10.04.2006 — If you can't take Mohammed to the mountain, take the mountain to Mohammed.

That's an adage San Diego-based ONteriors has used to model its business plan.

Instead of waiting for customers to come to its showroom, ONteriors has gone to the customers, building multiple "technology design centers" often alongside the builders' design centers in new master-planned communities.

The company currently has several technology design centers -- averaging about 1,500 square feet apiece -- in several San Diego-area communities, as well as ones in Tampa, Fla., and Houston, Texas.

And each facility is a boutique-style showroom that helps the company make customers feel right at home with a relaxing environment outfitted with the latest in entertainment, security, home control and communications technologies.

It also uses one-on-one consultations to have buyers interact with products and get a hands-on experience.

This approach helps ensure customers don't get that "deer in the headlight" look when trying to figure out how to operate equipment.

They don't walk away dazed and confused, but excited by all the new options they've just added to their new home purchase.

But just as important, the close proximity of the showrooms to the master-plan communities themselves re-affirms Onteriors' idea of functioning as a key partner with the homebuilder and the entire home-building team.

As part of that effort, the company works closely with each builder to understand and adapt to their unique systems and processes.

It established a partnership with design center operator Creative Touch Interiors to create a unique design center experience for each community.

Going to the Customers

ONteriors president Karen Davis has spent her whole career working with technology. Most recently, she worked with Gateway in a marketing position.

"At Gateway, we changed our marketing efforts from focusing on products to focusing on solutions. We are taking a similar approach with ONteriors," she explains.

"The reason we started the business was to address the market opportunity of delivering sophisticated home technology systems to the production homebuyer at realistic prices. Having a background in technology and noticing the boom in homebuying, I saw the two quickly coming together.

"The industry has been talking about the 'connected home' for years, but for the mainstream consumer, the products and services are just becoming available now; at the same time, consumers are becoming more sophisticated in their technology use and needs. They are seeking solutions to make their lives easier and their homes more comfortable," she adds.

While ONteriors mainly concentrates on the new-home market, particularly the production homebuilder and homebuyer, it also serves the technology needs of those in the surrounding area.

In effect, these technology design centers become the company's showrooms that function like any other storefront. Although the company does try to contain its business to recently built homes.

"A lot of homeowners don't know their homes have already been prewired. We explain that and show them what options are available. Our design centers are typically around 1,500 square feet," Davis describes.

"The location depends on the market conditions. For example, our San Diego design center is located next to the visitor center in a master-planned community.

"This is in a central location and serves homebuyers and residents from the surrounding areas. In other markets we try to locate near the builder's design centers and the communities that we will serve," she adds.

"We will meet the homebuyer wherever the builder and buyer wants to meet -- at our design center, the model home, the builder's design center. Office hours are flexible by customer appointment. Our customers are busy so we try to be flexible in scheduling meetings outside standard work hours if they ask us to.

"The design centers display technology set in comfortable room scenes, including kitchen, master bedroom, family room, home theater, home office and utility area.

"We demonstrate the high definition surround sound experience, Sony New Home entertainment systems (distributed audio and video), Control4 home control, security, central vacuum and home networks," she adds.