THIN-SKINNED: “The Graduate” made plastics a household...

THIN-SKINNED: “The Graduate” made plastics a household word 26 years ago. Soon the hot word may be plastic households. . . . The smooth, honey-toned exteriors of the Santa Lucia luxury homes overlooking Newport Harbor are made of two layers of acrylic paste troweled over a nylon mesh that is stapled to thick sheets of plastic foam. It is the first use of the new material in Orange County. It’s easier to keep up, looks great and doesn’t crack like stucco, says Newport Beach builder James Murar. The drawbacks? More expensive and the walls sound a hollower “twank” instead of a “thunk” when struck.

SWING EXTRA: The front porch has been practically extinct in Orange County for years, but it is making a bit of a comeback as home builders search for something--anything--to grab buyers’ attention. A new Kaufman & Broad development in Anaheim Hills features porches on five of its nine homes, and sales agent Barbara McGough says that “95% of the people who come through here just love ‘em. Even people who say our houses aren’t for them say they hope they can find something else with a porch.”

FLOWER POWER: Today’s model homes feature white kitchens and colorful fabrics, but Costa Mesa interior designer Dana Eggerts says don’t throw out those old Avocado Green mixers or Harvest Gold refrigerators. . . . The muted, autumnal colors of the early ‘60s are making a comeback, inside and out, she says--witness the rise of mud-colored exteriors in many new tracts. The impetus? “The recession,” she says. “Colors reflect the prevailing mood.”

CLIMBERS: The three-story “Euro-Village” look, with townhomes built around a courtyard, has spawned a host of imitators since first appearing in Irvine in 1991. But the homes, which require owners to climb three flights of stairs as they go from first-floor garages to living and dining rooms and then to bedrooms, appeal mainly to younger buyers. Costa Mesa architect Carl McLarand doesn’t believe the tri-level is adaptable for detached homes. Aging baby boomers just don’t have the wind--or the will--for all those steps, he says.