No ordinary house: It’s green and designed with the female buyer in mind

I got so excited the other day after I received a call from a new client—a female builder with a maverick idea—create a new formula for spec home designs–make it green (of course!) and design it for the lifestyle of today’s dynamic woman—what a concept! It gets even better…

Last Friday, I met with Angela Crandall of Kaylynne Homes who shared her vision with me and asked me for my help with the feng shui design of the homes. She explained to me that she saw a need for more female sensibilities in her speculative home design(s)—that traditionally had been more male dominated. What does that mean exactly?…

Check this out:

1) Laundry Room/Creative Space–Changing the concept of the laundry room (make it bigger) and incorporate a beautiful island table for creative endeavors and a space for digital media. Yes, we women are very creative and need a personal space for that expression! I think many men would appreciate that aspect as well.

2) Re-thinking the flow of the space. We women (and some men actually) like a formal entryway or a welcoming area where we can take a moment upon entering and catch our breath). A throwback to times past. Love that idea!

3) Creating more archways and artistic architectural features (that have been overlooked frequently in modern history) in the building of a new speculative home. This also creates a softer and warmer feel to the home. Not everything needs to be square. That’s very boring and can feel monotonous. Some curves thrown in there create such a wonderful balance.

4) Blending of styles–modern with old world sensibilities, kitchens with warmer hues and textures (staying away from square rooms with square floors and square tiles) while maintaining energy saving appliances. Modern palettes with organic materials. The end result will be a unique and modern yet very balanced living environment.

5) Accounting for more specific feng shui considerations of the homes. Stairs will not empty out the front door, bathrooms will not be in the center or the wealth area of the home, bedrooms and other areas of quiet time will not be placed over the garage, front doors will not open to the back doors in a straight line. Believe it, these things matter.

Thank-you Angela and your partner Chris Boerste for thinking outside the box. If you are considering the purchase of a new spec home in Portland, you can contact The Crandall Group for upcoming neighborhood developments and floor plans. Stay tuned. I will continue to keep you updated with more images to come…

Comments? Would love to hear what you think?