By: Doris Pearlman

Whether they’re empty-nesters wanting to downsize and hang up their commuting hats or young single professionals with no time for lawn care, more and more homeowners desire a smaller, simpler lifestyle close to downtown, culture and nightlife. And now, in increasing numbers, residents in the suburban areas are choosing smaller, maintenance-free homes close to light rail or subway systems. These “urban wannabes” desire the same type of cultural amenities and conveniences that urban dwellers do.

Make no mistake about it, this represents the “New American Home”, and builders and developers who want to be successful in the next few years had better understand this trend.

First-Time, Full-Circle, Free Spirit Buyers

It starts with knowing your buyers. This demographic has needs far apart from the four-bedroom, three-car garage, two-kids-and-a-dog-family. They are more in tune to glamour, function and a “leave-town-whenever-we-want” lifestyle. Their needs in a home are centered around common interests rather than age, stage or wage. They may be first-time buyers, full-circle buyers (who have moved up several times and are ready for smaller again), or non-traditional households. But with the smaller spaces that they desire come design challenges. Where will these buyers store their stuff, entertain their friends, display their collectibles? Builders who want to cater to this market must make their models livable, visually spacious and irresistible!

“I Think I Can, I Think I Can…”

How do you merchandise to such a diverse target market, and how do you maximize the space in smaller floor plans? A professional model merchandiser, hired early in the design stages, can help ensure that your floor plans have unimpeded traffic flow, attractive sight lines and the most efficient use of space.

A great example of smart space planning is found at Vantage Pointe, says Mark Samuelson, a home building and real estate communications specialist in Denver. This loft/flat community near Boulder, developed by Trammell Crow, enlisted the architectural talents of Paul Campbell of Kephart Community Planning. Campbell allotted generous space to kitchens and designed less formal dining spaces. Campbell believes part of the success at Vantage Pointe was in making spaces “feel a lot larger, less like little pieces connected.”

This same concept was employed equally well at Toll Brothers’ The Terraces in the San Francisco Bay area. Here, the living spaces were designed as one large space, rather than into separate kitchen, dining and living rooms. The Terraces’ smallest home, the 1,124-square-feet “Corrida” model could have scared some buyers away. Instead, designers at Possibilities for Design employed clever use of furnishings, finishes and scale to make the home live large. For instance, off the kitchen they specified a round, 36-inch dining table and a large, framed mirror behind it to give depth to the space. Wood flooring laid on the diagonal visually elongated and increased perception of space.

In the slightly larger “San Sebastian” model in the same community, four dining chairs surround the glass table instead of the traditional six to maximize the usual space. The Terraces have been a big hit with downsizing buyers in their mid-50s and older, as well as Gen-Xers.

Tactical Touches

Color is probably the most misunderstood tool in the small-design toolbox. Gone is the old-school percept of keeping all colors light, white and neutral. In small spaces, rich color can be your best friend. Use it on accent wall or inside built-in niches, bookcases and media cabinets to create depth. Color blocking used this way pulls the visitor’s eye back toward the wall, making the overall room seem larger. Color can “wrap” a space, create depth, exude warmth and add identity.

Mirrors, like the one effectively used in the Corrida model above, are an acceptable and trendy tool to maximize a space, but take care! Don’t use too many mirrors; once large mirror is better than multiple small mirrors. Buyers today are savvy and may pick up on what they perceive to be a “smoke-and-mirrors” effect. Leaning mirrors is another way to maximize your space.

It’s a Small World After All

Scale of furniture is another well-known item in the merchandiser’s toolbox. Salespeople are often asked whether designers use “mini-furniture” to make homes seem larger. In reality, furniture manufactured in an elf’s workshop does not exist! Rather, a talented merchandiser knows how to use real furniture scaled appropriately.

On the other hand, don’t think you must always opt for small pieces of furniture. Opt for fewer and larger, rather than more and smaller. However, some pieces may appear overbearing, such as a four-poster bed in a small master bedroom; consider using only a headboard or a behind-the-bed wall treatment. For another alternative in a kitchen, a high “pub table” with tall bar stools will work neatly and may appear less formal and more innovative.

Doing Double-Duty

When it comes to visualizing multiple uses for rooms, your buyers may need just a little help. Clever use of merchandising can show them how a dining room can double as an office. Show a laptop propped open on the dining table.

A secondary bedroom can serve double-duty as a mini-gym. Show buyers how exercise equipment and a juice bar will easily fit. A guest room / office combo is another idea that buyers of all ages will appreciate.

Some furniture pieces can work extra hard as well; consider the ottoman / coffee table combos that are so popular today. Merchandise them with a martini shaker and two martini glasses on a tray for a little “lifestyle”.