They Want That!

This is a story about the accelerating nature of change, the middle-Americanization of luxe living, and the opportunities that lie in understanding not only what really makes homeowners happy — but also knowing whether what they think they want is really the right answer for them.

Consider some products and concepts that might have seemed extravagant or impractical a few years ago: natural stone countertops, stainless steel appliances, spa-style bathrooms, outdoor “rooms,” green products and building methods. Today, all are either in or entering the mainstream. In that same brief period, land lines and dial-up Internet have given way to the expectation of wireless everything everywhere. Buyers now browse endless product variations, prices, and user reviews from the immediacy of their cell phones and PDAs. They know that whatever they want for their home — in whatever style, however customized, and probably within their economic reach — is out there.

“Very few people besides moguls and big Hollywood types had home theaters five to seven years ago,” says Everett Collier, whose San Francisco remodeling company, Collier-Ostrom, has long been attuned to the evolving mores of high-end homeowners. “Now you go to Costco, and here's your home theater in a box. Now there are specialists in the fields of low-voltage wiring, and home theaters, and single-source controls” — for home lighting, entertainment, security, even window blinds. For the next generation of homeowners, such technologies will be as second-nature as their iPods and MySpace accounts (100 million and counting) are today.

Technology isn't all that has trickled down. For instance, thanks to the likes of Target (tagline: Design for All) and HGTV, “consumers feel that they're designers, and rightly so,” says Vickie Abrahamson, co-founder and executive vice president of Iconoculture, which advises companies on emerging consumer values. Younger consumers especially want to create their own unique style statements, she notes. “Gen X gave rise to alternative theater and movies. They're not going to be ruled by mass-market ideas.”

In fact, the designer mindset has set across demographic categories, Abrahamson says. “If I live in Toledo, and I want a new master suite, I can go out and get it, and I can do it affordably,” at Lowe's, The Home Depot, Pier 1, or Ikea.

Collier notes a psychological phenomenon called acculturation, which refers to how cultural traits and behaviors move out from epicenters, like waves from a pond. “Acculturation patterns are much more rapid now,” he says, making it both more difficult — and more critical — to keep up with the new.

“[The problem is that] a lot of remodelers aren't as brand-aware as their clients,” Abrahamson says. She recently remodeled a home using a contractor who, though technically strong, wasn't very curious or open to new ideas. She and her husband were frustrated by having to conduct their own research into many of the materials they wanted to use.

“Remodelers should get smart about their customers,” she says. “Understand their lifestyles and passions. Help them understand what's going to work, or what's not going to work for their needs.” Nobody expects you to have all the answers or be informed about every new product. But if you know where they're coming from, you can create a more satisfying result.

Stay abreast of trends that have an impact on your business, and use this knowledge in ways that improve the quality of your clients' lives. Abrahamson recommends flipping through a few lifestyle magazines that your clients might relate to — whether the modern look of Dwell and Wallpaper or the more heartland style of Traditional Home and Midwest Living. Tour remodeled homes (including those in other parts of the country), attend industry shows, and chat up your colleagues through trade associations and peer groups.

Become an expert in areas of particular relevance. On Collier's reading list are electronics magazines that help him keep up with his tech-savvy clientele. For one wealthy couple who travel and frequently entertain, his company installed more than $300,000 in home electronics alone, including programmable lighting and sun sensor–equipped window shades that help their circadian clocks readjust to California time.

Early adoption doesn't always mean pushing the latest and greatest, though. Collier notes the value of being somewhat circumspect with trend-forward clients. The same couple wanted a huge plasma-screen TV, but by encouraging them to wait awhile, he was able to set them up with a set that was thinner, less expensive, and better.

“It's a discussion process,” says Collier, who is also president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). “Most of the time, the client identifies a need, and then we propose a solution to that need.”

Green remodeler Michael Anschel reads everything from The New York Times to the annual Greenspec directory to “all the builder magazines.” His staff clips articles about green building, and he networks with like-minded peers and suppliers through his local green building group and the U.S. Green Building Council. “I think anybody who has their pulse on good design understands how the average person needs to live,” says the owner of Otogawa-Anschel in Minneapolis.

Abrahamson suggests creating “a dream portfolio” from your gleanings, featuring a palette of images and materials. Ask, “Do you like this look?” If clients dislike something, they can say so without fear of insulting you, and you'll be that much closer to identifying what they do like.

Many clients think they just want you to build them an addition or update their kitchen. But most would probably be delighted if you could solve some of their longstanding problems as well.

“Sit down and figure out the lifestyle patterns of your clients or prospective clients,” Abrahamson says. “Go from room to room asking three to five simple questions,” such as, What really works in this kitchen? What doesn't work? Do your kids do a lot of homework in here? How much entertaining do you do? Are there any health concerns we should be aware of?

Conner Remodeling & Design, Seattle, has adopted a client-centric approach including one particularly good question: “Other than the remodel we've discussed, what one change would make a huge improvement in how you enjoy your home?” The first client who was asked this question wished for a main-floor laundry room, to save her from having to go outside and down the basement steps. “The client didn't think it was possible and would never have brought it up,” president Denny Conner says. “Our designer was able to figure out a way to integrate a hall closet laundry into the kitchen remodel. They were ecstatic.”

Some remodelers present clients with intensive questionnaires. Anschel takes a more intuitive approach. “The whole process should be to dig a little deeper, to really understand what's going on in the homeowner's mind,” he says. “Often clients think they're spelling it out, but they're actually contradicting themselves. Then it's your job to question not just what they want, but why.”

Anschel concedes that this challenging line of questioning could cost you a job. But the right client will appreciate it, and the outcome will be better. About a quarter of his clients come to him after working with another designer whose drawings fell short of their ideals. “We talk, and within 15 or 20 minutes, they say, ‘You understand.'”

Play back what your clients say. Anschel is alert to words of desire — such as: simple, clean, flowing — as well as expressions of things that are frustrating, such as not having enough space for entertaining or storage. “It's a must, going through a dialog like this,” he says. “Then you have to send it back to them in a one-sentence, 30-second statement. ‘You want this and this and this.'” And if you don't nail it,” he says, dig deeper still.

Help clients anticipate future needs. If you're ripping out the ceiling for recessed lights, do they want speakers installed, as well? Do they plan to get a flat-screen TV? If so, now is the time to run wires behind the wall above the hearth. Do they anticipate changes in their health or family size?

Expanding families are a major remodeling impetus. Abrahamson notes growing demand for multi-generational homes, including those led by family-centric Hispanics as well as baby boomers who want to be close to their grandkids, through either “special spaces” in their own homes (such as elaborate playhouses in their yards) or grandparent suites in their children's homes. “There are life-stage forces that play a major role in re-prioritizing our values,” she said.

“Many of our clients are pregnant during design,” Anschel says. They're concerned about remodeling dust, noise, and aggravation, he says, but less conscious of the home's effect on their health or that of their children. So he gets them thinking about “environmental health” — that is, low-VOC paints, non-petroleum-based products, and other green materials that are safer for sensitive babies and children. “They may not care about saving a tree, but they are concerned about asthma,” he says.

Homeowners are also more willing to think long-term about the financial benefits of green remodeling. “There's more interest across the spectrum, and a lot of it is pocketbook-driven,” Anschel says. The higher energy prices go, the greater the appeal of energy-efficient investments such as tankless hot water heaters and low-E windows.

Homeowners increasingly want to believe that their remodeling project reflects their unique lifestyle and vision. Emerging developments can help you satisfy this desire without having to take clients to showrooms, thumb through catalogs, or otherwise hold their hand through every step of the process. Time is money for them, too.

Manufacturers, for instance, are launching new Web tools that let consumers select products and design their own spaces. Some sites can be personalized to your company. With www.bellacorpro.com, for instance, you can send clients to your own “virtual showroom” of more than 40,000 lighting and other home-related products. You get a 20% discount on anything your clients buy.

Other tools include www.corian.com, where homeowners can visualize hundreds of counter colors and designs, in various room configurations. At www.homecrestcab.com, they can browse cabinet styles, colors, woods, and room renderings that they can print out and hand to you. Tools at www.electroluxusa.com and www.merillat.com help clients design “multiuse spaces” that support their busy lifestyles.

Manufacturers desire good relationships with remodelers, just as you desire good relationships with clients. Ask your sales reps to keep you apprised of new products and to share general trends they're observing.

“People want to get things done on time with less stress,” Abrahamson says. The more you look outside your world, the more opportunities you'll spot for helping them.

Trending Forward

Expanding notions of family and deepening concern for the environment foretell big changes in remodeling relationships, according to Iconoculture, a Minneapolis consulting firm that conducts “observational research” of consumer behaviors and motivations.

At the Remodeling Leadership Conference in May, Iconoculture co-founder Vickie Abrahamson outlined five “Macrotrends” — major cultural shifts across demographic and lifestyle categories — that are especially relevant to remodelers.

Friends and Family. “There's no such thing as your typical American family any more,” Abrahamson says. Understanding how households live and interact is “the linchpin” of remodeling success. Learn what matters to your clients, whether young families (with powerful “kid influencers”), empty-nesters, singles or cohabitants, multi-generational groups, or minority families.

Ready, Set, Go! Overcommitted homeowners want to save time and energy. Use technology to streamline selections and project-tracking. Stay abreast of low-maintenance products such as self-cleaning windows and “intelligent” ovens that can refrigerate and cook foods by remote command.

Gaia/SustainAbility. “Sustainability will be the buzzword of this decade,” Abrahamson says. Embrace green remodeling. Identify health concerns that can be addressed with nontoxic products and building methods.

En Vogue. “Always look up,” Abrahamson says. “Upscale products will move to the mainstream quickly.” Incorporate touches that connote cool and personal expression: unusual finishes, detailed craftsmanship, and custom design.

Control Freak. Homeowners want more control over their environments. Include home networking systems such as biometric thumb key locks in their houses. And use high-tech tools, such as PDAs and password-protected project sites, that let them reach you anytime.

To learn more about Iconoculture, or to receive its free weekly e-newsletter, visit www.iconoculture.com.

The Ultimate Rooms

What makes a project stand out? Seven builders addressed this challenge with “The Ultimate Rooms” of Martin Farms, a new master-planned community in Otsego, Minn. The rooms — showcased in each builder's model home, and priced at a premium — were inspired by insights from Iconoculture.

“As builders, we always need to look at ways we can improve our proposition to the public,” says Nancy Schoenwetter, co-owner of JMS Companies, the parent corporation of the community's developer and one of its home builders. “What hot buttons can we push?” Selected rooms and features in the model homes:

Other rooms included “The Smart Office,” “The Great Garage,” and “The Kids' Climbing Wall Bedroom,” which Abrahamson dubbed the “torqued playroom” — fun idea for those long Minnesota winters.

“The feedback was fabulous,” Schoenwetter says. “Part of the draw was that the homes weren't out of reach. They incorporated cutting-edge technology, but these were all things people could do in their own homes.”