When men come home from work, they start to relax and unwind.
"Research has shown that when women arrive home after a long day at work, their blood pressure rises three points as they begin their second job," said Paul Foresman, vice president of Design Basics in Omaha, Neb.
Part of the problem, he says, is that homes have historically been designed and built by men. A combination mudroom/laundry room in the entry from the garage to the house is a dead giveaway that it was designed by a man, according to Foresman.
It immediately triggers the stress response in women.
"You walk in and, boom, there's the laundry waiting to be done," he said.
Design Basics started researching what women want in a home, after keying in to the statistic that, 91 percent of the time, women are the sole or primary influence on new home purchases.
The "Woman-Centric Matters!" program, developed by Design Basics, allows builders to tap into that research. Flint Custom Homes in Layton is Utah's only "Woman-Centric Matters!" licensed builder.
"They generated the program, and it's up to us to take that and just keep moving it forward, which is what we're doing with our research and studying," said Steve Flint, owner of Flint Custom Homes.
Livability and personality
Design Basics found that when women evaluate home plans, they want to see how a home functions in four categories: de-stressing, storing, entertaining and flexible living.
The company color-codes its plans accordingly. Storage areas are orange, places to entertain are yellow, and de-stressing features are blue. Flexible living rooms, which can change purpose as life changes, are indicated in green.
"So if you like to entertain and have family gatherings, you're going to want to look at plans where there's a lot of yellow," said Flint.
Design Basics also found that women typically fit into one of four home personalities, which the company has named Elise, Claire, Maggie and Margo.
Claires want their home to make a statement. They appreciate extra storage for multiple sets of tableware and elaborate seasonal decorations, as well as dramatic columns, arches and moldings.
Flint said he's a Claire: "I'm very detail-oriented. I want things to look good and make an impression."
Scott Birch, Flint's construction manager, admits to being a combination of Maggie and Elise. Maggies are activity-driven, with eclectic tastes. They like open floor plans to comfortably visit with everyone, and storage for hobby and recreational supplies.
Elises are traditional and pragmatic, and see home as a haven. They want a floor plan with private spaces to relax, but also an open kitchen to be with family at gatherings.
"Probably 75 percent, or more, of the ladies in this market fall into the Elise category," said Flint.
The fourth personality, Margo, represents modern businesswomen who prefer contemporary design.
Features
In addition to the overall plan, a lot of woman-centric features can be built into a home. And existing homes can also be remodeled with ideas that make women's lives easier.
• In the bathroom: A specially-designed bathroom drawer, with metal storage compartments, allows curling irons and hair dryers to be put away while they're still hot, keeping counters free of clutter.
The appliances plug in underneath, "so you never have to have cords on the counters," said Shelli Hunger of Kaysville, who recently bought a woman-centric home. An indicator on the wall tells at a glance if appliances are on or off.
Also, a single-handle faucet can save cleaning time, said Michelle Blain, Flint's design specialist; and a pull-out drawer, in the cabinet under the sink, provides easy access to cleaning supplies.
• In the kitchen: Hunger asked for toe-kick drawers in her kitchen, making use of the space between the bottom of cupboards and floors.
"They're wide, flat drawers where you could put cookie sheets, table cloths and place mats," she said.
She also opted for adjustable shelves in kitchen cupboards, and a working pantry. In addition to shelving for food, the pantry has electrical outlets and counters for small appliances.
"It's a nice place to leave the CrockPot or toaster," said Blain. "Even though we eat toast every day, we don't want people to see the toaster, so it's hidden there."
• In the garage entry: Blain says the feature she most often recommends to women is a drop zone in the entry from the garage.
"This is the most woman-centered thing we have," she said, explaining that the drop zone has a small cupboard to hold keys and sunglasses, and a counter to sort mail, with a pull-out drawer for shredding and another for recycling. It's wired for recharging phones and computers, and there are lockers for purses, backpacks, coats and shoes.
"It's a stress reliever," said Flint. "It keeps clutter out of where you're living, so you can use that space for what it's intended for."
It also makes it easy to find everything you need the next day.
"A lot of women tell us that maybe the most stressful part of the day is getting everyone out of the house in the morning," said Blain.
MORE OPTIONS
• A shallow cupboard can be built flush with the wall, between wall studs, to provide a place to hang jewelry.
• Faucets that turn on and off with a touch anywhere on the surface make it easier to work in the kitchen, where hands may be holding cooking pots or food.
• Drawers for cooking pots and plasticwear can be built with a shelf to hold matching lids.
• Instead of a full-size broom closet in the kitchen, build a shallow one into the side of the pantry.
• Window seats provide a place to relax and read, and also storage space beneath the seats for everything from toys or blankets to files.
• A pet area, in the laundry room or garage, can include a place to wash the dog. A toe-kick drawer can hold food and water bowls, and be opened for feeding and closed to hide it away or control how much a pet eats.
• Master closets can include a counter where luggage is placed for packing or unpacking. A large drawer underneath can house a laundry basket.
• A pocket office can be built into a closet space, allowing you to close the doors when not working.
SOURCE: Flint Custom Homes
