For the past 25 years, the staff of Professional Builder, the members of the NAHB Design Committee and a select group of judges have had the privilege of viewing some of the finest examples of residential design in the country. Literally thousands of homes and communities have been submitted for our approval.

What’s interesting about a long-running competition like the Best in American Living Awards is that one can look back over a quarter of a century and track major trends -- some timeless, others that quickly fall by the wayside. From one year to the next, there are no such dramatic changes, but we can pinpoint subtle shifts, the return of discarded trends and the birth of new ones.