Upscale buyers are “going back and doing more work on their homes,” says Paul Boomsma, president of Luxury Portfolio International in Chicago.” These [home owners] don’t necessarily need more square footage, but they are feeling the want to update and increase the finish of their home.”Luxury Portfolio International and home designers helped to identify some of the following popular luxury amenities in today’s high-end homes:

• Wet rooms: These rooms boast multiple types of shower heads, a steam feature, and a bench to sit or lie down.
• Infinity pools: These seemingly endless pools are often being combined with a fire feature — such as standing urns — that reflects on the water at night.
• Media centers: High-end media centers that include comfortable seating, high-def TVs, cameras for videoconferencing, and digitally controlled sound systems are being topped off with extra amenities like a wet bar, small catering kitchen, and a refrigerator.
• Wood finishes: More high-end homes are paying careful attention to grain patterns for wood finishes for a more consistent look and focusing on elaborate staining processes that may include up to eight steps.
• Wine cellar: It’s “more than just a closet with wine in it — it’s an intimate entertaining space,” says Malcolm Morris, an architect and owner of MDM Development Architecture, based in Chicago. “Some are in the style of a castle grotto with stone and wood and a little table to have dessert, even within the wine cellar. The lack of windows increases the level of intimacy.”

Source: “Eight Popular Amenities for High-End Homes,” 24/7 Wall St. (Dec. 23, 2012)

*George Nettles is an Associate Broker with Brokers Guild Cherry Creek in Denver, CO. He is the founder of www.LuxuryHomesInDenver.com and Denver’s Luxury Home Team. He can be reached at 303-981-7282 or [email protected]