Masterpiece Design Group Designs 3 'Home of Ideas' Models for MI Homes

July 15, 2010 - PRLog -- WINTER PARK, FL – Award-winning design firm Masterpiece Design Group (http://www.masterpieceinteriors.com/) and national housing giant MI Homes have teamed up to create a series of idea model homes for three of the of the builder’s newest Central Florida residential communities.
   Called MI Homes’ Home of Ideas, the models will signal a new marketing approach in Central Florida for the homebuilding heavyweight that is aimed at “clearly differentiating its housing product from its competitors,” says MI Homes Vice President of Sales/Marketing Jeff Kaizer, MIRM, MCSP.
   The three idea models are on display in MI Homes’ communities of Etowah in Eustis and McCormick Woods in Ocoee and the recently opened model in Sawgrass near Orlando International Airport in southeast Orange County, adds Kaizer.
   The finished models include the Lewiston at Etowah where home prices range from $157,990 to $286,990, the Solana at McCormick Woods where prices begin at $169,990 and go to $270,490 and the Del Mar at Sawgrass where prices range from $169,990 to $224,990.
   The idea models – created to inspire the do-it-yourselfer with a plethora of interior and exterior design hints – will feature the same materials, flatwork, paint, furnishings and fixtures one would see on any HGTV program or find in their favorite home improvement or department store.
   Kaizer gave MDG President Christy Scanlon carte blanche to create a design concept that both embraced MI Homes’ standards for style and captured the homes’ “feminine aspects” that would appeal to the builder’s primary demographic – the 31-year-old female.
   Kaizer worked with Scanlon and MDG when he was with another national homebuilder and experienced first-hand the benefits of working with a designer that has a “true understanding and appreciation of model merchandising.”
   “The models that MDG designed represent true merchandising – not just attractive packaging which is the approach most builders take,” says Kaizer. “We wanted every detail of the homes – particularly those important feminine elements – to resonate with our buyers.”
   Scanlon, whose Winter Park company has over the past 12 years provided its model merchandising expertise for many of the housing industry heavyweights, says her approach for each idea home included the incorporation of reverse colors to accent furnishings, new technology, recycled materials, creative furniture arrangements and effective space utilization.
   The color palette selected, for example, were colors forecast for 2012 and 2013 by the Color Marketing Group, a national trend organization projecting color usage years in advance for consumers, car manufacturers, housewares and textile companies to name a few. A docking station to accommodate today’s iPod, Blackberry and other technical necessities replaced the traditional intercom system. In another, Scanlon utilized single light French Doors under a staircase that opened to a wine cellar rather than under-utilized luggage and holiday décor storage area.
   Scanlon also took great care in creating separate “his” and “hers” workstations in the homes where most couples would likely frequent and also was sure not to ignore the home’s “man cave” sanctuary.
   To punctuate the buyer’s frugal approach, Scanlon tactfully furnished and accessorized secondary bedrooms from discount retailers Target and IKEA by creatively merchandising for the price point of the home and the buyer demographics and psychographics – yet the finished product appears to be that from a high-end home décor center.
   Scanlon says she wanted to use colors, materials, furnishings and accessories that you could find locally and at those well-known retailers that wouldn’t drain one’s pocketbook.
   “This was a wonderful challenge that allowed us to utilize our entire repertoire of merchandising skills,” says Scanlon. “We’re delighted with the homes and we believe MI Homes’ buyers are as well.”
   Kaizer says he doesn’t mind if buyers duplicate the ideas – in fact he encourages them. Visitors to each of the three communities are provided with do-it-yourself instruction sheets highlighting all the included details within the model together with the locations of places where they can purchase the materials seen in the home.
   “Our objective,” says Kaizer, “was to show the buyer something different from what they’ve been used to. We wanted to show them an alternative, something memorable.”