Best of Houzz 2016

 

This year we were honored to be awarded the 2016 awards from Houzz for best in Customer Service and best in Design. You may say "Who cares and what does it have to do with me?"

 

First, what is Houzz? Houzz is an online platform for new home building, home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish - online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by social tools, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo.

 

 

Second, what are the awards? The Best Of Houzz awards are given in three categories: Design, Customer Satisfaction and Photography. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 35 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers.” Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2015. Winners will receive a “Best Of Houzz 2016” badge on their profiles, helping Houzz users around the world who discover and love a professional’s work to learn even more about that business’ popularity and satisfaction rating among their peers in the Houzz community.  Best of Houzz awards are only awarded to 3% of the professionals on Houzz.

 

 

If you haven't discovered Houzz yet, I highly recommend checking it out.  One of my favorite ways to use it is as a search engine for design. Say I’m looking for a picture of a white subway tile backsplash with grey grout. Type it in the search bar and thousands of pictures will pop up. It’s a great way to gain a visual of how you want something to turn out. It’s helpful to share pictures of what you expect the end product of your project to look like with your contractor. It helps eliminate any confusion and helps translate the vision that is in your head. Any questions? Email me at Jessica@webbercoleman.com

Pros of Working with a Female Designer

Last year in prep for a speech I was giving at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, I conducted a survey among the contractors I work with. The first question I asked them was what were PROS of working with a woman designer. There are many more PROS than CONS. Here are some of the answers I got back.

-They have a better feel for what the woman homeowner wants

-The woman homeowner is more comfortable with a woman designer

-They bring a different perspective

-My survey says that women are more in tune with design trends. You ask a woman a

handbag style and she can probably rattle off a couple of designer names.

-My survey says that they have a more nurturing spirit

-They have more of a desire to meet the needs of the client

-They are better listeners and more intuitive

-They are great at multitasking

-My survey says that women are great organizers.

-They have a better eye for the small details.

-They are quicker at relationship building

-They have better relatability to people

-Clients respect a female designer’s opinion more than a male’s

-Design related decisions are often emotional decisions. A female designer has a softer

touch in persuading a client against making a mistake.

-They can discuss shoe storage and cosmetics with ease. What guy wants to talk about

keeping his curling iron plugged in inside a drawer? A female can say 'this is what I do.' (Ok, I have to admit, this was my dad's answer.)

The answers were enlightening and encouraging to me as a work with clients and contractors every day. It's good to hear from an outside party about what you can focus on. Do you agree with these answers? Do you have any to add? Email me at jessica@webbercoleman.com