Comments on: Home Design Questions

By: Tom Hignite

Tom Hignite — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:44:32 +0000

Thanks for the comments Tony. I may have the knowledge of having designed and built over 2000 new homes, but no matter how many homes I build, I need to be concious about the fact that most folks don’t know care as much about my capabilities as they do about getting their dream captured on paper.
Sure, I have lots of immediate urges to tel folks my gut-reaction to thier ideas, but doing so needs to be well tempered so as not to burst anyones dreams. Even if their home design has some (in my mind) design flaws, I have learned that the most important part of any person’s home is that it needs to reflect that person to some degree.
One quick example. Someone who has watched my designs for years finally comes to the point of hiring me to design their home. Into every design, new or remeodel, I treat the design as though it might be my last,greatest achievement. I really sweat the details of proportion, furnishing possibilities, traffic flow, etch and present the design to a seemingly excited cleint. A week later they re-draw the design making notable errors, or doing things they may/will regret as soon as they try to furnish it. I calmly try to explain my reasoning, but they still want their concepts. When the home is done, they love the home but say it does not quite feel like the kind of “magic” they got in my models.
As far as , as you say “my opinion being valuable to my customers” , that is mostly true, but by me ultimately doing what THEY want is more valuable to their happiness. I do try to always express my honest opinions, but never take it personally when they choose their ideas over mine. Some day, perhaps, I will be famous and rich enough so, like Frank Lloyde Wright, he would ALWAYS get HIS way or else he would not accept a job designing any building. I can’t imagine he made all of his clients happy with this method, even though his end results were stunning. I have enough of my own “monuments”. I want happy clients.

Thanks for the comments about my photos of work I have designed on the site. I have lots more. If you have not yet done so, please check out our television special number 6 to see the far out things I designed into our Grand Bay model. Click onto our “media matter” web page.

Blessings,
Tom

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:18:14 +0000

Hello Tony,

I likely would not ask a home shopper these questions in the way I have posed in my blog’s demeanor. I try not to be this confrontational in “real life” conversations. I do get the chance to talk to a lot of home shoppers and I truly enjoy obserivng their desires and hearing their opinions when I “gently” ask some of these big questions.
The thing I observe (for example, when I pose the question about why they may not have considered an elevator to escape steps of all kinds, when it would not cost more in the lbig picture) that happens most is, folks who are confronted with a new option or layout they were not pre-conditioned to be looking for, need time to internalize the information and usually say something like, “that is interesting, I will have to think about that”.
There is a fine line between suggesting an idea and coming across as to be demeaning someone else’s desires or opinions. Home sales Guru’s would tell me to check my opinions at the door and just do whatever the client desires. In a pure business sense, I mostly agree with this except I would find it hard NOT to speak up if I see soemone is doing something they may regret later like putting windows or doors in positions that will make ar oom hard to furnish later. I don’t operate in a pure business sense when I am passonate aobut the subject.
Thanks for the input. “I will have to think about that”.
Tom

By: Tony Corniel

Tony Corniel — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:28:39 +0000

Hey Tom, sounds like you are doing the right thing in asking the questions. Hopefully the consumer (your customer) is aware you are trying to help them.

Tony Corniel
Publisher, WaterPumpReviews.com