TM

july/august 2012 the sales and marketing magazine of the housing industry

Published by the National Association of Home BuildersUS Price $9.95Canadian/Foreign Price $12.25www.smimagazine.com

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Branding Boot Camp Voice of the Customer Adaptive Reuse

Regional TRends in OUtdOOr SPACeS

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The West. It conjures up images of plains . . . the Rocky Mountains . . . the Pacifi c Ocean. And underlying it all is an implicit message that outdoors is the place to be.

Much of the Western U.S. boasts sunny days, low humidity, and mild climates, so perhaps there is no better part of the country to enjoy outdoor living. In more expensive markets, indoor/outdoor living is a great way to capture more square footage, giving home owners more for their

tHe weSt – All is Hot on the western FrontBy Doris Pearlman, MIRM

A dramatic fi replace is the visitor’s reward when seamlessly meandering outside of the Ironwood model at The Legends in Vista Del Verde. Builder is Toll Brothers.

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money. Luckily, there’s never been a better time to take advantage of the great outdoors. Product and furniture manufacturers are flooding the market with new ways and new styles to expand a home’s livability with indoor/out-door flexibility.

Furniture stores and showrooms, once strictly the domain of the interior, are now featuring outdoor options. Retail catalog favorites, such as Pier 1, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware now offer outdoor furnishings. Even stalwarts such as Thomasville and Ethan Allen have added separate outdoor lines. According to a study by Easy Analytic Software, Inc., outdoor furniture sales in the West amounted to $840.2 million in 2011, and by 2016, they are projected to be more than $1 billion in sales! Twelve Western states are expected to show an increase in outdoor furniture sales at a faster rate than the rest of the country.

But forget the wagon wheels and dusty saloons. The style for outdoor décor in the West today is moving toward contemporary, sleek, even retro. Even in traditionally rustic environments, such as Colorado and the Mountain plains, fresh looks such as espresso iron are all the rage, and mod-ern appliances make outdoor kitchens au courant.

The Indoor-Outdoor Dance The indoor-outdoor relationship is important to empha-size in a home. At Emerald Cove at Crosby, one of the most prestigious new communities in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Toll Brothers shows access to the spa pool flowing directly from a private zone, as well as a public one. French doors from the master bedroom walk immediately out to a porch deck looking onto the pool, and the dining room walks out onto a courtyard facing the pool.

A seamless indoor-outdoor look can be achieved with floor-ing, such as natural stone or tile. At The Legends at Vista del Verde in Yorba Linda, Calif., Toll Brothers’ Ironwood model features a courtyard with a fabulous floor treatment inlaid with mosaic tile running from the interiors onto the courtyard. Once outdoors, a stone fireplace forms a grand focal point before a conversation seating area.

Window-wall systems, such as Nana Wall®, can open entirely to further blur the lines between inside and outside. At Heritage at Vista del Verde, Toll Brothers’ Alessandra townhome model opens completely from the living room via such a wall, where the sky, framed by exterior arches, seems to be a natural extension of the room.

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The pool at Toll Brothers Emerald Cove features streaming jets anda colonnade of shady palms.

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At the Fairways at Kapalua in Oceanside, Calif., contempo-rary furnishings in the dining room blend seamlessly onto the outdoor space, so the eye meanders back and forth with ease. Once the space is opened up via the Nana Wall®, the diners are effectively eating outdoors. Therefore, indoor-outdoor orientation not only enhances the outdoor experience, but it maximizes the indoors as well.

It’s all About Water in the West Water is an important commodity in the West, so it’s no wonder water features are another hot trend. Whether it’s a fountain, a waterfall, pool, or soaking tub, the noise of trick-ling water can provide some “Zen” after a busy day and drown out nearby noise. A beautiful example of a water feature is found at Emerald Cove. Magnificent modular seating for con-versation and viewing is positioned at the head of a spa pool with jetting water features. Landscaping surrounds the pool, providing a colonnade of Palm trees; and grass, rather than a concrete deck, runs directly up to the water’s edge softening the pool’s perimeter.

The Alessandra model at Heritage boasts a wall of cas-cading water that creates an immediate draw to the outside, magnifying the model’s glamour. This water feature creates an overlay to noise that could be created from nearby units. A flat screen TV is a bonus, tucked away behind the fireplace. After all, who would want to watch the game inside when such an oasis exists just steps away?

On a small lot, there may be no room for a pool, but there’s always room for a soaking tub and a little romance. At The Fairways at Kapalua, in Oceanside, Calif., Toll Broth-ers shows a round, mosaic-tile soaking tub as the center of

the outdoor action. The tub is elevated so that its occupants can enjoy the panoramic view. A further water element sur-rounds the tub, providing another source of relaxation.

Whether it’s ocean condo living or a spread in a desert town, outdoor living is the one lifestyle element today’s West-erners cannot live without. Westward ho! smı

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At The Fairways at Kapalua in Oceanside, Calif., Toll Brothers shows a round, mosaic-tile soaking tub as the center of the outdoor action.

A water wall and cozy fireplace beckon right outside of this townhome model from Toll Brothers at Heritage in Vista del Verde, Calif.

On a small lot, there may be no room for a pool, but there’s always room for a soaking tub and a little romance.

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