'Early Lifestage' Homeowners Increase Usable Space by Improving Their Bathrooms and Bedrooms

Homeowners in the "early lifestage" tend to renovate bathrooms and bedrooms to create more usable space and update their look, according to a new research study conducted for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). The study is a research initiative by ASID and five of its industry partners: American Standard, Beacon Hill Showrooms, DuPont Corian, Kirsch and Sub-Zero.

The study examines the demands that respondents place on their homes at different "lifestages" – early (18-34), middle (35-54) and older (55 and over) – and shows how interior designers can help meet their needs. For this study, the typical early lifestage profile includes both married, dual-income couples as well as the highest percentage of singles. Typical household size ranges from two to four people. If there are children in the household, usually they are less than 6 years old.

"In the bathroom, early lifestage clients are making overall changes but they aren’t going all out," said Linda Kay DeMartini, ASID, a principal at Kay Designs in Burlingame, Calif. "They might allow themselves smaller luxuries, like installing a whirlpool or upgrading the shower or just improving the cosmetic appearance with paint or wallpaper to create a fresh look."

"In the bedroom, we’re seeing a lot of emphasis on TVs – even large-screen sets that often are tucked away in cabinetry or hidden behind wall panels," added DeMartini. "They want the bedroom to be a comfort zone."

"Young married couples want the bedroom to be warm, cozy and romantic – a special place in the home," said Marcello Luzi, ASID, president of Weixler, Peterson & Luzi, a design firm in Philadelphia. "Bedroom renovations focus more on changing the look."

Most Early Lifestage Homeowners Do Not Use A Designer

Early lifestage respondents tend to have done two or more renovations in the past year. Only 12 percent of early lifestage respondents said they used an interior designer for their renovations – the least of any of the three lifestages. The overwhelming majority said they did some or all of the renovation work themselves.

More than half, 59 percent, of early lifestage respondents said the way their home looks is extremely important to them. But only one third, 30 percent, said they are extremely satisfied with the look of their home.

"They’re trying to get by with what they can afford in terms of time and money," Luzi said. "They can’t go all out with renovations, so they make interim improvements. As a result, when they take an overall look at their homes they are less likely to be delighted with the results. One of the benefits of using a designer is we help our clients look at each project in terms of its impact on the house as a whole."

"Homeowners in the early lifestage are likely to be planning their home renovations with resale value in mind," said Kate Bachman, graphics and communications coordinator at Kirsch. "As a result, it’s crucial to them that renovations be well-designed and well-executed to serve as an asset when it comes time to sell their homes."

As with the other two groups, early lifestage respondents who used interior designers were happier with the results of their renovation projects – even if they did some of the work themselves – than those who did not use interior designers.

Those who used interior designers were satisfied with the experience. Specifically, 64 percent of early lifestage respondents said they were extremely satisfied with the expertise of their interior designer and 50 percent were extremely satisfied with their interior designer’s ability to work within the budget.

"Many of my early lifestage clients are planning to move into a larger home at some point," DeMartini said. "They look to me as a designer to help them use their space and furnishings efficiently and improve the overall look and comfort of their home while also taking into account the impact renovations can have on resale value. Also, in many cases my early lifestage clients are newly married couples combining two smaller households. Simply coordinating the right color scheme can help blend his and her old furnishings with any new furnishings they add to their home."

Editor’s notes:

The study involved telephone surveys of 600 respondents, including 500 who did not work with an interior designer and 100 who did. A national sample of adults who performed at least one home renovation project in the past year was targeted and divided into three demographic groups, or lifestages. The margin of error for this study is plus or minus six percent.

In the survey, the term renovation was defined for respondents as follows:

• Remodeled or renovated an area without changing the space by moving walls or building onto it
  
• Remodeled or renovated an area and changed the space by taking out walls or combining rooms
  
• Remodeled or renovated an area by building a new room or addition
  
• Purchased an existing home and then renovated the interior or living space
  
• Purchased a newly constructed home with standard specifications but made decisions about the interior design of the living space
  
• Purchased a newly constructed home built entirely to custom specifications
  
• Made some other type of significant renovation or improvement in their home