| By Clytie Bunyan An Oklahoma City builder has expanded on the model home concept in
marketing and has opened the Home of Homes Gallery where buyers can see how different
types of materials can be used.
And the showroom soon will offer one-stop shopping when a
mortgage company and title company open next door.
Tom Hoshall formerly worked in the energy conservation
business under Hoshall Industries. He manufactured and patented insulation equipment
for ceilings and walls, and trained builders how to make homes energy efficient.
But his focus turned to home building
several years ago
when he had difficulty finding a house that was allergy-free. His daughter suffers from
asthma.
"I decided to find out everything I could about
building a home with good indoor air quality," Hoshall said recently.
As a result, standard features in the houses Hoshall
builds include a vapor barrier in the slabs and non-allergenic carpet pads. He also
has developed a bug elimination system that he is trying to patent.
He eventually built his own house but decided to expand on
the model home idea when he discovered the houses were adequate only as examples of floor
plans that utilized limited features. If the buyer wanted a different type of
flooring than what appeared in a model, he would have to look at samples or examples in a
catalog.
"So we decided, why not have a place to show people
different choices of things they could have -- different kinds of wood, ceiling, flooring,
kitchens -- all at the same place," Hoshall said.
Hoshall had been working on plans for the gallery for two
years. He finally opened the 6,000-square-foot showroom, part of a
10,000-square-foot building at NW 112 and Rockwell Ave. last fall.
Home of Homes Gallery, open 2-5 p.m. every day by
appointment only except holidays, has a completely residential floor plan, with rooms that
incorporate sales offices and a design center.
From the entry is a grand living room and dining room area
with two different types of vaulted ceilings, each with a different treatment. One
view of the living room shows a contemporary setting, with lighted, Plexiglas columns and
a large rounded window. Window treatments "show customers how that it is not
difficult to dress a round window," Hoshall said.
Another area of the living room is more formal, with
floor-to-ceiling wooden columns and a brick fireplace.
The nearby library includes different types of wood and
shows how wall treatments can be used in a more formal setting. The room serves as a
viewing room with more than 5,000 house plans.
Adjoining the library is an example of how mirrors can be
used as paneling. There is also a playroom that gives children something to do while
their parents look at plans or tour the gallery.
Different types of edges -- rounded, squared or angular --
are visible on counter tops and even on the floors.
Texturing and wall treatments also appear in different
styles, and murals are in ample supply.
"One of the things we're also trying to do here is
show how you could add the highest perceived items of value that cost the least amount of
money. There are items and features that cost just a few dollars that make a
difference in your home," Hoshall said.
Two kitchens show formal and more contemporary selections
-- dark vs. light woodwork. One also shows a dishwasher that is elevated for easier
loading. Other features include a cooking alcove in the contemporary kitchen and a
brick-top island on the formal side.
Different style of plant shelves and brickwork also make
up the gallery.
"We do a lot of testing through the 'ooh and ahh'
system. If we get enough of those on something and we establish that enough people
will pay for it, we put it as standard in our homes," Hoshall said.
Hoshall typically builds houses mainly in Oklahoma in the
range of $120,000 to $500,000. However, he plans to build more affordable homes at
prices beginning at $100,000, he said. Recently, Hoshall began building in Norman
and Mustang, and has had projects in Guthrie and Stillwater.
Hoshall plans to franchise the Home of Homes Gallery to
builders nationwide. "This fills a need for anyone thinking about buying or
building a home, and after talking to customers at the models, I know it's nice to be able
to show them different features all in one place," he said.
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Mayor of Oklahoma City
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Plexiglas
columns, a vaulted
ceiling treated with cloud designs and a rounded window are among the features Tom Hoshall
included in this living room.
Even the exterior of the Home of
Homes Gallery at 7150 NW 112 shows different types of brick styles.
This wall shows an application
of a rounded surface flanked by different window styles.
Brick and darker
wood appear in
the more formal kitchen. The island countertop also features multiple brick designs.
The kitchen above, with lighter
wood, is one of two in the gallery. A raised dishwasher is featured in one kitchen.
"We do a lot of testing
through the `ooh and ahh' system. If we get enough of those on something we
establish that enough people will pay for it, we put it as standard in our homes."
Tom Hoshall
A wall textured in a rock design
and a smoother surface is between the contemporary kitchen and the living room.
Details such as the cherub above
appear in wall treatments at the gallery.
"So we decided, why not
have a place to show people different choices of things they could have -- different kinds
of wood, ceiling, flooring, kitchens -- all at the same place."
Tom Hoshall
This suspended plant shelf is in
one of the kitchens.
Photos by Paul B. Southerland |
