At Houston based Whitestone Builders, our goal is not simply to construct an impressive architectural work of art   for you.  We envision helping you create a custom luxury home full of life, personality, and your family’s story.

The best way to go about blending classic design with the inspired character that makes a luxury custom home truly yours is to use unique materials in  traditional ways, and not vice versa. For example, a beautiful hardwood floor will probably never go out of style – but why not choose a wood native to an area of the world that you love, maybe from a specific place that you took a memorable family vacation? Or choose the same wood that you remember your grandparents having at their house.  The same could go for a stone fireplace, which will always add an easy charm to any home, no matter what the style.  Why not make the effort to include a few stones from the land where you may have a family cottage that is full of memories, or from where you used to go camping as a child?  Do you happen to have boxes in storage of glass dinnerware or crystal vases handed down to you that you realistically know in your heart that you will never use?  Bring them back to life by using a few of them to create a stunning one-of-a-kind stained glass window piece. At Whitestone Builders, we understand that your house deserves to be full of history and depth.  Whether they are Houston natives or visitors from Europe, when your friends walk through your front door, they will feel as though they have been welcomed into a world of your cherished family memories.

If you feel inspired to add very dramatic expressions of your personality, keep in mind that what resonates with you so strongly now may not speak to you in the same way 30 years from now.  It may be best to confine these impulses to easily changed elements, such as paint or landscaping, as opposed to anything structural. We have the experience to help you add character to your house with subtlety and elegance.

Whitestone Builders has the creativity to help you make your personality come to life in a timeless custom home in Houston in which generations to come will be proud to live. We will go above and beyond in our efforts to source unique materials and work with you on researching different eras that may be of importance to you. When executed with the proper vision, there is no reason why you can’t have a luxury custom home that is both effortlessly classic, which also brings your unique personality and history to life.

If you wish to build a green building of your own, take tips on choosing green materials from the industry’s pioneer – Houston based Whitestone Builders.

Top 4 Considerations When Choosing Materials for a Green Custom House in Houston

After gaining extensive experience and conducting extensive online and offline research, leading home builder in Houston, Whitestone Builders, offers four criteria that one should keep in mind while choosing materials for a green custom house in Houston. Let us discuss those criteria:

1. Material should be safe for people

The construction material being used for a green custom house in Houston should be safe for the labor force that handles, extracts, manufactures as well as uses it. In addition, the material should not lead to any negative effects on the inhabitants of the house, even in the long term. This means that the inhabitants should also not suffer due to any fumes or particles released in the atmosphere by the construction material. Make sure the materials home builders in Houston use for your green building do not add to pollution, depletion of natural resources or global warming.

2. Material should be durable

Make sure that the material used is durable and easy to maintain. This will ensure that you do not have to bear the cost of replacing parts and refurbishing the house for a long time to come, thereby saving on resources. This will also prevent any additions to landfills when older material is disposed of. For example, you can use bricks and stones to construct the walls, since such materials are termite proof, durable and do not require paper covering.

3. Manufacturing the final material should not require a lot of processing

Make sure that your home builder in Houston chooses materials that are usable in an almost natural state. While carpeting or vinyl tiling the floor or walls requires a lot of natural resources, natural materials such as stone, bricks and wood can be used almost as they are.

4. Transportation cost of the material should be minimal

Before starting on a green building, find out if the construction material belongs to the local region or is being transported from far-away places. One should use local construction material not only to reduce costs but also to save on energy that would otherwise be spent on transportation. More transportation means more pollution and faster depletion of resources, such as gas and oil. Besides, you also promote your local economy if you use local construction material.

If you wish to build your dream custom house in Houston, choose Whitestone Builders. They are leading home builders in Houston and winner of the 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders.

Ideas that are being employed in today’s luxury baths include:

• Large, deep soak tubs without high maintenance jets
• Private alcoves, arched entrance ways, nooks and decorative niches
• Showers with rain bars, multiple showerheads, body massagers, steam showers, and saunas which can accommodate two
• Refrigerators and wine coolers
• Coffee and cappuccino makers for a dose of morning caffeine while getting ready either for work or to go out at night
• Towel warmers
• Televisions within mirrors
• Tubs with built-in TV/VCR/DVD players
• Toilets with recessed tanks
• Magnificent mosaic floor designs and tile tub surrounds
• Controlled lighting to create different mood levels

According to Houston custom builder Whitestone Builders, many clients are also asking to incorporate Universal Design elements to help them as they age within their home. Some are installing the structural supports behind walls that they will need to add grab bars later in life. There is interest in non-slip floors and doorways wide enough to allow for wheelchairs. While these things may conjure up institutional images, have no fear. Elements such as these can be incorporated without easy detection, and the design industry is familiar with such principles which began with the Americans with Disabilities Act. You just have to work closely with your design professional to creatively apply accessibility principles with new materials.

If you are considering building a custom home in the Houston area, sit down with Whitestone Builders, renowned for beautiful master baths, fine carpentry and masterfully crafted historic details. Whitestone Builders is a recent winner of Houston’s Best Parade of Homes Consumer’s Choice Award for Best Overall Design for a Master Bath and a Winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders.

Have some master bath ideas you are dreaming of incorporating into your dream home? Join the discussion below.

If you are considering building a luxury home in the Houston area, you might be wondering about the difference between a custom home and a production home. Both can be high end. Both can be beautiful and impressive. Both can incorporate classic architectural styles. But this is pretty much where the similarities end.

Typically, a production builder uses stock plans and builds many types of housing (apartments, condos, townhomes, etc.) at all price levels. Because you can select a floor plan and certain finishes, these homes are sometimes presented as “custom” homes.  Since these homes have such little customization, a production builder can put up more than 25 houses per year.

A custom builder, on the other hand, usually builds fewer than 25 homes per year due to the sophisticated nature of each home and the time required for true customization and craftsmanship. The custom builder builds on a special piece of land that you have chosen just for this purpose. And perhaps most importantly, a custom home is truly one-of-a-kind. Working with a Houston custom home builder like Whitestone Builders allows you to infuse your living space with your personality and to celebrate the things that make you uniquely you.

If you’re like most people, you won’t fully appreciate the value of a custom built home over a production home until you see a custom home. Then you will experience the aesthetic qualities that set custom homes apart—especially if you tour a Whitestone Builders custom home. Whitestone is renowned for its attention to historical detail, fine carpentry and masterful craftsmanship.

Here are a few more points about the value of a Whitestone custom built home:

Overall Higher Quality. Whitestone Builders uses superior building materials and includes detailed wood trim and architectural detail. Whitestone homes also incorporate custom cabinets and convenient built-ins to minimize clutter throughout the home.

Greater Creative Flexibility. Whitestone Builders understands your custom built home is your dream home and helps you reflect your personality and lifestyle through design and special features. 

Distinctive Craftsmanship. This is the subtle difference that sets a custom home apart from a production home that has a lot of detail. You can’t fake craftsmanship. Sometimes you can’t even put your finger on it. You just know that there is something uniquely rich about the home’s finishing touches such as antique architecture or stained glass that scatters warm colors over Corinthian caps.

Higher Allowances for Lighting Fixtures, Appliances and other Interior Finishes. Whitestone Builders caters to customers who already know a great deal about quality. So, Whitestone’s gourmet kitchens have high end appliances and operable shutters that add elegance and character. And the shutters even provide more than enjoyment—they offer storm protection and more control over lighting and the atmosphere you are trying to create.

Stronger Customer Relationships. Building a luxury custom home is an emotional project. When you work with Whitestone Builders, you will have a strong relationship with your team from start to finish, from architect to interior designer to project point person. Whitestone understands the investment you are making and is committed to seeing your home built to your specifications and dreams.

So, are you ready to sit down with Whitestone Builders and begin planning your custom built home? Winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders, Houston’s own Whitestone Builders is second to none when it comes to craftsmanship, customer service and support.

Jarvis notes that Houston has added 80,000 jobs – well beyond the number needed to recover the number jobs lost during the recession.  Key industries leading the way in the recovery are the expanding energy industry, the shipping channel, Houston’s strong health care sector and the recovering manufacturing and retail industries.

This is great news for builders, including Houston custom builder Whitestone Builders, and great news for those looking to build a distinctive, luxury custom home in Houston.

While new home sales are up 13 percent over last year, the availability of finished new home inventory is declining, so an increase in new home construction is expected and that includes a need for new home building by a Houston custom builder such as Whitestone Builders. Metrostudy’s Jarvis says that such confidence is justified because the new home market is being driven by real demand since Houston is expecting to add about 150,000 new residents each year for the next five years.

If you are looking forward to building a custom home in Houston, remember that Whitestone Builders is known for its attention to architectural detail and masterfully crafted custom woodwork; and is the winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders. Whitestone builds in many of Houston’s finest areas and builds homes of any style, including New Orleans, Traditional, Craftsman Victorian, and Plantation.

If you have comments or questions regarding Houston’s up and coming job and housing markets, join the discussion below.  For more information on the Houston report referenced here, visit the  Metrostudy website.

Although home building surveys report custom home buyers are scaling back on square footage, these same surveys report that home buyers such as those in Houston Heights and Timber Grove are still including highly personalized, luxury details. This is quite apparent when you study this year’s bath trends. According to Custom Builder Magazine, custom home buyers are incorporating bath features they’ve seen in luxury hotels, spas and while on vacation.

As a Houston custom home builder renowned for masterfully crafted historic detail and fine cabinetry, Whitestone Builders stays up to date on emerging trends like the next six described below. If you can imagine it in your distinctive home, Whitestone Builders can create it for you. Read on to learn what custom home buyers like you are using to personalize their dream homes.

Personal Spas
There is no end to the many imaginative products being added to the custom bath these days—radiant heat, towel warmers, saunas, massage tables, music, trough sinks and barber chairs. For ambience, energy conservation and convenience, lighting is being zoned.

Natural Materials
Natural materials are a practical choice for wet-room use, and add a strong design impact. The woods often used for these purposes include teak, ipe and bamboo because these choices can also endure heavy use.

Wide Open Spaces
Where privacy is not an issue, clients are opting for ‘no-threshold showers,’  where there is no shower door or wall keeping the wet room separate from the rest of the bath.

Lighten Up
It’s important to have both overhead and wall lighting in bathrooms, especially in the vanity areas where shaving and makeup application takes place. Making more appearances as lighting options are pendant lights and LEDs. Also popular are toilets, wall and floor tiles with built-in lighting for nighttime. 

Freestanding Bathtubs
Making a comeback with modern updating is the freestanding tub. More like sculptures, these tubs of fine form accentuate the lines of the room. Many are carved from stone, glass or crystal and featured rounded, angled and rectangular shapes.

Old World and Antique Feel
For a more unique feel, many people are having custom vanities designed to look like pieces of furniture or converting old pieces of furniture into vanities. And bath fittings are expanding to include the warmer hues of nickel, bronze, copper and brass.

If you are ready to design your dream home and bath, call Whitestone Builders, winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders.

To read our blog on the emerging kitchen trends of 2012, click here.

Remember, the sky is the limit. Dream about your very own custom bath and the luxury items you would include and then describe it to us below.

With all of the fixtures, features and finishes now available to enhance your kitchen, it’s helpful to know the emerging kitchen design trends while building your Houston custom home. Fortunately, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) surveys its members each year to identify those trends. And as a leading Houston luxury home builder,

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s latest survey[1], these are a few of the latest emerging kitchen design trends:

Shift from Cherry Cabinetry to Maple
Cherry has been one of the most popular woods for kitchen cabinetry for many years, however, some designers are now shifting away from it. Heading into 2012, the percentage of NKBA member kitchen designers specifying cherry cabinetry fell slightly from 72 percent to 69 percent.

Natural Kitchen Cabinetry Moves toward Darker Finishes
Natural kitchen cabinetry is moving toward darker finishes. The surveyed kitchen designers specified dark natural finishes 58 percent of the time, up from only 43 percent two years ago.

Glass Backsplashes Gaining Popularity
Glass backsplashes are being used by more than half of the surveyed kitchen designers, just behind natural stone tile and ceramic tile.

LED Lighting Takes Hold
The kitchen designers reported that energy-efficient LED lighting is taking hold throughout U.S. homes, jumping from 54 percent in 2010 to 70 percent last year.

Pull-out Faucets Are Now the Preferred Model
Pull-out kitchen faucets have surpassed the popularity of the standard faucet with a detached side spray as the most preferred model.

Whitestone Builders luxury custom built homes boast truly gourmet kitchens, loaded with high-end appliances and custom-built cabinetry. Your luxury kitchen will add significant value to your custom built home and to your everyday living. Are you ready to have your dream kitchen in your custom built home? Call Houston’s own Whitestone Builders, winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders to get started.

Do you follow the trends or go your own way?  What are the must-have features of your dream custom gourmet kitchen?  Leave a comment and let us know.

When you are designing your custom built home, your dream home, there’s really no end to the special features, details and amenities you can include. Of course, some house styles accommodate different needs and interests, and then within that set of home styles, there is an appropriate floor plan to fit your lifestyle. When you work with Houston custom builder

The Whitestone staff will ask you many, many questions about your life as it is today, as well as upcoming changes. How much longer will your children be living at home? Will you retire in this home? Are there health concerns to accommodate? Will you care for your parents in this home and need an in-law apartment or some type of private space for them to relax in?

As you will see below, the list of questions and luxury home possibilities are endless—and Whitestone Builders can accommodate it all. Whitestone is known for its masterfully crafted historic details and fine carpentry. So if you can dream it, Whitestone can create it.

Here are examples of some other things to take into consideration while choosing your floor plan. 

Family Living Space
Do you need to include space for visiting grandchildren or returning children? Do you have many house guests? Is your home the hub of major holiday celebrations? Does your family regularly spend a lot of time together watching movies or enjoying other activities?

Interests and Hobbies
How do you spend your time? Do you love the outdoors? Do you have a lot of sporting equipment that goes along with your interests? Is it everything from golf clubs to scuba gear to fishing equipment?

Are you passionate about a hobby and dream of a room dedicated to your quilting, jewelry making or painting? Perhaps you have your heart set on a library with custom shelving and built-ins.

Vehicles
How many cars do you own? If you entertain a lot, how will you accommodate guest parking? Do you own other types of vehicles such as a boat or RV?

Cooking and Entertaining
If preparing feasts for family and friends is a form of entertaining for you, be sure to seriously consider the placement of everything in your gourmet kitchen, so you will enjoy the ease of having everything you need at your fingertips.

And the list goes on and on.

If you are ready to begin designing the distinctive custom home of your dreams in Houston, call Whitestone Builders, winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders.

Think you have an unusual idea for a room in your custom home? We want to hear about it. Just join the discussion below.

A recent survey by

If you are a Boomer, according to the survey, your group is as diverse in its luxury home needs as it is in its age range. There are the high-earners among you looking to move up to the homes of their dreams, and there are retirees downsizing to luxury custom built homes. Many of you seek vacation and weekend houses, and many are also interested in green building—which one Houston custom builder, Whitestone Builders, is especially adept at building.

One characteristic of your home buying group highlighted by the survey is that many of you are designing custom homes that can accommodate caring for elderly family members. Of course, this is a great concern for Boomers, since your parents are living longer. And as the nation’s healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, bringing your parents to live with you is sometimes your only option. Responding to this trend, Houston custom home builder, Whitestone Builders, designs many of their custom homes to include in-law apartments.

Of course, you don’t need a report or poll to tell you that custom home buyers seek to personalize their spaces for individual lifestyles. As a result, some of today’s most popular custom built home features include his and hers offices, home theatres and outdoor kitchens and living spaces.

Other popular features cited in the report include:

• Master Suite Retreat
• Craft and Hobby Room
• Bar
• Guest House
• Art Gallery
• Trophy  or Saddle Room

Whitestone Builders can help you tastefully design whatever features you are looking for to personalize your Houston custom home. Whitestone is known for its masterfully crafted details and fine carpentry, and is a winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders.

What is your wildest custom home feature or special room dream? Tell us about it by joining in the discussion below.

Your family and guests will also appreciate the unique architectural touches of your home. For example, upon arrival, they would be charmed by the New Orleans style wrought iron on your front porch. In the foyer, they will immediately sense the warmth and welcome of finely crafted mouldings and paneled walls. And they will relish the inviting sense of your gourmet kitchen and custom cabinetry.

Below is a description of the different types of architecture found in four common home styles:

Craftsman Style Homes

The Craftsman style homes elevate the simple bungalow style by including elements of the English Arts and Crafts movement and Asian building techniques. Craftsman style homes usually sport low-slung gabled roofs supported by exposed rafters and wide porches with tapered or paired square columns. Inside, Craftsman homes are renowned for built-in shelving, cabinetry and wood carved in geometric patterns. A Craftsman style home is the ultimate American home, with quality design elements.

Traditional Style Homes

Traditional style homes are steeped in several historical architectural styles and use the most popular elements of Colonial, Country and European design. Traditional style homes feature low-pitched roofs and traditional or open floor plans, and are amenable to the entire range of siding options including brick, wood, stone, and stucco. Interiors are sure to include big kitchens and family rooms as well as cozy fireplaces, welcoming front porches and gracious dining and living rooms. Traditional style homes provide you with old-fashioned charm for modern living.

Victorian Style Homes

Victorian style homes are usually two story homes with steeply pitched roof lines and turrets, towers, balconies and/or porches. Victorian homes are often large and irregular, with several of the roof elements placed at different heights. Victorian style homes are all about decoration in the form of finely detailed elements such as intricate porch spindles, elaborate brackets under the eaves, and decorative interior plasterwork.

New Orleans Style Homes

New Orleans Style Homes can be defined in many different ways, given the city’s long and diverse history. However, the iconic picture of a New Orleans style home is the wrought-iron balconies associated with the Creole Townhouse and the buildings in the famous French Quarter.  New Orleans style homes are typically two stories, with high ceilings and stucco exteriors, and uniform windows running across the front.

When you imagine one of the custom homes above built by Houston’s own Whitestone Builders, you must remember to envision the fine craftsmanship that highlights each room and passageway. The beautifully detailed floor to ceiling bookcases, uniquely shaped kitchen islands with beveled marble tops and finely milled trim around each doorway and closet.

If you’re dreaming about building your custom home in Houston, tell us about it below. Then call Whitestone Builders, winner of a 2011 Star Award from the Texas Association of Builders to get started.