Blame it on your neighborhood coffee shop.

Walk or drive up and order your drink in the size you want with your choice of sweetener, flavoring and caffeine kick. Low-fat, non-fat or soy? One shot, two shots or three? Extra crema? No problema.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

'Dealing with electronics is a huge need for everyone,' says a Novare representative. That includes plans for speakers and flat-screen TVs at Atlanta's Gallery Condominiums.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The Armans built a 3,200-square-foot, two-story Arts and Crafts home with a basement at Sterling on the Lake.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

A sophisticated setup in Ira and Polly Arman's Flowery Branch home controls many systems, including thermostats.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

With remote in hand, Ira Arman can control four flat-screen TVs and the audio and video sources. Wife Polly is into her gourmet kitchen with its professional cooktop.

REBECCA DIPOLLA/KB Home (ENLARGE)

KB Home is offering buyers the chance to pick kitchen finishes and countertops in its Home Studio. Among trends reported by builders: Dark cabinets and upscale appliances.

New Homes: Search for Atlanta New Homes, New Home Communities, & Home Builders in Atlanta

Home builders these days are offering that same kind of customization. New-home builder KB Home, for example, offers a customization process known as "built-to-order." Charlotte Parianos, director of studio and marketing for KB Home Studio, says, "We don't build spec homes because we don't want to tell people what they want in their homes. When you buy a KB home, you select a floor plan and then come to our Home Studio and design your home from soup to nuts."

Last August, Corey Manus bought a house in the KB Home community of Magnolias in north Cherokee County. "Going to the Home Studio was great. I'm single and got a lot of my design cues from magazines and friends who had recently built or purchased homes. I appreciated having all the choices in one place and being able to see a range of selections at different price points. My need was for a pet-friendly home, so I was able to customize and get what had the most value for me."

This is an option open to more and more home purchasers as builders offer centers for "one-stop shopping," where home purchasers can go to make all their decisions about the features and finishes in their new home.

So what are you going to find when you begin planning for your new home?

What's new in kitchens and baths

"Opulence is high on buyers' wish lists: tile covering the bathroom walls, floor and ceiling; showers with special heads with multiple jets; bathtubs transformed into spas; kitchens with commercial-grade appliances such as warming drawers, double ovens and cooktops with five or six burners."

— Kayc Carper, Crescent Communities' sales manager at Sugarloaf Country Club and The River Club

"Dark countertops have replaced lighter, brighter choices in the recent past, and we're really seeing an upsurge in people wanting Corian countertops. This manufactured product requires less maintenance and is available in many more colors. And people appreciate it for its sanitary qualities as well."

— KB Home

"We're seeing limestone in the baths, double-vanity sinks with 3-centimeter granite countertops, and separate water closets. Kitchen appliances can be paneled with cabinetry, and specialty appliances like an under-counter beverage center are gaining in popularity. Glass mosaic tile is popular for backsplashes. The trend continues for dark cabinets in finishes like cherry and mocha, and the use of wide-plank flooring in kitchen and areas throughout. We offer 5-inch planks along with the traditional 2 1/4-inch plank size."

— Interior designer Janice Dietz, design and art consultant for Gallery, Novare's 27-story Buckhead condominium building

Room for a home office

"With more people working from home, study rooms and home offices have become essential. Some homeowners are even asking for a small office connected to the kitchen as well as a study. In addition to working from home, families manage their personal finances, pay bills and keep in touch with friends, and kids finish homework and research projects there."

— Crescent Communities

Traditional blended with modern

"We're seeing a real interest in combining the traditional with modern touches. Gallery's cozy library space is a great example. There's a lot of dark walnut, pretty traditional in this kind of setting, but it's combined with comfortable upholstered furniture with a clean modern look. It used to be that people were 'modern' or they were 'traditional'. But mixing styles works well when it's done correctly, both in furnishings and in art."

— Novare

The details: Fixtures, finishes, furniture and paint colors

Carpet: "Berber carpeting has been popular for a while, but now manufacturers are finding ways to make it out of new materials and in softer and more plush textures."

— KB Home

Fixtures: "Preferences for finishes on lighting and other furnishings have also changed from brass to a brushed nickel or chrome/silver. It's often referred to as 'mercurial' in the design business. These new finishes are sturdier, show less wear and don't tarnish."

— KB Home

Paint colors: "There's a trend toward earthier color tones reflective of the green movement, sage greens and warm browns, a whole palette of more neutral colors. And we're seeing lots of use of glass mosaic tile."

— Brittany Biondi, design coordinator for David Weekley Homes

Smaller dual-function furnishings: "In the last couple of years, the availability of furnishings for smaller spaces has grown tremendously. We're seeing lots of dual functionality in furniture, like dressers and consoles with electronic risers for a television. These help people use space so much better."

– Novare

Technology is everywhere: "We're including iPod docking stations in its units, and working with our residents to plan for their speakers and flat-screen TVs. Dealing with electronics is a huge need for everyone."

— Novare

Green, green, green

"We're adding things like enhanced insulation to save on heating and cooling costs, and using natural and recycled materials in their construction. Our homeowners benefit not only by being environmental stewards, they also watch their monthly electric bills decline."

— Crescent Communities

"We have our My Earth brand. Every appliance we offer has to be Energy Star-rated." [Energy Star is a U. S. government program that certifies appliances use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.] "We offer front-loading washers, water-saving toilets and low-flow shower heads. All of our carpet is made by Shaw and is manufactured from recycled content. That's definitely a selling point."

— KB Home

"The central vacuum system is gaining popularity as an environmental tool. We find this is a really powerful feature for people concerned about clean air in their environment. Central vacs do a better job of removing dust and debris than regular vacuum cleaners."

— David Weekley Homes

"Furniture made from recycled and reclaimed wood is a great new trend. You get the warmth of the old wood and don't have to use new resources."

— Novare

One family's story

Last year, Polly and Ira Arman and Mikey, the cat, moved to Atlanta from their home near Tampa. They chose to build a home at Sterling on the Lake because they loved the wooded setting and the fact that the Flowery Branch community is relatively close to Atlanta.

They built a 3,200-square-foot, two-story Arts and Crafts home with a full unfinished basement. Downstairs includes a great room, office, formal dining room, laundry and library. There's a master bedroom suite on the main floor and three bedrooms and two baths upstairs. The loft upstairs has become their game room. Ira says, "The people from David Weekley were very accommodating in creating what is really a custom-built home." They made many choices:

• Custom features: "We have great 18-inch travertine floors in some rooms and 5-inch plank wood floors in others. There's beadboard paneling in the office, downstairs powder bath and laundry room. The master bathroom is really wonderful, with a large glass enclosed shower and vessel sinks," says Ira. "The details like the crown molding and detailing in every room really show the quality of the house."

• Green features: Ira says, "This house is completely energy-efficient. We added extra insulation in the walls and upgraded the air conditioning and heating system. Although our home is a little larger, when we compare our heating bill to our neighbors', ours is much less. The house came standard with double-insulated windows. We're really happy with how much more efficient this house is than our old home in Florida." A central vacuum system, intercom and high-efficiency washer and dryer add to their comfort.

• A gourmet kitchen: "I love our gourmet kitchen with its morning room, granite island and professional cooktop and hood," says Polly. "It was also important to me to have a big front porch so we could look out over the mountains, and we have a large deck off the kitchen where Ira has his grill. We ran gas, water and electricity out there, so it's really an outdoor kitchen. We took a lot of time planning the kitchen. There's a pot filler above the stove, and all the cabinetry is filled with self-closing drawers and pull-outs."

• Technology: "I wanted my whole house to be automated," says Ira, "so I added a really sophisticated system that turns out the lights, offers XM radio in all the rooms — with speakers outside as well — and automates the downstairs and upstairs thermostats. It's all controlled by remote. That same remote will let me control all the audio and video sources as well. We've got four flat-screen HDTVs, too."

• The community: "We have approximately 15 miles of hiking trails, two swimming pools, a large clubhouse that includes a caterer's kitchen, movie theater, 24-hour gym, several lighted tennis courts and a full-time activities director, so there's always something going on," says Polly. "We love it here."

David Weekley Homes at Sterling on the Lake 7308 Birdsong Place, Flowery Branch

• County: Hall

• Information: 770-965-6233; www.davidweekleyhomes.com

• Price range: Base prices from $295,990 to $359,999

• Number of homes: 1,800 in the community when completed

• Square footage: 2,300-3,300 square feet

• Lot sizes: 1/4-1/3 acre

• Amenities: 10 tennis courts, playgrounds, basketball court, lake with dock; village lawn with pavilion; pools include waterslide and water park, zero-entry free-form pool; infinity edge pool with waterfall; trails; fitness center; lakeside clubhouse with fitness center, theater, outdoor fireplace and verandas

• Homeowners fees: $780 per year, $500 initiation fee

• Developer: Newland Communities

• Builder: David Weekley Homes

• Schools: Friendship Elementary, C.W. Davis Middle, Flowery Branch High

GETTING THERE

Directions from downtown Atlanta: Take I-85 north and to I-985. Take Exit 12 (Spout Springs Road) and turn right. Go 2 miles to the Sterling on the Lake entrance.