Traditionally, model homes have showcased floor plans and features while creating important emotional connections that compel buyers to choose a home.
But buyers are looking for more from models today.
“The role of the model home has shifted from helping builders to sell homes to helping buyers to make confident decisions,” says Ali Richert, enterprise sales, head of home builder at Wayfair Professional.
Five years ago, limited inventory and high demand meant builders were focused on keeping pace with sales. “Today's market has shifted, allowing builders the opportunity to think about the buyer's experience beyond getting a project under contract,” says Richert.
With affordability top of mind, the pressure to buy the “right” home is real. Moving has to feel worthwhile too. So now, in addition to its traditional function as a sales tool, the model home has a new job: affirmation.
Additionally, model homes are now meant to build on the momentum from research already done before a model tour.
“Buyers are visiting models much further along in their decision-making journey. They've spent endless hours online comparing floor plans, features, and pricing,” says Richert.
“The model home plays a critical role in helping buyers move beyond evaluating a floor plan and features to envisioning themselves living there,” says Richert.
Buyers need to feel certain enough about the home to take that leap. Model home design now balances inspiration with affirmation.
Making the Model Feel Like Home
Model home design moves beyond decor to showcase how spaces will function in daily life, helping you understand the potential of a home. That’s because you are making both practical and emotional decisions simultaneously, says Richert.
“The practical decision is cognitive: Does this home meet my needs? Will my furniture fit? Is this layout functional?
The second is emotional: Can I see my life here? Does this feel like home? This emotional connection can become the deciding factor between two otherwise comparable homes,” says Richert.
Today's models need to meet the buyer where they are in their house hunt, typically armed with information and initial decisions already made. If you’ve shopped for a new car recently, the process is similar. You can research and vet cars online, choosing features to build the car you want. When you finally go for a test drive, the experience either confirms what you already know, or creates more questions.
To eliminate this doubt, model home merchandisers consider how buyers might actually use each space, and translate those functions into design, explains Hannah Sloan, creative marketing specialist with Unscripted Interior Design.
“One of the most effective design choices we make is to always start with the space plan, looking beyond simply how a home looks to understand how it will actually be lived in. Our goal is to maximize every square foot and create a home that feels intuitive, comfortable, and genuinely livable,” says Sloan.
“No matter what stage of life the buyer is at, whether they are a first-time home buyer, empty nester, or move-up buyer, from the beginning phases of the design, we’ve factored in how that specific buyer lives so it reflects in the functionality and livability of the design, allowing the buyer to fully envision a life in that home,” says Sloan.
But design has another job beyond showing you how a home will function. It can also help create the emotional connection that lets you picture yourself living there.
“Thoughtful design: furnishings, decor, artwork, and lighting can transform an empty house into a home, helping buyers to really envision the lifestyle they're buying into,” says Richert.
Furniture in particular helps to define scale and reveal the functionality of a layout in real life, she notes.
Building Confidence by Giving Spaces Purpose
What works against confidence? Ambiguity and doubt. That’s why the vignette in model home design is so important right now. A vignette, a small, intentionally styled area that communicates purpose, makes spaces emotionally recognizable, and reinforces purchase decisions.
“Some of the most effective details are those that help buyers see themselves living in the home and create an emotional connection to the space. We like to incorporate lifestyle vignettes such as a coffee station, reading nook, or thoughtfully merchandised children’s room that give buyers a glimpse into how the spaces could function in their everyday lives,” says Megan Calmes, director of sales and marketing with Creative Design.
“We use details such as trim, wallpaper, room dividers, built-ins, and other architectural features to demonstrate how a space can be both beautiful and functional. These elements help buyers understand the possibilities of the floor plan while making the home feel more personalized, memorable, and livable,” says Calmes.
Designing for Real Life
But showing how a room functions is only part of the equation. Sloan says the goal is “designing the journey of how someone will live in their home, not just how they will see it on the day they move in.”
“We consider the daily routines of the buyer and look for opportunities to build in solutions that make life easier—from thoughtful drop zones and decluttering spaces to dedicated Costco storage, built-in media solutions, and technology needs,” says Sloan.
In a dining room, for example, a fully set table for a crowd can help you understand how the space might work for entertaining.
A primary bath is typically merchandised as a spa-like retreat, with plush towels and decorative accessories. But demonstrating how the space supports morning routines, like two people getting ready at the same time, with dual vanities, strategically placed chargers and outlets, and separate bathing and dressing areas, helps buyers see lifestyle value.
A flex room might be designed to accommodate multiple uses at once, like a home office with a daybed or a multipurpose, zoned layout, helping you see more options for the same space.
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Hero image courtesy of Creative Design
