REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-What Women Really Want in Home Design

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Daily Real Estate News | February 21, 2007 | What Women Really Want in Home Design
Designing homes for women, who make 83 percent of U.S. consumer spending decisions, was an important topic at the International Builders’ Show earlier this month.

Architect Ann Olson and Designer Paul Foresman offered this advice to housing professionals that they dubbed the "10 commandments of women-centric home design."

1. Pay attention to de-stressing areas. Women want options in the master bath.
2. Rear foyers are important. Don’t call it a mudroom and do include lots of storage.
3. Don’t forget that people gather in the kitchen, and size matters.
4. Consider unique needs of blended families who don’t want to share bathrooms.
5. Busy women demand closet organization systems.
6. Women crave kitchen storage. They are cooking less, not eating less.
7. Natural light makes her happy: in the master suite, over the bath tub, and in the shower.
8. Outdoor maintenance is a burden to women, so use things like maintenance-free decking.
9. Women like change, so incorporate flexibility into designs.
10. Home-based businesses are female dream jobs, so include home offices where it can happen.

Source: Hanley Wood News Service, Pat Curry (02/09/2007)