Designing Smaller, Living Better

Why Today’s Custom Homes Are Smaller—and Why They Live Better Than Ever

For years, “bigger” was considered the goal in custom home design. More square footage, taller ceilings, longer hallways. But today’s most successful custom homes in Colorado are showing something different: smaller custom homes, when designed well, often live better than large ones ever did.

That shift begins early in the custom home design process—especially when the word trend comes up.

Design That Lasts Beats What’s Trendy

HomeWrights owner Bob Hinz often cautions clients about chasing what’s popular in custom home building. “The word ‘trend’ is kind of dangerous,” he says. “Trends have a lifespan. Classic ideas do not go out of style.” He points to once-popular interior finish mixes—brass, nickel, bronze, black all in one home—that felt exciting at the time but now often look unintentional. Timeless design choices simply age better, especially in Colorado custom homes built for long-term living.

Smaller Homes, Better Layouts

We’re seeing average custom home sizes in Colorado shrink slightly, and that’s no accident. “Square footage tracks up or down with mortgage rates,” Bob explains. “When rates go up, average home sizes go down.” But smaller doesn’t mean compromised. “Right-sized rooms are often more comfortable than giant, cavernous spaces,” a lesson HomeWrights sees repeatedly when helping clients build a custom home in Colorado.

What really matters is how the space is used. Some large homes still feel awkward because of wasted square footage—long hallways, dead zones, and poorly planned circulation. One of the most positive shifts in modern custom home design has been minimizing those spaces. The great room concept—one central living area with private rooms branching off—helped eliminate unnecessary square footage and dramatically improved flow. Details matter too. As Bob puts it, “Too many exterior doors can actually rob a house of livable space.”

Ceiling Heights, Windows, and Comfort

Tall ceilings don’t automatically make a home feel better. “They can create a false sense of spaciousness if they’re not used correctly,” Bob says, noting that comfort often comes from spaces that feel human-sized. This is especially true in Colorado custom home design, where scale, warmth, and energy efficiency matter. The same thinking applies to windows. Scale and proportion matter more than trendy shapes or styles. If you bought land for the views, Bob reminds clients that you bought the lot to see the outdoors—not window grids

Flexible Design and the Details That Matter

The way families use their homes changes over time, and good custom home planning anticipates that. Home offices are becoming more distributed throughout the house rather than confined to a single room. “Have laptop—will travel,” Bob jokes. Bedrooms in custom-built homes often evolve into offices, gyms, or hobby spaces, and planning for those transitions early makes them easier and more cost-effective.

Some of the smartest design decisions are the quiet ones. “If you never close the door, don’t put a door there,” Bob says, pointing to pantry and closet doors that rarely stay shut. Mudrooms have become essential transition spaces—especially in Colorado homes, where weather, pets, and outdoor lifestyles are part of daily life. Laundry design has evolved too. Modern, stackable equipment makes it easy to place laundry where it’s actually used, rather than sending it all to a basement—an increasingly common feature in thoughtfully designed custom homes.

Exterior Design and Outdoor Living in Colorado

Colorado’s climate demands durable materials, and brick, stone, and well-detailed stucco tend to age best on custom homes built in Colorado. Style trends come and go—“you can often guess when a house was built just by looking at it,” Bob notes—but classic architecture endures. Outdoor living is just as important. With our climate, well-designed outdoor spaces and the right amount of doors (not more, just right) can expand how a home lives—an approach HomeWrights often recommends when clients are building a custom home in Colorado’s Front Range or mountain communities.

What Homeowners Never Regret

After hundreds of Colorado custom homes, certain design choices consistently stand out: big kitchen islands, closets without doors, intimate foyers, reading nooks, outdoor cooking areas, and casual kitchen banquettes. These aren’t trends—they’re livability decisions.

The best custom homes aren’t defined by size. They’re defined by thoughtful design that supports real life—now and decades into the future.