Genesis goes beyond suburban vanilla

Builder focuses on the extra flavours*

When Lisa Kaiser goes to suppliers seeking quality products for Genesis homes, she doesn't want the "vanilla ice cream" flavour they are offering every other builder.

"When everyone is buying vanilla ice cream, you get a lot of vanilla ice cream," said the company's project manager interior design. "I ask them to give us the new flavours."

It is one way of explaining Genesis Builders Group's focus on ensuring its new suburban homes don't fall under the stereotype of being bland when compared to its inner-city counterparts. Instead, Genesis has stepped up to not only ensure buyers know what is standard in their new homes, but also make it easy to pick products and finishes that are of high quality, while fitting their personal design style.

"I lived in the inner city and I like contemporary style," said Kaiser, who started out designing kitchens for many of the city's builders, in everything from lofts to multi-million dollar custom homes.

"But when I moved to the suburbs, it wasn't because I lost my sense of style. That's why, when I go to suppliers, I don't want the 'one-size-fits-all' products. Genesis is looking at doing something different."

Typically, when a buyer walks into a show home, the reaction is "this is beautiful, but they find none of it is standard, and instead are options that end up costing a lot of extra money, said Kaiser.

"Our company doesn't feel that is a great first feeling to have. We believe style is within your reach."

When Genesis is creating its designer collections for each community, it does a lot of research to better understand what buyers are looking for and to make sure its collections always include the latest and greatest, said corporate marketing manager Jesse Coderre.

"Our aim is to eliminate any perspective that suggests if you move to the suburbs you are not going to find homes that have great design," he said.

And unlike a resale home, there's no need to renovate, added Coderre. Genesis' attention to quality and design means these new homes are "fabulous as soon as you move in."

In the three show homes Genesis is opening in Pier 11 in Airdrie's Bayside development, one will include only standard finishes — "which are surprisingly high end" — offerings for the model, said Kaiser.

The design collections will be on display right in the show home sales centre, so buyers can mix and match products in designer curated palettes.

And it isn't just about a home's good looks.

"It needs to look fabulous, but it also needs to work and to last," said Kaiser.

"I have a young family and pets so I make sure everything is family proof."

She is excited about some of the new products that are part of the design palette in Genesis show homes, including a new kitchen vanity faucet design from Delta, just released in Canada this year, a Blanco kitchen sink and a bathroom Koehler sink that "has no equivalent" with its tranquil and serene lines — all unique, and all standard in the homes.

Kaiser notes a lot of the company's focus is on the small details: like tiles above showers and tubs that go all the way to the ceiling helping with a bathroom's condensation while emphasizing the nine-foot ceilings on the main level and eight-foot ceilings upstairs; to the hanging pendant light in the half bathroom that will wow guests; and the extra light drawn into kitchens with LED pot lights.

And, let's talk toilets.

"I know more about toilets than I ever thought," said Kaiser. "It's not a glamorous part of design, but I worry about the details — like are they water sensible and sustainable for the house — so the buyers don't have to."

Genesis will also be showcasing Venetian gold-coloured faucets —part of a mixing metals trend — this fall in a show home in the northeast community of Saddlestone.

'They are an amazing colour, very rich looking and look great with stainless-steel appliances."

In both Pier 11 and Saddlestone, carpets can come with a "fantastic memory foam underlay" that adds 10 years to the warranty and which, when purchased, the manufacturer donates money to breast cancer research.

With the quality products Genesis attains and their accessibility in the show homes, Kaiser said buyers will be able to "make the right choice for them, every time. They can have confidence in the entire process."

* This content was produced by CREB®Now's advertising department, in consultation with Genesis. CREB®Now's editorial department was not involved in its creation.