SGS Communities also is putting in more two-story windows in volume spaces, showcasing great rooms in the back of the house, for instance. It's almost totally converse to the '70s and early '80s, where people were very energy-conscious and wanted to limit the number of windows in their houses. But natural light isn't the only way to add drama and personality to a room. Lighting options, too, are very personal. As a part of Pinnacle's Alliance program, purchasers are given the opportunity to meet and walk through their new home with a lighting designer, who will help design a lighting plan to suit their particular lifestyle and furniture choices.
Lighting plays a big part in landscaping, pool and deck lighting.
Home owners are working with their landscapers not only to choose trees and shrubs, but also specialty lighting to accent those choices. Cove lighting and lighting sconces also are finding niches in today's homes. SGS Communities' Garfall agrees that lighting is a very personal part of a home's interior and exterior design. For that reason, the only contractor SGS Communities allows its buyers to meet with is the electrician. Buyers are spending considerable amounts of money on their electrical systems, and a good deal of that is recessed lighting and built-in specialty lighting.