Generations Divides Highlighted in Home Design Part 2

The next demographic of people highlighted in the UNcontained exhibit is "Forever Fit", featuring "the Zoomers".  Zoomers are defined as people in the baby boomer generation who are nearing retirement age but still live active lifestyles.  The zoomers want their homes to not only look cool and be highly designed, but also allow them to age in place.

The forever fit features cool design elements to make a spa with a pedicure area and a big shower that showcases the interests of the homeowners such as the surf board in the shower and tennis rackets in the "salon".

Interesting facts about Zoomers:

1 in 8 zoomers will live to be 100

Every day 10,000 zoomers will turn 65.  This will continue for 18 years!

6 million young adults live with their parents- a 25% increase from 2007.

As part of the aging in place, Zoomers still need their homes to be child friendly and durable because they will entertain and care for their grand kids.  They also need to use materials and spacial layouts that will accommodate their aging bodies such as comfort height toilets, higher seat heights on the sofa and dining chairs and homes without stairs.

What have you noticed from your Zoomer clients?  Do you agree with this assessment of their needs?

Generational Divides Highlighted In Home Design Part 1

Never before have so many generations been alive and in the work place simultaneously, each with such distinct needs and personalities.  The generational divide is evident in nearly every aspect of our society, including how we design our homes, and really, how we live in our homes. At the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, we learned not just about cool new products but also about the needs of the different generations of consumers.  In an exhibit entitled UNcontained, they displayed five "containers" each designed with a distinct type of consumer in mind.  This education is an important tool to getting into the psyche of our clients and helping to give them the kind of home they seek.  We will show you each of these distinct containers in five different blog posts- stay tuned!

The first, entitled "New Hip Home" reflected the style of a recent college grad (part of their "GEN NOW" generation 18-34): Single, living alone for the first time, needing a little parental support and working in his first job.

Recent studies showed that 88% of those in "Gen Now" want to live in Urban areas.  This urban population tends to like loft style and open concept homes with less defined boundaries for rooms.  They want to purchase furnishings that can come with them from place to place.  This consumer is also different in that they are immersed in information such as blogs, HGTV and even Pinterest, which gives them inspiration and helps them have a better understanding of design.  They are early adopters of cool new trends and technology and aren't afraid to be a little adventurous.  Sounds like a fun client!

Next up: Forever Fit.

Reaching New Heights with Ceiling Design

I have been working on the office of a client that is currently a simple, rather dull space.  It does have one beautiful architectural detail- the ceiling!  It is amazing the difference a ceiling can make to the overall feel of a room.  If you take a simple room and do a special detailing on the ceiling, like add molding or beams, a wallpaper treatment, or even a cool paint treatment, you instantly turn an average room into something special.

As a designer, I am constantly scanning design mags and websites for inspiration and to learn about new products.  I saw these beautiful rooms on Houzz and was impressed by the beauty of the ceilings in these spaces.

I could truly go on all day with more amazing shots of beautifully designed ceilings and the spaces that exist beneath them, but I will leave you with just one more....

Remodeling in the Ancient World

While touring Ephesus, I was struck by the beauty of the frescoes and the incredible embellishments these ancient people put into their homes.  These paintings are so expressive, colorful and festive.  What is fascinating is that in some areas, chipping paint reveals other frescoes underneath the outer paintings. We know that even primitive man would carve and paint drawings on to cave walls, perhaps as decoration, perhaps as a way of recording history (or both).  It is interesting to think about people thousands of years ago and how similar they are to modern man.  Even then, the fashion in home decor changed and the people who could afford to remodel changed their homes according to the latest design trends.

In my blog tomorrow, I will discuss the newest trends in colors according to Pantone.  From the photos below, we can see that the colors and trends of the time included beautiful reds, greens, golds and browns with hints of bright blue.

Everything Old is New Again, Our New Monday Blog!

On a recent cruise to Italy, Greece and Turkey, I was struck by not only the unbelievable beauty of the Mediterranean scenery and incredible architecture, but also by just how much we have taken from the innovations of the people who lived there thousands of years ago.