Home Swimming Pools, Wine Cellars, Gyms and Theaters: Are Luxury Home Features Worth the Cost?

At Morgante Wilson Architects, we’re finding the definition of what constitutes a luxury home amenity has expanded far beyond swimming pools and home theaters. Our clientele on Chicago’s North Shore routinely debates the merits of everything from 500-bottle wine cellars to home gyms that rival the well-equipped public facilities. But the question always arises: even if you can afford such luxuries, how do they affect resale? And are they worth the cost?

The short answer is, it depends. I offer myself as an example. An avid model railroad enthusiast, I’d long dreamed of having a dedicated train room at home. Eight years ago, when Elissa and I designed the house in which we’ve raised our three kids, we wondered whether or not to allocate square footage to make that dream come true. Ultimately, we decided that because of the enormous joy and satisfaction a train room would bring, it was worth the cost. Now, a train room is an amenity that’s very specific to me – but the lessons we learned from building it apply to any number of home amenities.

I like to say there’s a “sweet spot” when it comes to luxury home features. If owning a train room – or a gym, or a wine room, or a gift-wrap room – is going to enhance your life and make it more worthwhile, then go for it. But do it wisely. My third-floor train room was designed to morph into another bedroom, or an office, to appeal to a one-day buyer of my house – complete with roughed-in plumbing, in case that buyer desires another bathroom. It’s all about flexibility, which is the key to ensuring what’s meaningful to you in terms of space will eventually fulfill someone else’s needs and desires.

Similarly, we once had a client who asked us to craft an old-world gym out of raw attic space. We tricked it out with heavy timbers and beams – it was very poetic, and very different than the rest of the house. Still, it too was designed with a full bathroom so it could eventually transition to a bedroom or an office. We’ve tucked gift wrap rooms into hallway closets with a flip down, wall-mounted work surface and wall-mounted spools for paper and ribbons. And we’ve done plenty of wine rooms, which at this point have become somewhat of a checklist item for upper-end homes. They can always be converted to cedar closets, should future home buyers lack interest in wine storage.

The bottom line: life is short. If something makes you happy, make it yours. Interest-specific amenities – such as my train room – elevate the experience of living in, and enjoying, your home. Building them with future flexibility in mind almost always ensures maximum enjoyment now, and maximum resale opportunities later.

If you’re thinking about turning an ordinary space in your house into something extraordinary, give us a call. It’s one of the things we do best – and one of the things we love to do most.