With retailers keeping a keen focus on the behaviors of Millennials and Gen Xers, it helps them glean a pulse on what entices to a point of purchase. Market researchers and the advertising agencies who pay them need to learn exactly what goes on in the hearts and minds of these two target audiences. Presenting a product or service on an experiential level isn’t enough anymore. Like fashion, residential builders and home resellers are pivoting to cater to Gen Xers through referential luxury in housing.

What Is Referential Luxury in Housing?

Let’s start with the basic premise of referential. An easy way to explain it is by using a song as an example. I’m sure you can recall a time when you heard a new song and couldn’t wait to tell your parents about it (maybe your kids have done this to you).

You anxiously anticipate hearing the first few notes only to smile knowingly as “American Woman” lyrics melodically come forth. As a Gen Xer, you boldly profess its origin as Lenny Kravitz (who took the 1999 Grammy for Best Male Rock Performance for the song). You gloat. Until Mom or Dad delicately reveal its history as coming from a band called The Guess Who in 1970. The familiarity of the song brings about a referential moment.

Rekindle the Good

As Gen Xers age (like the rest of us), they yearn for inklings of days gone by through tangible themes that recall a time that was and is uniquely theirs.

Apparel designers employ this tactic in their clothing lines, adding touches of what was once popular but with a modern twist. This is how their clothing can capture the attention and favorability from multiple generations. The same holds true for housing.

Referential luxury is evident when a buyer enters a home and has points of reference of an earlier, familiar, and pleasant time, experienced again in the present.

Referential Luxury Brings a Competitive Edge to High-End Homes

Fashion has a hand in real estate—especially the luxury market. Because the buyer pool is much smaller, the interior details and architectural accents may be the defining characteristics that lead to a sale
(or pass).

Gen Xers today are somewhere between active parenthood and early retirement. Many of their fond memories are based on how life was at the turn of this century. If we stepped back in time further, to their childhood, this could include the cusp of the early 80s, when extreme was all the rage.

Subtle remembrances of these earlier times can be brought back into the fold of housing today. Referential luxury can be seen in color schemes, wall textures, fixtures and more.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

You may recall the surge of the mid-century modern remodels making a comeback 10 years ago. For myself, I’ve always had an affinity for historic properties. Unless this relates to a past-life experience (who knows?) I would equate my love for old homes to my childhood days visiting relatives in the cultural-specific neighborhoods on the East coast where 100+ year old, red brick, basement homes were aplenty.

Whether you’re a foodie or genuinely love to whip together a gourmet meal, the kitchen offers a unique representation of style and time.

Where sleek lines and stainless adorned our appliances (anything else wasn’t chic enough), now the house couture experts advise we add more natural elements to the favorite room of the home.

Stark lighting in brass, gold, and silver should be replaced with light or warm finishes, with wood making a subtle comeback. Appliances will be toned down as well, diffusing their standout approach to a more seamless integration with surrounding cabinets. Some Gen Xers may remember their parents’ kitchens, when whitewash cabinets not only housed pots, pans and silverware, but also covered refrigerators and dishwashers.

Resale properties will often mirror specific and desirable places while providing the conveniences we expect. For 2020, the recommended interior changes happen to align with what Gen Xers may have experienced in their younger lives.

2020 Is the Year for Singular Refinement

Don’t anticipate a complete design overhaul in housing. Instead, expect single yet effective changes that refresh what we already love. A little less white. A bit more pops of color. Expand the use of texture without sacrificing a room’s sense of calm.

Look at the following guideline to know where referential luxury in housing is headed:

1. Call it the blues. This is where traditional meets timeless, today. Consider new ways to incorporate the 2020 Pantone color of the year—classic blue. Use it on an accent wall, add some zing to a dull gray sofa with rich blue pillows or a lush throw. Change your china or everyday dishes to an earthy deep indigo ceramic. Want to make more of a statement? Turn your kitchen or bathroom cabinets to a healthy dark hue of blue.

2. Increase contrast. Make a play on color by willfully deciding where you want a room’s focal point. If there’s a painting you want to highlight, place it on a wall that challenges it through contrast. If the image contains bold primary colors, the wall behind it should be a stark white or black or try a midnight blue. If the painting is mainly white, choose a bold color for the wall that screams “look at me”! The same goes for furniture. Define the differences.

3. Wick, wicker, wickier. Texture goes beyond walls. It lives and breathes in textiles: our floors, furniture, and picture frames. Soften an existing modern interior by bringing the outdoors in. Wicker and rattan furniture pieces provide a touch of natural, giving any room a more modest and inviting feel.

4. Free-standing tubs. This is where life imitates art in the bathroom. While a shower is a functional aspect with an outpouring of fine finishes, a free-standing tub, strategically placed, brings artful comfort. Whether an antique clawfoot or current day acrylic, free-standing tubs are a coveted feature that adds light, dimension, and magnifique to a bathroom.

5. Boudoir beams. If you’re in search of a reason to spend more time in the bedroom, replace your headboard with a canopy. It adds a big statement to any bed and can easily convert your décor to a special time and place. Hang sheer fabric from post to post such as lace, chiffon, or tulle mesh. Some Gen Xers may get to relive their teenage years here but with contemporary lines.

6. Eclectic is in. Fighting with your inner child to finally get rid of a family heirloom lamp or vintage conversation bench? Now you can put the turmoil to rest, literally. Splashes of vintage décor
   amongst hard-edged furniture is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it makes any room more interesting. So go ahead, mish-mash away!

7. Tone it all down. All good things must end, including our preoccupation with white interiors. Minimize these clean and cold finishes with a friendly sidekick—some ivory, light tan, and neutral
   woods. Think of it as breathing new life into a stale favorite.

Referential Luxury Allows You to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Many of us have already witnessed how “stranger things” can come into our lives, seemingly out of nowhere, and change those best laid plans. Holding onto our cash, putting off a home purchase or sale can leave us feeling defeated, uneasy, and concerned about the future.

The 2020 pandemic has caused us to take a pause in our busy lives and gain new appreciation for the blessings that family and friends bring. Referential luxury in housing is, perhaps, timelier than ever. By embracing the good we have at home and adding slight modifications in interior design elements, we can better marry the past with the present and grow more comfortable within.

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