Transcript
Dean Wehrli:
Welcome to New Home Insights, the John Burns Real Estate Consulting podcast on the U.S. housing market. I’m your host, Dean Wehrli. Our guest today is Liza Hausman. She is the vice president of industry marketing at Houzz. That’s kind of the all-things housing, design, and decor, and renovation website that has really become one of the biggest influences on what our homes look like in the entire world. We’re going to be kind of all over that space today in talking with Liza, not just about trends, but also we’ll cover kind of what people need from their homes, the statements they make through their home, and how it shapes their lives. So, Liza, first of all, welcome. Thank you for coming on.
Liza Hausman:
Thank you so much for having me. It’s great to be here.
Dean Wehrli:
Why don’t you start us off with what you do, your background a little bit, and what you do at Houzz.
Liza Hausman:
Sounds good. As you mentioned, I ran industry marketing here at Houzz. That basically means that I focus on the industry rather than the consumer side of our business. That spans everything from working with all of the professionals in our community; the builders, architects, interior designers, painters, you name it. I think we have 65 categories of professionals now that have a profile on Houzz. 65 categories and more than 2.7 million of them worldwide. So pretty massive. And so I work with that community, with the brands and manufacturers and kind of everything that we typically talk about on the trade side.
Liza Hausman:
In terms of my background, I’ve been working in marketing for about 30 years now, primarily kind of growing and scaling businesses from early stage to larger stage, kind of where Houzz is now. I’ve been here about nine and a half years now. So really since the early days of Houzz.
Dean Wehrli:
A lot of folks think, I think most just general people think of Houzz as that place where they go get great ideas, or they go post great ideas for renovating or designing their home, and that’s still the dominant face of Houzz. Is that fair to say?
Liza Hausman:
I think face is the right word for that, Dean. I think that’s a great way to describe it because the photos have such a big impact. But I think what people sometimes don’t realize is that all of those great photos that are such a great source for inspiration and ideas are actually there because they’re the portfolio photos, the finished projects of that 2.7 million pros who have profiles on Houzz and who are the kind of other side of that community, of that marketplace. So we’ve got homeowners, but homeowners are coming to Houzz, not just for inspiration, but actually to find pros to help them reach their goals and complete their home projects, whether that’s brand new home, custom home construction, or just getting their home painted and fresh and depth and everything in between.
Dean Wehrli:
So you have that public face at Houzz. It has been there from day one. But you also, as you mentioned just a minute ago, you’re big behind the scenes. You’re a major actor behind the scenes too. What’s kind of next for Houzz, at least your part of Houzz?
Liza Hausman:
Yes. Maybe by behind the scenes, it’s kind of behind the scenes from a consumer or a homeowner perspective.
Dean Wehrli:
Exactly, yes. Yeah.
Liza Hausman:
They may not know necessarily know what’s going on, but it’s very much front and center for that professional community and for the brands and manufacturers that sell on Houzz or sell through the pros that we have on Houzz, who specify or actually sell product lines. In terms of what’s next for Houzz, I think it’s essentially a natural evolution. When maybe nine years ago, we introduced our local advertising program for pros. It was kind of subscription advertising program to help them make more connections with homeowners. That program has absolutely evolved over the years. But what we’re most excited about right now is really expanding our tool set for our professional community. So many of them are small, medium businesses that are looking for ways to run more efficiently and run more profitably and deliver a great client experience. And so we’ve expanded Houzz Pro from a marketing and advertising model to a much broader set of tools, which cover everything from lead management through to project management, design tools, and really everything pros need to run their business effectively.
Dean Wehrli:
Tell me if I’m completely wrong in saying this, but almost the Oracle for the housing sector in a sense? No? You’re not going to move to Texas, I’m sorry, move to Hawaii like Larry Ellison, are you?
Liza Hausman:
No, I’m not planning to move to Hawaii. Although with the COVID, I think we’re all working in different and creative places these days and I’m sure many people would like to be in Hawaii, but I don’t know. I think from the Oracle perspective, I think there is that aspect in the sense that we’re trying to provide the best data and insights to pros as well, to help them do their jobs better, to help them understand homeowners and the trends that are happening there. But I think this is really kind of the platform for running their business. This is, you know, the pros that are using Houzz Pro or in it all day, every day to do everything to run their business better from again, marketing and closing more projects to actually managing their projects, taking payments from customers, sending invoices, building estimates, kind of the whole workflow.
Dean Wehrli:
Okay. So pretty holistic then.
Liza Hausman:
It really is.
Dean Wehrli:
Pretty just thorough, isn’t it? Okay. Before we get into kind of the classic, the design, and the livability of homes and things of that, a little surprised sometimes that you … Because you are very interested in things that sometimes seem sort of outside the sector, but really have an impact on how we live. So you focus on a lot of those human factors that are important to people looking to, I don’t know, to remake their home or have their home reflect the things that are important to them. What are the some of the ways that you’ve identified in terms of how people are doing this? And maybe we can start with a trend that is just absolutely huge right now, which is sort of mental and physical wellbeing.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah, it’s interesting that I think there’s always an interesting discussion about where do trends come from. Certainly some of them are dictated by celebrity culture. But I think for the most part, lots of trends come through kind of shifts that happen in society or economically, things that are major impacts. And of course, we’re all living through the impacts of COVID for the last year. It’s been interesting to see the evolution in our surveys. People have always had some interest in making sure, they’ll say, you know, “Yes, I want a healthy home.” But it’s not really an area of focus unless they have someone with an illness, or asthma, or something that’s more critical. But we’re seeing that really shift and seeing not just Houzz, but a number of companies that kind of do this type of research, really note that the pandemic’s been a reality check for everyone in terms of both physical and mental health.
Liza Hausman:
What are some of the examples? People don’t have enough time, even though they’re at home. People are stressed, and still kind of on the mental health front, they feel more anxiety, their productivity is diminished or more likely to get divorced when they have these high levels of stress. Research has also found that time stress has a stronger negative effect on happiness even than unemployment. So people are looking on the home side, what does that mean? How does it manifest itself? I think there’s a couple of ways, people are looking for their home to be a better reflection or a better support system for balance. And work-life balance in particular right now as we’re all working from home and homes are doing a double duty. But I think people are also more aware of their family’s physical and mental health, just because we’re all together that much more and kind of experiencing these things together.
Dean Wehrli:
How about things like sustainability, is that something you look at and track how important that is?
Liza Hausman:
We do. We have our next house and home study coming out shortly, which tends to track that. What we’re typically seeing and I think what we’re seeing in the industry overall is that, the shift has really becoming sustainability from like a status symbol. This is something special that I kind of show off with to actually becoming mainstream. So it’s not something I’m going to pay a premium for. It’s something that now has kind of moved to, I expect things to be sustainable. I expect companies to be thinking about sustainability and the things that I care about when they’re manufacturing products. It’s not just a nice to have premium, that kind of wealthy people are doing as a badge. It’s really for everybody. And it’s part of kind of the mental and moral calculus people are making and doing when they make product choices.
Dean Wehrli:
I’m surprised. Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I’m surprised that you do really kind of place home design, decor, and things like that in this much larger societal context, don’t you? How people want to see meaning in their choices in their home.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah, 100%. And I think it’s all of their choices, right? But the home is a big one and it’s a place where they tend to make larger product investments, apart from a car, things like furniture and decor or some of the bigger purchases that people make. And so they put a lot of thought into those decisions.
Dean Wehrli:
I heard you say something on a webinar that we did not that long ago about influencers, and I hope I got it right, but influences still matter, but is it getting more and more difficult to differentiate the authentic voices from the not so much?
Liza Hausman:
That’s exactly it. There’s actually been a bit of a backlash on influencer marketing where consumers are kind of critical. They’re now saying, “Huh, that feels phony to me.” That so many people are using influencers, that people are kind of questioning what’s really the purpose behind companies and brands, what’s the real story. And so they’re looking to brands to kind of communicate that and have that story above and beyond just product placement through influencers.
Dean Wehrli:
Yeah. I mean, I just saw the other day where the newly minted billionaire, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, the dating app, said something about, I’m going to get it wrong, said something about how a side hustle, how you monetize any kind of a side hustle. And that just struck me as almost dystopian, this world where we all just are selling ourselves to each other. And that scares me. I don’t know, that continues to … That’s almost more of a statement than a question, but it does worry me in how do we tell the authentic voices from the not authentic voices?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. No, they’re good questions. I mean, like as a parent of a 15-year-old, I see it’s kind of that decision making and the kind of desire to have your voice heard, but also kind of critical of folks that are doing this sort of shameless self promotion. So it’s that …
Dean Wehrli:
Yes, yeah. And are they going to get good at faux authenticity, or “fauxthenticity”. That’s terrible, worst made up word ever, but you know what I mean? Are people going to learn that being their social media bag of tricks is how to appear as if you were really meaning what you say?
Liza Hausman:
Well, definitely, if it’s a way to make a living, I think it’s going to happen. Although it seems to me to be absolutely an exhausting way to live.
Dean Wehrli:
Yes, it would. But if you’re a Kardashian, it’s just the norm.
Liza Hausman:
There you go. Well, yeah, they probably are authentic.
Dean Wehrli:
Liza, you mentioned a minute ago, where you’re talking about time and the importance of time, and it seems like we all have more time now because a lot of us aren’t doing a commute anymore. Are you concerned or are homeowners concerned with how they spend their time and how does that play into their home choices?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. Well, believe it or not, you think we would have more time without the commute.
Dean Wehrli:
Yeah.
Liza Hausman:
People still feel just as stressed, but since they’re at home, they’re looking to relaxation and other features in the home that kind of helped with that. The bathroom is certainly a big one. Kitchen and bathroom models are always top of the list in terms of the renovation projects we see, or the focus of new construction projects. And some of the things that we see people looking at now are steam showers or aroma therapy shower heads. There’s a Brizo bathtub filler that can hold a cup of tea or a glass of wine. In general, people are looking to take soaks, long showers, get more natural light and kind of bring the outside in. People are a lot more thoughtful about lighting and having dimmable lighting or mood lighting or LED lighting, and bringing that into their bathroom and their living and relaxing spaces as well.
Dean Wehrli:
How do you solve … I mean light is critical. You’ve made that very clear. I’ve already talked about that before. How do you solve for the lack of light or at least natural light in confined living spaces, maybe attached housing, things like that?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. I mean, it’s interesting. We definitely see a lot more people putting LED lighting around mirrors, under cabinets, things that kind of give a more natural glow, more creative light wells or skylights when the walls are closed in. So people really are trying to add natural light if they can. But if not, definitely, whether it’s kind of LED and background light or putting in, you know, we see in bathrooms, chandeliers or other kind of little Juul moments that kind of add the charm in their relaxation.
Dean Wehrli:
So you’re talking about bathrooms as these relaxation spaces, I guess. I mean, sleep is pretty critical. Do you see more separate sleeping locations or sleeping pods or things like that happening?
Liza Hausman:
Less on the sleeping side, but in general, having some separate spaces is something we’re seeing more of. Again, because people are more on top of each other during the day. While we generally see kind of open concept, we’re seeing more people actually looking at ways to close off the kitchen or part of their kitchen or having sliding or pocket doors or other ways to have spaces sometimes be open and sometimes be closed off. We’re seeing more kind of creative office solutions. So desks tucked into closets or other nooks of the home that can be kind of closed off when the work day is over, but can do double duty. So people are looking for ways to get away. One of the other things that we, that we see along that line too, is, people are putting in ADUs and often they’re using them for home gyms or home offices, a standalone structure in the yard, just again, to give people a little more separation and personal space.
Dean Wehrli:
So in terms of home office though, are we really seeing … I mean, is that something that’s, again, another trend that’s absolutely huge now and is going to be here forever, I think. Any thoughts on sort of the location of home offices? I mean, specifically as opposed to little niches and such, but really what are people looking for in sort of the perfect home office in terms of size location, that kind of thing?
Liza Hausman:
Gosh. That’s a really good question. I don’t know that we have information on what’s the perfect home office. Most people have the footprint that they have. And I’ve talked to people that are like, “Thank God, I remodeled last year and we put in that home office that’s on the other side of the house from where the kids are, because now I have a quiet space to work.” To folks that again, it’s a couple, a young couple at home, both have to be on Zoom calls and talk. And so the things that might have been ideal before, changing a little bit in terms of noise reduction, having an attractive background has become a thing with Zoom. It’s not just having a good, comfortable ergonomic space, but if you’re going to have to be on video, having a good background or having a background in your office that is clean and works well, is something that people are having to think about now.
Dean Wehrli:
That’s a great point. Mine is terrible. I don’t have a real confined workspace. The background is just kind of the rest of the living room and it looks awful. It’s always cluttered. Pinging it back to sort of that health and wellbeing, touchless, I mean, that has to be huge right now. Is touchless everything a wave.
Liza Hausman:
Yes. Faucets, and now light fixtures, but absolutely. People are absolutely replacing faucets as part of kitchen and bathroom upgrades. Almost all manufacturers have come out with some version of a hands-free faucet. I think it’s interesting to see how the marketing evolves too. Originally, it was like, “Hey, this is convenient. Your hands are messy. You don’t want to get the faucet sticky.” And now it’s like, greatest, totally, hands-free from a germ perspective. We’re really decreasing the spread of germs. So …
Dean Wehrli:
It got more serious, didn’t it? It went from, “Oh, you might have a kid in your arm to, this will save your life.”.
Liza Hausman:
Yep. Pretty much.
Dean Wehrli:
Voice activation, I’m fascinated by this because as a youngster, I loved Star Trek. How far are we from Star Trek days where you just say, “Computer … ” And then ask for anything at all and it appears? Except we won’t say computer, we’ll say Alexa. I mean, is voice activated becoming just the norm and do you see that expanding and growing?
Liza Hausman:
I definitely see it expanding and growing. I think it’s kind of generational. I expect in like another generation, it’s absolutely going to be the norm because everybody’s going to be comfortable using it. And it may not quite be there yet, but absolutely the technology is there and it’s become much easier for homeowners to set these kinds of things up themselves.
Dean Wehrli:
And there’s nothing more annoying than when Alexa doesn’t play the music you want her to play. That’s very frustrating to me.
Dean Wehrli:
Livability trends, we kind of touched on home office already. How about … You kind of started to talk about the kitchen. I think you see the kitchen become a little more, fewer open kitchens, right? Do you think that is a temporary trend wrought by COVID or do you see that being long term?
Liza Hausman:
That’s a good question. I mean, we actually don’t know if it’s just that so many homes have already been renovated to have open plan kitchens. There’s not much penetration left. The majority of homes are set up that way. I still think that when you have a limited footprint, people are still going to want the open concept. It makes the room feel bigger. And so I don’t think that there’s sort of a trend away from it, but I do think some people put on the pause button and are also thinking about, what does it mean to be partially open? Should we have an open kitchen that closes off with double doors or is there part of the space that closes off? And we’re also seeing, because people are spending so much more time cooking and baking, they’re asking even more of their kitchens, creating multiple works zones for the cooking and baking as well as having workstations and kids stations and kitchens are still functioning as that hub of the home.
Dean Wehrli:
So you’re seeing that and are you also seeing more tech in the kitchen? So almost like a home assistant in the kitchen kind of a thing?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. I mean, we saw 35% of homeowners put in a home assistance in their kitchen in our most recent kitchen survey and that’s huge. It’s a huge number, really. 35%.
Dean Wehrli:
It is.
Liza Hausman:
Yup.
Dean Wehrli:
It’s super Helpful too, because we have the little Alexa, I can’t think of the name, of the little add on Alexa with the screen. I’m totally drawing a blank on the name, but a recipe, follow a recipe. Oh my God, she’ll wait for you. She’ll know when to do it. It’s like having your … It really is like having your very knowledgeable, personal assistant right there telling you how to cook things. They still come out tasting terrible, because I’m a terrible cook, but they’re super helpful.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. And we have 14% of homeowners with a tablet in the kitchen. It definitely is for recipes and more with computers. It’s definitely come in.
Dean Wehrli:
Storage, more storage. And kind of the same question, do you see an expansion of storage being co-related and maybe trending downward, or is that here to stay?
Liza Hausman:
I think it’s here to stay. I think that following COVID, I think what we saw is that people were stockpiling more in terms of shelf staple and paper goods. And I think that’s going to continue. Not to the degree that it did I think following the Great Depression and the hoarding that happened of appliances and all kinds of crazy things. But I do think that people have kind of that emergency kit mindset a little bit more and that’s not necessarily going to go away. Even when things open up, people are going to want to feel like they have that safety net. We already saw that upgrading cabinets and expanding storage and having all kinds of custom storage option has been consistently on the rise over the last five plus years. I think this is just kind of added fuel to that fire.
Dean Wehrli:
It’s interesting. That’s come up a couple of times in recent podcasts. Are you of the persuasion that the COVID generation is sort of going to be scarred by it? Kind of like the Depression generation was and saved a lot more money. Do you think we’re going to have this impact on this whole generation?
Liza Hausman:
I do.
Dean Wehrli:
Generally speaking.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. No, I definitely do. And especially on folks in their teens and twenties.
Dean Wehrli:
Yeah.
Liza Hausman:
It’s definitely going to stay with them. Again. I don’t think like, as terribly as the Great Depression did, but I do think it will shape their psyche.
Dean Wehrli:
That’ll be interesting to tease out over the years. How about the backyard? Pergolas, cottages. You go to Costco and they sell these ready-to-go sheds and there’s always a crowd around them. I mean, is that something also? Is that something you’re seeing a big trend toward that?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. Like I said, the … There’s a couple things going on there. One is from a mental health standpoint, where people just kind of trying to get more of the outdoors into their life in general. And that might be trying to bring it indoors with more windows and an opening to fresh air. We see things like pass throughs. So people, might in the kitchen, have a big window that on the other side, in the backyard is kind of a bar with bar stools. Your outdoor space really extends your living space for people that aren’t in the coldest parts of the country. And so we do see people investing in pergolas and patios because that’s a lot less expensive than putting in an addition, a lot faster to do, and really gives people, now even more with COVID, a safe space to congregate potentially with another family or a neighbor and still be able to have a little socializing in a safe place.
Dean Wehrli:
That’s fascinating. Because it kind of is an analog to communities where in master planned communities they’re looking for ways to have that indoor / outdoor connectivity in the amenities and things like that. So what you’re saying is basically, people are looking for that in the house with these pass-throughs and these stools open to the backyard and such.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah, the kind of indoor, outdoor living. And it’s funny you bring up the planned communities. I was on a kind of a call with folks working in that space. And we were talking exactly like the, some of the master plans that are built on waterways, where you can kayak, et cetera. Those have sold out like crazy and have been very popular. And a lot of the other master planned communities are rethinking their community spaces and trading them out in favor of pads or other kind of outdoor exercise spaces versus gyms or community meeting rooms, et cetera. So it’s interesting how people are rethinking it.
Dean Wehrli:
Let’s finish with talking about design trends. I know that’s again, the public face of Houzz. I mean, that really has identified Houzz. It’s such a great place to identify and to contribute to what’s going on in terms of design and decor. What’s hot in the kitchen right now?
Liza Hausman:
That is a great question.
Dean Wehrli:
Besides the food.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah, exactly. Hopefully, the food, the stove … So one thing, and I think it kind of ties into our conversation earlier around authenticity is that people are putting in kitchens that don’t necessarily look cookie cutter. They’re more of a custom collected over time, different cabinetry, colors and styles, different, mixed metals. A more kind of eclectic, but personalized look. I always think about like, remember the years when everything was stainless steel and a granite countertop and every kitchen looked pretty much the same? And so there’s really a movement away from that, where materials are used in interesting places, way more mixed materials that look way more, I think, artistic and creative and things sort of evolved over time rather than, I just did this kitchen and it looks kind of all a piece.
Dean Wehrli:
Okay. Yeah. How about lighting? How are people doing lighting? Are they doing it differently?
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. Lighting is actually a really interesting one because people are kind of looking at lighting as jewelry in the sense that it kind of really adds that shine and sparkle. It’s not just a workhorse. We’re seeing a lot of swing arm lighting and kind of brass sconces, just a lot of variation and a lot of very artistic, diverse lighting designs that again, look like they’re accenting the space and not necessarily just a workhorse.
Dean Wehrli:
Colors, is there an identifiable trend going on in colors right now?
Liza Hausman:
No, that’s a little bit harder. Neutrals are still generally pretty popular. The whites, grays. We’re starting to see more warm colors come back into homes, where sort of a very cool gray palette for a long time, which is still popular. But we’re seeing a lot more warm colors and warm woods brought into spaces now. And then pops of color. So a pop of yellow backsplash or blue bar stools. So people are getting a little bit bolder with their color choices
Dean Wehrli:
It did seem like for a while there things like these bright colors, these almost statement colors, things like red or blue cabinets or something like that was becoming a thing. Is that not a thing? Is that over?
Liza Hausman:
I don’t remember seeing that as a thing. I think colored appliances are a thing and are still a thing. So when people are looking for that pop of color, we’re definitely seeing like a red, blue, black. It’s crazy to see the variety that’s available now in appliance finishes. It’s pretty cool.
Dean Wehrli:
How about doors? Big doors. I’ve heard you say that big doors are in. How does that work?
Liza Hausman:
That is interesting. Having a bold front door, a statement front door, maybe because people are just coming to the door and not coming into the house. But when people kind of think about curb appeal and what kind of stands out and being welcoming, we’re seeing a lot of statement front doors. It could be a regular sized door with sidelights. It could be a very oversized, modern door. We actually sell front doors on Houzz. And we sold out of a lot of very large and kind of modern, even metal doors over this past year. So it’s been a popular category.
Dean Wehrli:
I guess it wouldn’t be welcoming, but it would make a statement to have a drawbridge. Who’s going to do that first? Have a drawbridge in place of a door. What do you think?
Liza Hausman:
You need a troll underneath it.
Dean Wehrli:
A troll, okay, yeah. No, yeah. You can have maybe a human scale moat around your house. Someone’s going to do that. Larry Ellison probably has that in Hawaii.
Liza Hausman:
Just probably like Japanese gardens that have the little bridges that go over that.
Dean Wehrli:
That’s true. I’ve seen that. Yeah.
Liza Hausman:
Very peaceful and zen, and we may be seeing more of that. It could on [crosstalk 00:31:14].
Dean Wehrli:
Okay. Anything else design wise we haven’t covered, trend wise that we haven’t talked about?
Liza Hausman:
I think tile is probably one we didn’t touch on that is good to touch on. We’re really seeing accent walls, and kitchens and bathrooms have a moment. The entire countertop to ceiling in a kitchen with a tile or a stone slab, a bathroom going from floor all the way up a single wall. Lots of different mix in bold tiles. So people are really having fun with tiles and not just square tiles, but hexagonal tiles and multicolored tiles. And so I think something to be on the lookout for is just creative use of tiles on surfaces that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Dean Wehrli:
I actually sort of thought about that. Our very good friends here, they just redid their bathroom. Now that I think about it, they did, they did some funky tile shapes and they were kind of really almost that fake, random kind of configurations and such. It looks very fun. It looks really good, but yeah, they did it like that.
Liza Hausman:
That’s cool. Always fun.
Dean Wehrli:
Nostalgia. I mean, does everything, every trend, every fad eventually become hot again? It seems like that.
Liza Hausman:
In my personal experience, that appears to be the case because the ‘80s, the ‘90s, everything has kind of come back. Even just seeing brass come back. Obviously, between fashion and home decor, it comes back and it is reinvented or re-imagined in different ways, but it is kind of funny to see that everything old becomes new again.
Dean Wehrli:
It seems to be, doesn’t it? Okay. So I’m going to give you a little … You’re going to go into the hot seat here, Liza. Ready?
Liza Hausman:
Okay.
Dean Wehrli:
‘70s stuff. Is that hot right now?
Liza Hausman:
‘70s stuff, like within the home?
Dean Wehrli:
Yeah, 1970s kind of stuff. Yeah, Exactly.
Liza Hausman:
Yeah. And you know, again, I think the re-imagined versions of it, absolutely. The Standard Hotel in London has kind of a late ‘70s, early ‘80s. It’s plants and natural wood. Really, it feels like you’ve stepped straight out of a like Bond movie from the ‘70s with the decor. It has that very loungey, that ‘70s kind of loungey, earthy feel to it. And I think just like in clothing fashion, people look to the archives. And given that nature is back in demand, I think a lot of these trends kind of tie into people’s desire for that kind of sustainable, natural wood, kind of beachy, relaxed feel.
Dean Wehrli:
Okay. Here’s the hot seat. You have to answer in a yes or no as fast as you can. Ready? And the yes, no, is this going to be a trend again? Ready? The color puke green. Go.
Liza Hausman:
No.
Dean Wehrli:
No. Lava lamps.
Liza Hausman:
Already came back.
Dean Wehrli:
Ah, dang. I didn’t pay attention. Beanbags.
Liza Hausman:
Already back.
Dean Wehrli:
Disco?
Liza Hausman:
Already back.
Dean Wehrli:
Okay. You know what? Nevermind then. God, I was trying to think of things. Disco, really? I guess you’re right. It just got a new name. Let’s end with kind of this individuality. It seems like you hear words like bespoke, right? And which, by the way, at the first, I hated that word, but then I kind of got it. It’s kind of individualized, right? You talk a lot about curated things. Going back to how we started, I guess, at the beginning, is it really all about people wanting to make their own individual statement through their house?
Liza Hausman:
Absolutely. It absolutely is. And things are more affordable now. If you think back 30 years, there wasn’t a variety of product that was affordable and accessible. And today it really is. And so people have such an enormous amount of choices. And even just culturally, we’re in this sort of phase of individual self-expression and the individual brand and anybody can be an influencer. I think people really do want to put their own personal stamp on their homes and they want it to be a reflection of their personality and their values and how they want to live.
Dean Wehrli:
I like that. I’d rather somebody has, they follow a trend or they start a trend that reflects themselves rather than reflects the taste of Gwyneth Paltrow. That’s probably a personal bias there, sorry.
Dean Wehrli:
Liza, this has been fantastic. This is very informative. I said we’re going to cover a lot of ground and you covered a heck of a lot of ground. I appreciate it.
Liza Hausman:
No, this was super fun, Dean. I had a great time.
Dean Wehrli:
Thanks for coming on. Thanks for joining us too, listeners. I’m Dean Wehrli, your host today with Liza Hausman on New Home Insights. Thanks for listening.
