More of us are planning for the future, not just financially, but physically. Seems we’re thinking more about what life will be like when we, or the people who visit our home, are older.
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In a tough economy, green talk seems down, or at least overshadowed for now. But there’s some good news on the green building home front.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that “green homes” in the Seattle area sat on the market half as long as others, and achieved an 11% price premium.
Ok, it’s Seattle - home to a lot of avid environmentalists… but there’s more. According to Qualified Remodeler (Dec ‘08), 70% of consumers say they’re ‘more or much more inclined’ to invest in a green home, even in a down market. But here’s the clincher.
For most consumers, the green movement isn’t about saving the planet, per se. It’s as much about short term, personal gains as long term, universal side effects.
According to a McGraw-Hill Construction survey, 63% of green home owners said their green puchases were motivated by “lower operating and maintenance costs”, while 50% said their “family’s health” was a significant motivation for going green.
That’s food for thought for all green marketers. Consumers are going green based on how a green product enhances their lives here and now … by improving air quality, removing toxins, controling mold and mildew, saving energy or lowering costs, keeping kids safer and everyone warmer, cooler and healtheir. And most will spend more to maket it happen.
At at time when cost cutting is so important, what would make more sense than for furniture stores to switch out their many showroom lamps from incandescent bulbs to compact fluourescent bulbs (CFLs). In prior posts, I suggested this was a great way not only to save energy costs, but to help consumers to get used to the idea of CFLs in their homes… so I was thrilled to see that Raymour & Flanigan, a large furniture retailer in the northeast has done it! The company recently switched out all its showroom lighting (83 stores in 7 states) to CFLs.
CFLs use one quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs (15-watt CFL=60-watt incandescent) and have a life span of 10 years. And with furniture and lighting showrooms using more wattage than any business I can think of, this spells significant savings in energy costs. Plus furniture retailers can help spread the energy saving message to consumers (hopefully sales associate at Raymore Flanigan stores will be pointing them out!).
Results of a 2008 survey by AIA (American Institute of Architects) shows the following home building trends:
Smaller home size
fter increasing nearly 50% over the past 3 decades, by 2007 the trend had reversed. While only 15.5% of residential architects reported more requests for smaller homes in 2005, that number rose to 33.5% by 2008.
Given energy costs and challenging economics, home ‘volume’ (two-storey foyers, higher ceilings, etc) is also decreasing. In 2005, 51% of residential architects reported that home volume was increasing and only 4% that is was decreasing. In 2008, 28% reported home volume increases and 12% reported decreases.
More flexibility
08, 29% of architects reported an increase in requests for partial walls (rather than full height wall) to promote greater flexibility and visibility between rooms.
Renewable materials and energy savings
The green movement is affecting product specifications. In 2008, renewable flooing was up to 61% from 53% in 2007. High-end appliances dropped to 47% from 65% in 2007.
Outdoor living
Slightly under half of residential architects saw this as a atrend in 2005, but by 2008, over 2/3 said outdoor living is increasing in demand. Related to outdoor living is growth in indoor/outdoor space as a way to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor, and growing popularity of outdoor cooking centers, courtyards, fireplace, lighting, gazebos and furniture.
Source: Kitchen & Bath Design News (Aug ‘08)
With baby boomers reluctant to give up their active lifestyles or youth, it’s no surprise that aches and pains are going right along with it. According to a study by the National Institute of Aging, baby boomers (born 1942-1959) were unlikely to report “excellent or very good” health as early as their early to mid 50’s… an early result of their efforts to stay active despite their age.
The result? Boomers are looking for products that help them stay mobile, independent, free of pain and less stressed. These products, termed ‘universally designed’ due to their ability to work equally well among young, old and disabled… aren’t only winning at retail… they’re proving that the right products can reduce pain associated with age or disability without looking geriatric. If you’re not convinced that’s true, consider the growing popularity of recent fashion-forward products that also eliminate stress, bending, stooping and discomfort…
* higher dishwashers and washing machines
* higher-height dining tables and chairs
* larger hardware, knobs rather than pulls
* drawers rather than doors below kitchen counters
* lift-top coffee tables
* massage chairs
* chairs and recliners with built-in lift mechanisms
* furniture with built-in power for re-charging portable electronics
Products that address memory loss and clutter are also proving important. “Everyone experiences some minor short-term memory loss, and poorer visual color and depth perception as they get older,” says says Dr. Melanie Horn Mallers, Professor of Gerentology at California State University, Long Beach. “Having an organized and compartmentalized home helps with memory loss and lack of clutter helps when, for instance, you have to walk through your living room at night.” Again, consider the growing popularity of fashion-forward products that eliminate stress and discomfort:
* drawer organization systems
* jewelry organizers
* cubby hole shelves and drawers
* smaller drawers to allocated specific items
* wall and furniture hooks
* portable/mobile storage containers that can be moved to point-of-use
Based on home technology data compiled jointly by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB):
* small builders are building in multiroom audio (15%), security (41%), energy management (20%) and home theater (21%); bigger builders are more likely to build in structured wiring (59%).
* multi-room audio was listed as the most profitable home technology category, though only 18% of builders actively market it
* home theater is still considered in an early adopter stage, with the majority of people not having experienced it
* the next big home tech trend may be the outdoor market. Runco introduced its first outdoor TV, the runco Wp-42 at the CEDIA Expo in Sept 2007.
Source: CEPro (June’ 08)
Aging-in-place… that is, aging in our own home versus a nursing home… is a key topic in the home industry today. A few interesting stats:
* of all the people in the history of the world who ever lived beyond age 65, 2/3 of them are alive today (Elizabeth Vierck, Fact Book on Aging)
* Americans over 85 are the fastest-growing segment of population (National Institute on Aging).
* when asked where they want to live as they age, 90% of baby boomers say ‘in my home” (AARP)
* staying in our own homes as opposed to an assisted living facility can save $3,000-$5,000 per month.. leaving money available to invest in “enabling” technologies that keep seniors independent and safe at home (CE Pro Magazine, Apr ‘08)
* seniors fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than death (Clarity 2007, Aging-in-Place study)
* 82% of baby boomers fear their parents will be mistreated in a nursing home; 89% worry their parents will be sad; 2/3 said financial problems were not likely to prevent their parents from reamining in their home
* 49% of boomers are at least somewhat intersted in using new technologies and sensors to help monitor their parents’ safety (Clarity 2007 Aging in Place study)
According to a 2008 Market Trends Survey by Residential Design Build magazine (Apr 08), the following were the most asked-for rooms/features in new homes in 2007. Of the top 10, #1, #4, #5 and $7 have to do with media and togetherness time, inside and out:
1. 37% said a multi-purpose family/media room
2. 34% said energy efficiency
3. 33% said a home office
4. 26% said a great room
5. 25% said outdoor living space
6. 22% said a lower-level master suite
7. 21% said a home theater
8. 13% said a finished lower level
9. 10% said a tankless water heater
10. 10% said radiant floor heating
Chosen from over 400 submisstions, Electronic House’s “2008 Home of the Year” was also chosen “Green Home of the Year”.
Featured in the magazine’s May issue, the home was designed to be ahead of the curve. Builder Dan Merrill of Onteriors said he wanted to ‘beat the rush’. According to his predictions, in about twelve years, there won’t be enough water and electricity to go around, and he wanted to start ‘pushing the envelope’ in incorporating more efficiency.
Green features include radiant floor heating, an ultra-efficient furnace, tankless water heater, self-expanding foam insulation, solar roof, Energy Star appliances, natural ventilation, automated window blinds, dual-glazed windows that reduce UV and infrared exposures, LED lighting, and smart irrigation with gray water.
Control of the music, security, climate and lights were also high priorities. Part of the challenge, Merrill admitted in CE Pro magazine (May ‘08) was cramming all these features into a home that looks warm and inviting. “This ground-breaking project will drive home the point that thoughtful design can be accomplished with earth-friendly goals… without sacrificing comfort, function or aesthetics.”
This staggering statistic will be a reality by 2014, and with it, growing attention on aging-in-place, the phrase used to describe the 90% of people aged 50+ who want to stay in their homes as they age.
According to the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), 30% of all new home / residences purchased in the total market now include ‘active adult’ (55+) housing… attuned to the needs of an aging population, including wider hallways and doorways to accomodate wheelchairs, lower counter-tops in bathrooms and kitchens, lowered light switches and thermostats, zero-entry (roll-in) showers, interior elevators in 2-storey homes, grab bars in bathrooms, levers rather than knobs, less-maintenance/easy-to-clean materials, furniture that’s easy to get in and out of, and home office areas to stay connected with friends and family.
The trend appears to be a very positve one all round. Ironically, designing homes and furnishings for the less abled (’universal design’) results in safer and easier-to-use design for everyone.