartphone, tablet, or voice commands. In winter, adjust them to maximize sunlight during shorter days or close skylight shades at night to retain warmth.

6. Wood-Burning Fireplaces

Despite environmental concerns, few things rival the charm of a crackling wood fire on a cold night. A traditional fireplace in any room adds instant coziness. For extra luxury, install a shared-wall fireplace to enjoy the same fire from two rooms.

7. Wood Stoves

EPA-certified, cleaner-burning wood stoves offer advanced efficiency features. Options like advanced combustion stoves, catalytic stoves, and wood pellet stoves are preferable to older models. They provide reliable heat while reducing environmental impact.

Add some or all of these luxury features when building your new home, and enjoy warmth and comfort for winters to come.