No, it’s not keeping a clean house, keeping dinner on the table, or even balancing work and home. 

Moms recently told Better Homes and Gardens that the #1 sign of “being a good mom” is ”monitoring what kids are doing online”.

The implication for home design? Many parents of young children are preferring to locate any computers kids use in a prominent public space, like a work station inside or just off the kitchen, or in a family room visible from the kitchen.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens survey. For more information on home trends presented at the International Builders show, see RoomPlanners IBS 2008 Report at www.roomplanners.com/order/

U.S. sales of home organization products are expected to increase to $8.6B in 2011 (+4.5% per year). Bedrooms & closets will remain the leading category, with garage sales the fastest growing (+ 8.0% per year).

The following trends are driving the growth: 

 * ongoing introduction of products with more decorative styling and/or specialty features

* empty-nesters organizing their possesions into smaller homes

* children of baby boomers moving into small dorm room and first apartments 

Expected sales by category:

1. Bedrooms & Closets -  $2.52M (2006) - $3.24 (2011)

2. Family Rooms - $1.51M (2006) - $1.745M (2011)

3. Garages -  $1.4M (2006) - $2.06M (2011)

4. Kitchens & Pantries - $962K (2006) - $1.04M (2011)

5. Bathrooms & Utility Rooms-  $528K (2006) - $560K (20100

Total Demand-  $6.92M (2006) - $8.64M (2001).

Source: The Freedonia Group Inc / Closets Magazine, Oct ‘07

The popularity of cooking is combining with more opportunities to look inside commercial kitchens - this past year alone - reality TV shows like Top Chef, Iron Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, plus movies like No Reservations and Ratatouille - all influencing what’s wanted in today’s kitchens. According to an online poll by House Beautiful magazine, here’s what consumers want most in their ‘fantasy’ kitchen:

56% said a big, stainless steel professional stove

19% said a glass-door, restaurant-style refrigerator

12% said a wine cooler

8% said two dishwashers

5% said a pot filler

Source: K+BB magazine (Feb ‘08)

K+BB magazine (Feb ‘08) reported results of a House Beautiful online survey where 27% of consumers said their ideal bathroom “luxury” would be a multi-jet shower, vs. 23% who said a jacuzzi/spa or bathtub with a view.

A luxurious bath has always been the icon of a luxurious bathroom. This slight shift to luxury showers likely reflects 3 things - impressive advances in shower technology including multi-head jets and steam, the lack of time to take a bath, and a growing desire for “luxury” every day. Undoubtedly few women would actually give up a bathtub, but multi-jet showers offer a way to relax and feel pampered more frequently.

The trend to water-guzzling showers also shows how contradicted many consumers are about ‘green’ living.   

2007 was a challenging year for many retailers. A lot of products weren’t selling, but here’s a few that were (with sales increases over 2007), and what it could mean for home furnishing merchants:

Single serve coffee makers +55.6%. What it means? More single-households. Installing a shelf and power outlet for a small coffee maker in a bedroom or bathroom cabinet or drawer (like in a hotel) might be a popular idea.

Popcorn machines +31.9%. What it means? Consumers want to relax at home, probably watching TV on a comfortable sofa.

Kitchen island and carts (RTA) +25%. What it means? Islands can be sold separately from kitchens, don’t have to match kitchen cabinets, and don’t need cooktops or sinks.

Cookbooks + 15.6%. What it means? Bookshelves needed. 

Humidifiers + 13.9%. What it means? Air quality and mold are growing issues.

Espresso machines +10.0%. What it means? More entertaining and relaxation at home.

Wine accessories +9.2%. What it means? Places to house wine and wine supplies needed.

Storage & organization products +6.0%. What it means? Consumers have a lot of stuff, want to get organized, and often prefer portable storage to furniture.

Cocktail glasses +5.0%. What it means? More entertaining at home; bars and beverage centers needed.

Folding furniture +5.0%. What it means? Consumers need portable, space-saving solutions, or temporary furniture solutions at a lower price.

Sales data: HomeWorld Business magazine (Jan ‘08).

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported last week at the International Builder’s Show that the average single family home built in 2007 was 2,512 sq ft. This is up 33.9% from 1,660 sq ft in 1973, but the Association expects home size to stabilize around 2500 sq ft (+/- 5%), with an emphasis on “more space with less square footage”, that is, more efficient use of space in home layout and furnishings.

2007 home size, by region:

1. Northeast - 2,561 sq ft, up 37.7% from 1973

2. South - 2,549 sq ft, up 34.4% from 1973.

3. West - 2,525 sq ft, up 32.0% from 1973.

4. Midwest - 2,333 sq ft, up 30.7% from 1973.

A complete report on 2008 home trends presented at the IBS is available from Room Planners at www.roomplanners.com/order/ 

According to an online How We Live survey by Centex Homes, here’s what 100 Phoenix home owners had to say. (Homeowners were categorized into (1) first time homeowners, (2) move-up home owners buying 2nd or 3rd home/typically with families, and (3) empty nesters).

* 45% of move-up home owners cited a kitchen’s layout as the most important feature, as compared to 33% of empty nesters and 27% of first-timers.

* 46% of first-timers, and 33% of move-up home owners ranked the front porch as the most useless area of the home.

* 37.5% of empty nesters chose the backyard as the least-used area, however 51% of move-up home owners called it a “second living area”.

* 24% of move-up homeowners ranked the formal living room as the most useless

* after “design” and “flow of space”, energy efficiency was ranked as the most important feature of a home by all groups - 48% for full timers, 60% of move-ups and 66% of empty nesters

* built-in technology ranked lowest among the home’s “most important features“, ranked most important by only 14% of first timers, 9% of move-up, and 0% for empty-nesters.

Source: New Homes Magazine (Jan ‘08) / Cunningham Research Associates

When asked by Better Homes and Gardens magazine what their top priorities in a home were, here’s what consumers answered:

A whopping 71% said an “all-new kitchen that looks great and is fun to work in”

43% said “the right amount and type of storage”

41% said “a master suite that feels like a luxurious hotel room”

They also wanted “well-designed spaces that consumers can personalize”, and “a separate and convenient sizeable laundry workroom”.

More information on consumer housing & home furnishing trends available in Room Planners’ International Builders Show ’08 report. www.roomplanners.com/order/.

According to the National Association of Realtors,  home sales fell in 45 states during the last quarter (Oct-Dec) of ‘07, compared to the same period in ‘06. Median home price also plunged by a record 5.8% to $206,200.

Nationally, home sales fell nearly 21%, including a “stunning 44.2%” drop in Nevada, one of the regional hotspots during the real estate boom. In Las Vegas, the median single-family home dropped 13% in price, “meaning thousands of people who put little or no money down now owe more than their homes are worth“, a USA Today article (Feb 15/08) stated. Other states with big declines - Wyoming (-42.4%), New Mexico (-38.7%), Oregon (-38.4%), Arizona (-37.5%), Utah (-33.8%), Maryland (-33.5%), California (-29.8%), Florida (-29.0%), and Georgia (-23.8%).

Median house prices fell in 77 metro areas, with at least 15 areas suffering double-digit drops. But real estate prices rose in 73 other metro areas, including 11 with double-digit increases. South Dakota was the only state where sales rose - an impressive 8.9%.

“Figures reflect job losses in the Rust Belt states, sinking affordability in the Sunshine states and stricter lending rules nationwide,” says USA Today, whose surveyed experts expect sagging prices to persist the rest of 2008. 

Recent research indicates that consumers are less impressed with Wal-Mart’s furniture assortment than its other categories… this after the retailer expanded and upgraded furniture selections at $200+ in 2007.

Among 13 key store departments, furniture ranked #13 in both “opinion of price” and “conversion” (department stop vs. department purchase).

Raising prices in a touch economic climate may have had something to do with the low consumer “opinion of price” rankings, as suggested by another higher ticket purchase - vacuums - ranking #12 in “opinion of price”, after assortment was expanded to include a Dyson upright at $378.

But in some categories, price doesn’t appear to be the deciding purchase factor. Vacuums  ranked #12 in ”opinion of price”, but #7 in “conversion”, and storage products ranked #8 in “opinion of price”, but #2 in sales “conversion”, suggesting that price isn’t the only factor making a purchase decision about some products. The survey didn’t indicate what consumers liked or disliked about the highest and lowest rated departments. 

Source: Leo J. Shapiro & Associates / reported in HomeWorld Business Magazine (Feb 4/07). Survey conduced in Dec ‘07 included 600 U.S. households.