A Design That Really Did Revolutionize the Housing Industry.

Every homebuilder claims that their latest design will revolutionize the way that families live. In retrospect, very few new designs actually accomplish that lofty goal. To see an example of a truly new and unique design, that actually had a huge impact on how people lived, let’s go back to the year 1977. At Kingsley Estates in Lauderhill, builder Carl Trauger of Trend-Setter Homes opened his “Sophisticate” model to rave reviews and genuine surprise from home shoppers. The house was designed by award-winning architect Thomas Krupelstatler, and featured wide open living spaces anchored by a conversation pit. This wasn’t the first conversation pit design, but it was one of the first homes that featured vaulted ceilings and a living room and family room that had no separation walls. The use of pecky-cypress on the ceilings and accent walls gave the home a woodsy smell that was right on the money in the late 1970’s. The cobblestone patios were well ahead of today’s fairly common brick paver finish and the spa that Trauger showed behind this model featured a unique built-in table with a tile top that was perhaps the ultimate homage to 1977, a backgammon board. The Sophisticate model was the largest of a series of three single story homes that featured similar design influences. Later, a two-story model, The Willow Wood, was introduced when Trend-Setter homes progressed to Plantation Hills. The Willow Wood continued to showcase “California” influenced design features like soaring ceilings, ample wood accents both inside and outside and just to create a unique memory point a heart shaped Roman-style tub in the Owner’s Suite. In an industry where imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, it wasn’t long before every new community had a floor plan that looked suspiciously like Trend-Setter Homes’ Sophisticate model.  
Jeffrey Auchter