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Baby Boomer, or Boomer, is a term used to describe a person born in the years following World War II, when there was a temporary marked increase in the birth rate. In fairness, this photo likely depicts the parents of Boomers, but their values and experiences played an important role in the values and practices developed by their children.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with several lovely Boomer couples on their homes, and an interesting dichotomy has been revealed after completion of their projects. With regard to budget relative to net worth, Boomers tend to be at one end of the spectrum or the other, but never in between. My own parents fall into the post World War II category, so in the beginning, my anticipation was that all of my clients that fell into that age group would think similarly; however this is definitely not the case. Because of this, I had to adjust my way of thinking so that I would not do my clients’ a disservice by overgeneralizing their tastes. The patterns of thinking became clear, and once I realized this, I was able to better adapt my way of thinking to better relate to and understand my clients’needs. Let’s go back a step to understand why this generation, based on my observations, makes the choices that they do.
The Baby Boomers were raised by what is now called The Greatest Generation, a term that commonly refers to Americans that were born in the 1900’s through the 1920’s. This generation endured both the Great Depression and World War II. Despite these significant hardships, the Greatest Generation was characterized by sociologist Glen Holl Elder, Jr., as having "an ability to know how to survive and make do and solve problems.” They had to conserve during a time when the country was in a financial sinkhole, and then they had to ration during World War II because the survival of our nation depended on it.
It stands to reason, then, that the Greatest Generation instilled these values of conservation, strength, and fortitude in their children. I can say with confidence about all of my clients, that the Greatest Generation did a great job. All have strong values, a sense of conservation that is driven not from an environmental standpoint, but by a sense that being wasteful is just wrong. All have worked hard, raised children who are successful, overcome hard times, certainly, but persevered to get to where they are today. That said, I’m not so naive as to say that all Baby Boomers are characterized so easily. People who call designers to decorate their homes typically fall into a lofty demographic. I know that. I’m just saying that when it comes to making design choices, my clients have exhibited the aforementioned qualities.
Now the big question is, how do these qualities drive design choices made by Baby Boomers? Here’s where that dichotomy comes into play. They fall into one of two categories:
After a lifetime of conservation and responsibility, a desire to continue that trend, using what they already have or spending as little as possible to spruce up their homes. The accumulation of what their discipline has built is a source of pride not to be squandered. An abundance of collected treasures and inherited pieces have taken over their homes, and the need to buy more seems excessive and overwhelming.
After a lifetime of conservation and responsibility, a desire to get exactly what they want. This is the last place they intend to live, and to hell with it. They want what they want and they’ll spend what they need to to get it. After all, haven’t they earned it?
Who can argue with either position? Both make perfect sense when you think about it. I’ve helped six different Boomer families, now, and all have fallen into one of these two categories. I respect both. My parents are firmly planted in the first category and are in good company. I underestimated my first clients who fell into that second category…but boy did we have fun. :-) The good news is that beauty can be achieved in both scenarios. In the first, the design takes on a distinguished sentimental feel with warm colors, layered textures, and taking the old and making it new again. Re-framing long lost art and finding creative new ways to modernize old treasures. The second is more “on trend” and in keeping with the current color palettes. Comfort is still important, as is practicality in planning for the future.
Personally, I’ve loved working with each and every one of my so called Boomers. They have been gracious and kind, and I treasure my relationships with them. In researching this blog post, I came across a quote from a passage published by the Population Reference Bureau. According to Elwood Carlson, Florida State University professor in sociology of population, “If you understand the difference between generations, it helps you understand yourself better because you understand the context in which your life has unfolded. You understand what distinctive opportunities and problems you have faced and you can find common ground with others in your generation.” Everyone has parents, grandparents, bosses, and employees of other generations they’re trying to understand, Carlson explains. “If you approach them in the same framework as you try to approach your own world, you’re going to be making mistakes. If you want to understand them, you have to understand their generation as well as your own.” My motivation for researching this topic was to better understand the decisions my clients make; however, this knowledge is useful in myriad aspects of life.
So thanks to all of the moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas out there. We are grateful. Now WHAT are we going to do about these Millennials…