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Beyond the Bars
Composite Pipe 101
Generational Shifts
Meet Me in the Middle
The Ultimate Home Kitchen
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Generational Shifts
Tips on designing for different age groups
Generation X starts to turn 40 next year. The baby boomers start turning 60 in 2006. As these demographic groups enter new stages of life, they will continue to build and buy new homes, but the types of homes they're looking for aren't the same. According to J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich Partners Inc., a leading authority on consumer trends, market studies show that the basic idea of "home" is different for baby boomers and Generation Xers. These differences spring from their respective life stages.
How do you spell "home"?
Generation X is in its peak child-rearing years. "A Gen-X home is for the kids, a place to bring friends. It's a hive of activity," Smith says. Their home is the center of life and a way to connect with the community. Most want to entertain in a casual, easy-going way and bring everyone into the house with them.
Baby boomers, on the other hand, are seeing their kids grow up and move out. But, despite the empty nest, they have no intention of slowing down. Instead, they approach life with a sense of adventure, novelty and excitement about pursuing new hobbies. "Boomers look at home as a place to sleep," Smith says. "They're off to the office, the club or on vacation. Their world is not centered on home." At the same time, they want their home to be a peaceful, private sanctuary from the activity going on outside.
Implications for the builder
The Generation X house: Not surprisingly, the way to succeed with Generation Xers is to offer what Smith calls "family-friendly home designs." They want homes where the kids are never out of view. That means open floor plans, with space where kids can play while remaining close to the adults. And their casual entertaining style means you need not offer fussy or formal decor. In fact, this group tends to favor an eclectic approach to decorating, and they want to put their creative, individual stamp on what they buy. As a builder, it's key to work with them and make sure they feel like they are a part of the process.
The baby boomer house: The typical baby boomer wants an entertainment room with all the latest gadgets, a comfortable family room for visiting kids and grandkids, and a gourmet kitchen. In fact, gourmet cooking is one of the hottest trends among this group. (See the accompanying article "The Ultimate Home Kitchen," in this issue.) They are also interested in having a room for crafts, woodworking, art or other hobbies. Unlike Generation Xers, baby boomers tend to want a consistent decorating theme throughout the house. And because Boomers are often more interested in pursuing interests outside the home, they want things to be as close to maintenance-free as possible.
Commonalities
Despite their different life stages, these groups do share some important traits, Smith says. Both baby boomers and Generation Xers use technology to its full advantage, and both are extremely well-informed consumers. Both demand quality in materials and construction, and can be punishing if you don't do the work just right. And both have a strong desire to be understood. In fact, the builders who can expect the most success with these groups are the ones who take the time to understand them.
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