That Young, Hip, Trendy Bunch

I think that in order to be young, hip and trendy, there cannot be any conscience effort to be so. I think that one just is or isn't. Pity for those that aren't or weren't or those that so want to be, but can never achieve that kind of "je ne sais quoi". So it should be no surprise that I, personally, was not a member of this group. . .more of the gatherer of the "cool".

If house buying needs to be "cool" then I suppose "Cool-man" should lead the charge. So in order to put the cool and hip back into home building I scoured the upwardly mobile, younger Gen X-ers and Gen Y-ers for a collection of souls willing to let us pick their brains. All professionals. All in their mid 20s to mid 30s. Two married couples, one dating couple, one engaged couple. Who needs couples therapy when all you need are a few style magazines to see how in sync you are with your partner? I digress.

In a caffeine induced frenzy of glossy magazines, scissors and glue sticks four couples let us delve into their dreams, style, & tastes. What we found was chic baths, clean lines, hardwired, and open interiors fit for entertaining & contrasting visual elements. Green/energy efficient living was an assumption, a way of life. This lot had grown up green (hadn't everyone?) The needs were fairly straightforward: a house to grow into, without much maintenance, with a home office area, that is multifunctional, and functional

Interestingly enough while the interiors were modern, the exteriors were primarily traditional. . .and to our delight. . craftsman, which Coolman has been known to build ("toot, toot") pretty well.

So now we knew what they were looking for. Now the design team and the production team had to figure out how to package that into a product that met their needs and addressed the wants of this hip and trendy and ultra stylish "yuppies" (what is the new slang for that anyway?) at a price that they could afford.

Next time. . .the design, re design, tinkering, and tweaking of a floor plan. . .

The House That Coolman Built

It is a blustery winter afternoon in northwest Indiana. The sun has decided to show itself. Beams of sunshine filter in through the model home's southern facing windows. I am almost blinded as I look out upon the blanket of of alabaster covering much of the ground. The sun is a hopeful sign that soon the crocuses may burst through the frozen earth, as is the flash of cardinal red that catches my attention as it swoops by my window. Spring is coming. . . or at least that's the hope.

Spring, for me, more then any other season, exemplifies this hope. A time of rebirth and renewal.

In this quaint neighborhood of North Hampstead I sit (not so) patiently awaiting the change of season with baited breath. I am compelled to share this journey with you. This neighborhood is not merely where I work. It is where I live. Spring assures me that the tulips will sprout, the grass will green and that I will see the faces of my long lost, igloo-ed neighbors. I cannot wait to have a chance to catch up with everyone on our way to the mailbox, or on a stroll to the Evelyn Bay Coffee Shop.

I am also assured that, as a fairly young neighborhood, spring is going to bring additional homes to our little enclave. (helps to have an "in" with the builder) Coolman Communities has been diligently working these through these cold winter months. In a housing climate that keeps telling us that there is a glut in the housing market, Coolman Communities continues to defy the naysayers.

Am I here to toot the Coolman horn? Absolutely! Am I a wee bit biased? Probably. Am I gonna shout it from the rooftops? Well. . .maybe when the weather warms up. :-)

I digress. . . I want to show you how Coolman does this differently. I want to take you on this journey. You can then judge for yourself how different we are from the other guy. Building a home can be such a scary process for so many, especially if they've had a bad experience. . . and yet it doesn't have to be.

As spring approaches North Hampstead is introducing a new line of homes. It is intended to address a segment of the market - first time home buyer, young couples, professional singles, and starter families. Homes to grow into and set in a neighborhood that provides.. .well. . .talk-to-over-the-fence, sit a spell, meet at the mailbox, genuine neighbors.

So we brought together a group of "young, hip, trendy" 20 and 30 year olds in a focus group to pick their collective brains (figuratively speaking) and in response have retooled, reworked, reanalyzed, and honed this set of floor plans to create our Innovate series. I'm going to take you through the ins and outs of how three houses will be planned and built. I'm going to invite you into my neighborhood . . .