Chrome is Back! Jeff Dworkin of JLD Custom Homes Shares Trends and Market News

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Chrome is back, especially in the bathroom, along with oversized tile. (Photo credit: Shoot2Sell)

“Chrome is back in,” says Jeff Dworkin, president of JLD Custom Homes, a CandysDirt.com approved builder. In the past, people wanted polished nickel fixtures and accents in their custom homes, but the trend in 2014 is something shiny and easy to clean – chrome. Custom home buyers these days are looking for homes that are energy efficient and “green,” too. Jeff says JLD builds all their homes to very high standards – Energy Star 3.0 and Green Built Texas, to be specific.

Buyers are also looking for well-laid-out homes, meaning a home that makes the best use of all square footage. “We try to design our homes with as little wasted space as possible,” he says. President of the Dallas Builders Association, Dworkin says buyers are currently looking for custom homes that are transitional — something that bridges the gap between traditional Texas-style brick and the more modern home. There’s no better example than JLD’s newest custom home inside The Enclave on Tucker Street, pictured here.

Gone are the rounded staircases — now they are angular or straight. In the kitchen, clean lines are becoming more prevalent. Dworkin says buyers want Shaker style cabinets with recessed doors, and that granite is still popular for counters but at the same time there’s a growing popularity for using other stone like quartz. Breakfast nooks or eat-on islands are becoming more popular for everyday, casual meals, instead of the formal dining rooms of the past.

Custom homes are trending toward eat-on islands and more chrome in the kitchen. (Photo: Shoot2Sell)

Another trend Dworkin is seeing is the lack of requests for tubs in custom-built homes. In fact, he states, JLD has built a few spec homes recently without bathtubs and people don’t even realize there isn’t one in the master bathroom. Larger showers with multiple showerheads are really more popular, he says.

As far as style trends go, JLD is also building homes with tile — and the bigger the better. Additionally he’s been seeing a movement toward using tile that looks like hardwood floors. “It’s easier to maintain than real wood,” Dworkin says.

Gone are the rounded staircases and formal dining rooms. (Photo: Shoot2Sell)

JLD Custom Homes has a lot of irons in the fire right now. Dworkin says JLD’s philosophy is to build more than one house at a time in a close area. Several years ago, the company purchased all the lots on one street in Lakewood Hills, tearing down all the existing houses to build several custom spec homes. With the growing number of corporations moving to Dallas, the close proximity to the Santa Fe Trail and Lakewood Elementary, along with the fact that buyers are guaranteed to have new homes on either side of their purchased home, Dworkin feels like they’ve got a good thing going on with The Enclave on Tucker Street!

One of these homes, 1803 Tucker Street, is closing this month, and the house is just gorgeous. The open floor plan, upstairs balcony off the master bedroom overlooking the trail abutting the backyard, and covered patio helped the buyers maximize their 3,000-plus square footage.

This home inside The Enclave at Tucker Street has a gorgeous balcony view. (Photo: Shoot2Sell)

Dworkin isn’t a newcomer to the game of custom homebuilding, having been in Dallas more than 10 years. Dworkin previously worked for a well-known production builder in Austin, and decided to go out on his own. “The timing was right,” he says. “It was time to venture out on my own; I was tired of the corporate world and wanted to be my own boss.”

What neighborhood does Dworkin think is poised to really take off in Dallas in the near future? In Dallas, East Dallas continues to go strong, with Lakewood being the stand-out area. Bluffview, Preston Hollow, and even some areas around Love Field, sometimes referred to as the Oriole Streets, are also showing lots of activity. Areas around Northaven are starting to show some activity with homes being built as soon as buyers can teardown the 1950s ranches on key lots.

For more information visit Jeff Dworkin’s website at www.JLDHomes.com.

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7 Comments

  1. Bill on July 28, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    What about color cabinetry and appliances? I’ve been looking at some new construction lately and I’ve noticed more color options being used. Is this a fad or something with staying power? How about wood choices for floors? Darker? Lighter? Same with countertops. Nothing to me screams “2005 spec home” like travertine tile, espresso-colored wood cabinets, and tan granite with a tumbled stone backsplash.

  2. Cheryl Tredway on July 28, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    Chrome being easier to clean? I don’t think so. I’ll stick with my brushed nickel. Almost every other element in this kitchen was in my old kitchen. Glad to see it’s still desirable and will definitely be using those design elements in our new kitchen again.

  3. Jeff Dworkin on July 28, 2014 at 3:28 pm

    Amy, great blog post! Got my name right in the article, wrong in the Title….oh well, must be Candy’s fault! 🙂

    • Candy Evans on July 28, 2014 at 4:23 pm

      Yes BLAME CANDY!

    • Joanna England on July 28, 2014 at 4:31 pm

      Totally my fault! Amy did a fantastic job with the story and I rushed the headline! I keep wanting to call you DworKING! You’re practically royalty in Dallas custom homebuilding, right? LOL!

  4. Steve Shuert on September 10, 2014 at 11:37 pm

    It would be nice to give a little recognition to the Architect who designer this house. I see so many articles that feature the builder and never mention the designer. So if this gets posted… the designer was Steve Shuert Residential Design.

    • Candy Evans on September 11, 2014 at 12:28 am

      Steve, thank you. I agree with you… so many times we do not get the architect’s names and I have a TOTAL soft spot for architects. If you’ll contact me by email, I will discuss a possible guest post with you! [email protected]. Thanks!

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