The hidden persuaders are everywhere.
But most home buyers are unaware of the subtle strategies used in decorating model homes.
Without being obvious, builders load up their decorated models with lures that put targeted buyers in a receptive mood.
“I decorate model homes so that they feel like a worn pair of blue jeans. They will remind you of happy moments in your past and suggest that those moments can be recreated if you move in,” said Helen Velas, president of Eleni Interiors Inc., based in Naperville.
The hot buttons that builders want to punch can be found throughout their model homes. They can be found in the style and price of furniture, the woodwork (light or dark), the overall impression of informality or formality, how the dining room table is set, what is on the desk in a home office, what type of toy animals or sports equipment is in children’s bedrooms, what type of clothing is hanging in the master bedroom’s closet and on and on.
Models are the best way to sell homes, so builders mold them in ways to appeal to the target market.
Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative world of model decorating:
While some builders may decorate models to appeal to a wide spectrum of buyers, others believe that sales go faster when models are tailored to the specific audience.
“For each new housing development, we first do a market study that might take 30 to 45 days and be 200 pages long,” said Roger Mankedick, vice president of sales and marketing for Concord Homes.
“From information in that study, we draw a script for each model home that suggests what the buyers do for a living, their lifestyle, their price range and much more,” said Mankedick.
That script is then used by the architects, decorators, advertising and public relations firms.
Do such scripted models sell to the intended buyers?
The concept “is correct about 90 percent of the time,” said Mankedick.
Are buyers aware of the all the effort behind decorating?
Probably not. The impact of decorating can be subliminal. That is, a model may feel just right, but potential buyers can’t explain exactly why.
“They are looking for their dream house; they’re not coming to critique the decorating,” said Mandkedick.
How do decorators determine what appeals to different age groups?
First, by observing how they vote with their wallets–what types of floor plans and interior decorating sell best.
But there’s more.
“Look at the TV programs certain age groups watch, even the commercials. Notice how the sets are decorated. People want what they see on TV,” said Velas.
Interior designer Bonnie Smith, who decorated two lofts at Clinton Complex, the MCZ Development project just west of the Loop, checks out stores for ideas: “Today’s home buyers are shoppers, so I purchase furnishings and decorations from places where young, first-time buyers shop, such as catalogs, the Internet, the Bucktown neighborhood and antiques shops.”
Velas classifies stores by age and income:
“First-time buyers are the IKEA type. Later, they move up to the Pottery Barn and then Crate & Barrel as they get older.”
Decorating a model can mean just that–decorating.
But when the decorating is purposefully focused on a particular buyer profile, it is called “merchandising.”
“Merchandising is absolutely critical,” said Mark Malouf, executive vice president of Montalbano Homes.
“When a model is correctly merchandised, home buyers will say: `That’s how I would decorate it, how I would live there, how I would furnish it.’ “
Malouf noted that in the past, especially in single-family homes, the decorating has been slanted toward the woman, because it was assumed that the wife would spend more time there. But in today’s world with two-income families and many women working outside the home, the pendulum has swung toward equality.
“Now we have to have something to keep the husband’s interest too. We’ll do rooms with sports themes–Michael Jordan posters, pool tables, reminders of fishing and boating. One of the models in our Oswego community even has an “Indiana Jones” theme.
Malouf added that dens are typically decorated with a masculine look.
Children also are important in the decorating scheme.
“People listen to their kids. When a kid says, `This is my room,’ you’re halfway to a sale,” Malouf said. “The most creative decorating in model homes frequently can be found in children’s rooms.”
More than miles separate suburban and city decorating.
Models in the suburbs are mostly for families with children, while downtown Chicago models cater mainly to young singles and couples.
“City lofts are for young people who want the latest and greatest; the new kick that no one else has,” said Velas.
At Clinton Complex, designer Smith created a “very upbeat and retro looking” living/dining/kitchen area in a loft aimed at first-time buyers.
Joanne Siciliano of Riha Design decorated a one-bedroom model for a young, single male at River North Commons, a city loft project by Enterprise Development. The concept was effectively suggested by a beer collection on dislay in the living area and a bucket of cold beers on the kitchen counter.
Velas listed the decorating clues that reveal the story behind each model. These keys tell everything about the intended buyers–their age, income, number of children, even occupation:
– Decorating aimed at first-time buyers in their 20s or early 30s will usually have these characteristics:
“Young buyers like a more contemporary look,” said Velas. “The home will have a bright color scheme, with blond, natural wood tones. Accents will be chrome, brushed chrome or black.”
– For first move-up buyers in their 30s and early 40s, models will feature deep, muddy or faded color schemes. Medium wood tones and craftsman-style furnishings will predominate. Accents will be brushed chrome and iron.
– Second move-up buyers in their 40s want a home that shows they have arrived, that they belong to the club. “They want a nicer home with more sophistication, one that is connected to the good old days, but not old-fashioned,” said Velas. These more expensive homes have rich, classic color schemes, cherry wood tones and gold and iron accents.
– Empty-nesters, from their mid-50s on, are move-down buyers. “They want to get rid of their showy house and move to a scaled-down, easy maintenance residence. They have lived with the same furniture for years and want new. They want to get rid of their dark stuff and the durable furniture they bought when they had young kids,” said Velas.
Models catering to empty-nesters will have fresh, crisp color schemes–gardeny, with greens and raspberry. Wood tones are lighter, with furniture in country French and traditional styles. Accents are gold and brass.
Model rows typically are laid out with the least expensive home first and the most expensive last. That means that each succeeding model will reflect decorating for the increasing age and affluence of targeted buyers.
“Builders have to be careful not to show models that are priced so high that they make potential buyers uncomfortable,” said Concord’s Mankedick. “On the other hand, models should be just above their range, a vision for the future.”
One effective way to hook home buyers is through “memory features.”
After touring three subdivisions and 10 to 12 models in one afternoon, most people find that their memory is a blur. The purpose of memory features is to enhance the recollection of certain models.
For example, in the kitchen of a model at Cambridge Homes’ Carillon North in Grayslake is a glass on its side that has spilled its contents on the counter. This unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary sight contrasts with the model’s otherwise picture-perfect look. But you’ll probably remember it.
Actually, the “spill” is a phony, a plastic prop that decorators can buy, along with a variety of other non-edible “foods,” including realistic-looking apple pies and fruit of all varieties.
Memory features usually say something about the intended buyer:
– Pianos lend a homey atmosphere and suggest family bonding and sing-alongs.
– Wine glasses, champagne buckets and candles positioned beside a whirlpool tub in the master bath are obvious suggestions of romance, and are most often in models pitched to buyers in their 30s and 40s.
– Wine cellars, though, have snob appeal and usually are in higher-end homes of older buyers.
– Cigars, which are currently fashionable, are reminders of male bonding and can be found in second move-up models.
– Sports equipment is age-related–tennis racquets for younger buyers and golf gear for older buyers.
For a boy’s room at Renaux Manor, a Wiseman-Hughes development in St. Charles, Velas ordered a surfboard from California, cut it in half lengthwise and mounted it for shelving.
– Exercise equipment, though, cuts across all age groups.
– Suitcases on a bed signify a guest bedroom.
– A knitting basket or sewing machine hints at older buyers who have time for knitting or sewing.
– Hand-painted murals on walls usually decorate children’s bedrooms. For younger children, they may show scenes from Seseme Street or “The Cat in the Hat.”
– Awards and trophies mean success, so their use injects a positive aura. At Renaux Manor, Velas had advertising awards custom-made for a home office of an upwardly mobile couple. The “reality” of the office is further enhanced by his and hers computers and a copy of Advertising Age.
– Games on tables in the family room tell something about the intended buyers. Scrabble and Monopoly are for younger families, while poker and chess denote older buyers.
– Antiques appeal especially to empty-nesters.
– A breakfast tray in the master bedroom says this is a home for buyers in their 50s or 60s.
– TV sets are universal in all models, but most of them are non-functioning props. However, some builders will play videos on large-screen sets to make buyers feel right at home.
Model homes showcase the best the builder can offer, so most of them are loaded with upgrades and fancy features. Some model rows, though, will include one model with no-frills, standard equipment. (See Genevieve Buck’s House Hunter on Page 1 of today’s New Homes.)
Upgrades and options–fireplaces, skylights, decks, sitting rooms, finished basements–make a model more attractive, but also can be profitable for the builder because many people want the extras they see displayed.
