Made to Order: Custom Features for High-End Buyers

JULY 17, 2008

The People's Choice: Is Individuality the Hot New Amenity?
Chef's kitchens, soaking tubs and fitness centers may be among the hottest enticements for buyers, but some developers are also appealing to a desire for homes made to fit the individual actually doing the buying.

The recently-completed condominium tower at 101 Warren Street has offered buyers a range of five different design plans to choose from. The intent: to appeal to a wider range of buyers. Sales in the building have been brisk, and offering more choices under one roof may be the new act to follow. Residents at 290 Mulberry will have radiant-heated flooring throughout each unit, allowing them to control how the heat is spread using a five-zone control system. At Loft 14 in Chelsea, "customized mahogany vanities are made to fit the whims of 14’s many residents. "

At the Kalahari condominium in Harlem, residents can join a committee that helps to select the art that hangs in the building's common spaces. The building's art collection—assembled by a curator with a $500,000 budget—is another part of the trend towards creating unique spaces for individual buyers. Some developers are hoping that custom-curated art collections will help distinguish a residence from other amenity-packed buildings—in addition to being a decorative accent, it's an elite status symbol. The high-profile downtown condominium SoHo Mews is working with the nonprofit Art Production Fund to operate a gallery on the bottom floor of the development, curate a permanent collection and offer art-consulting services for residents in their homes.

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Made to Order: Custom Features for High-End Buyers

JULY 17, 2008

ALSO IN NEW YORK CITY INSIDER

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