woman-centric Archives - Page 7 of 13

Thoughtful Outdoor Lighting & Electrical

by Michele Weaver | Dec 5, 2019 | HER Home

Are you plugged in? Whether it’s outdoor entertaining, yard work, or a project you do in the driveway, it seems there’s never an exterior electrical box where you need to plug things in. So, when that sunroom is being added or your dream home is being built, adding a couple more electrical boxes when the electrician is already at your home is a minimal expense you’ll often be glad you opted for.

And, with the holidays approaching, few things warm the heart as much as attractive holiday light displays. But stringing extension cords all over can be daunting – and hazardous. Adding electric outlets in the eaves under the roof overhangs as well as an outlet strategically located in the yard makes holiday lighting a pleasure. Be sure to have the electrician wire a switch inside the home to turn those lights on and off.

For more resources on thoughtful design:

Cover Image: Peony Grove – #42285

Homes Talk to Women through Her Personality

by Michele Weaver | Nov 20, 2019 | HER Home

This last installment focuses on how ‘Homes Talk to Women’ through her personality. And, we’ll find out what Jacob and Aimee decided for their new home.

Our research also unveiled four primary home buyer personas that have an uncanny likelihood of predicting interest in certain aspect of the home. Let’s take a look into these four personas:

contemporary
work/life balance
form over function
edgy
goal oriented
individualistic
my home is unique

traditional
work/life balance
function over form
practical
family oriented
predictable
my home is my haven

formal
work/life balance
form and function
sophisticated
quality driven
detail oriented
my home makes a statement

casual
work/life balance
function over form
spontaneous
project/activity driven
free spirited
my home is carefree

With these characteristics in mind, how does each persona’s design preference differ and why? Let’s take front entries as an example. Almost everyone wants their front entry to say “Welcome.” Yet according to a ‘Margo’ in our office, “Our front entry views say ‘Cool’, with an open loft feel, leading to the great room with 10’ flat ceilings and contemporary kitchen. Homes with rustic finishes or a narrow entry say, ‘Not for me!’” In contrast, an ‘Elise’ insists on a front entry, “An open front entry says, ‘Welcome to our home’, an entry coat closet says, ‘Here, let me take your coat; make yourself at home.’” ‘Margo’ wants the wow-factor and a unique design, while ‘Elise’ is more traditional and practical.

Meanwhile…

Photo Courtesy: iLumigreen

After exploring their options, Jacob and Aimee have decided they want to buy new rather than remodel a resale home. They’re looking for a big walk-in closet and an eating area large enough to accommodate guests. Aimee’s dad is an electrician, so based on her experience and knowledge she’s keen on LED ceiling lighting without cans, quiet bath fans, and power outlets with USB charging. As newlyweds with good jobs and visions of a larger family, nice-size secondary bedrooms with larger closets are a higher priority than high-end fixtures and finishes. Aimee is thinking about a nursery within earshot of their bedroom, and how important it is for Jacob to have a place for video games – how he likes to unwind after work. Aimee’s an Elise with some Margo tendencies. Storage that is practical and maintenance-free gives back time for more important things. But she has already picked out some unique light fixtures and is leaning towards slate gray cork wood flooring. It’s all a part of her story – past, present, and future!

We invite you to learn more about the four personas and take our Finally About Me!® quiz to discover your new home personality. And, these other great articles regarding personas and design preferences:

If you missed the first three segments of this four-part series, click on the links below:

Week 1: Homes Talk to Women
Week 2: Homes Talk to Women as it Relates to Her Story
Week 3: Homes Talk to Women through the Home's Livability

For more resources on thoughtful design:

Homes Talk to Women through the Home’s Livability

by Michele Weaver | Nov 13, 2019 | HER Home

This installment of the ‘Homes Talk to Women’ series focuses on the home’s livability. Researching women’s preferences, we discovered there are four ways women typically look at a home’s livability – its suitability for her and her household. These four Livability ‘lenses’ are areas for: Entertaining, De-Stressing, Storage, and Flexible Living.

Each of us places a different importance on these areas of the home. These can be static or changing depending on your lifestage. Factors such as the home’s available space (flexible areas, storage space), the makeup of your household (children, empty nesters, multi-generational), and your personal preference (love to entertain, passion for scrap-booking, like keeping things organized and out of sight) can all play into which livability lenses are most significant to you.

It has been said that when men enter a home they focus on one or two areas that wow them, whereas women tend to recognize several areas of the home and how they can work together – where furniture will be placed, traffic flow, convenience of storage spaces, etc. We call this a “spotlight” vs. “floodlight” scenario; men typically focus on areas they are interested in, while women are taking it all in to determine the home’s livability for her and her household.

At Design Basics, our floor plans are color-coded so you can easily identify these areas of the home (we call this Livability at a Glance™), and our online Plan Search tool lets you search by areas of importance to you. We invite you to take our Livability at a Glance quiz to discover your lifestyle profile.

If you missed the other segments of this four-part series, click the links below:

Week 1: Homes Talk to Women
Week 2: Homes Talk to Women as it Relates to Her Story
Week 4: Homes Talk to Women through Her Personality

For more resources on thoughtful design:

Cover Image: <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/coffee">Coffee photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com</a>

Homes Talk to Women as it Relates to Her Story

by Michele Weaver | Nov 6, 2019 | HER Home

Rear Foyer - Elise, Maggie Welcome to Part 2 of the ‘Homes Talk to Women’ series focusing on as it relates to her story. Homes Talk to Women through her life experiences. What has she experienced in her current home or apartment? What does she like; what would she change if she could? Having lived in a home with no garage, for Aimee, the idea of walking into her home from the garage directly into the kitchen without a rear foyer was simply not on her radar screen. Now, homes without a rear foyer say to her, “Thoughtless!”

Homes Talk to Women through her knowledge. That’s one reason for touring model homes, watching HGTV, and surfing the internet. She may love the idea of a door-less walk-in shower (no door to clean!), but she may not know that it can get really cold without that door to keep the heat in. Incorporating a radiant towel warmer is an easy addition!

Homes Talk to Women through her culture, as different backgrounds may have significant influences on her preferences. Cultures that emphasize academic success may have strong interest in the Family Lounge concept where parents are involved with their kids’ homework. Feng Shui has significant influence over home design. The lack of a formal entryway, a closet directly opposite the front door, stairs facing the front door, or a bathroom door facing the front door all say to her, “This is not the home for me!”

Homes Talk to Women through her lifestage, appreciating the shifting needs of how people live in the home at those particular lifestages. Priorities and needs differ among newlyweds, growing families, empty nesters, and multi-generational households. Big closets in all the bedrooms say – ‘A place for everything’, and tells her she won’t be hearing any more, “But mom, there’s no place to put it!” from the kiddos.

Everyone’s life experiences and living situations are different. What’s your story and how do you prefer your home’s design to fit your story?

Next week learn how ‘Homes Talk to Women’ through the home’s livability.

If you missed the other segments of this four-part series, click the links below:

Week 1: Homes Talk to Women
Week 3: Homes Talk to Women through the Home's Livability
Week 4: Homes Talk to Women through Her Personality

For more resources on thoughtful design:

Homes Talk to Women

by Michele Weaver | Nov 1, 2019 | HER Home

Couple with Blueprint Since the beginning of 2003, our ongoing mission has been to evolve our knowledge, understanding of, and appreciation for women's preferences in the home. Recently we stumbled upon the realization that homes talk to women; specifically, homes talk to women more so than men - what they say differs, and the "lenses" women filter their thinking through is much more complex and detailed than their male counterpart. This four-part series highlights how ‘Homes Talk to Women’ and the different ways home buyers look at a home’s layout, design, and livability. We'll explore this more with our hypothetical couple, Jacob and Aimee.

Research suggests men typically think about a new home in terms of financial aspects (cost, monthly expense, investment), facts and figures (square footage, number of bedrooms), and where they'll live - right down to the address itself.

Those same issues are on Aimee's mind, too, but she's seeing the home more in terms of where life will happen, where experiences become cherished memories, or where the kids will grow up. She's also looking at the home in terms of her household's needs, wants, and desires, and importantly, dreams about what else needs to or can be done to make the home perfect.

Jacob listens to Aimee's dreams, but what he hears is 'expense' and 'hassle'. What will it cost to finish off the basement? How much of the work am I going to have to do myself? This is one tremendous advantage for new homes as compared to resales - consider a $300,000 resale home with $50,000+ in updates and remodeling versus a new $400,000 home with everything already in place. What would you do?

Continue with the series by clicking the links below: