In Conversation With... Mariam Aboutaam Director Sales, Marketing, Interior Design, Kylemore

Homebuyers today don’t just want a quality-built home, they also want all those little extras that help them enjoy their new abode. Yes, luxury is often part of it, but it’s more so practical inclusions such as flexible and multi-purpose spaces, smart layouts and forward-thinking items such as EV charging options.

In short, it’s about wellness, and one company excelling at it is Kylemore. We sat down with Mariam Aboutaam, director of sales and marketing, interior design, to learn more.

You have a pretty interesting title… What does your job entail, and how is it evolving?

Kylemore is a boutique luxury homebuilder, and the team is very hands-on. My background is in fine arts and design. As the sales, marketing and interior design director, my responsibilities include protecting, curating and evolving our brand, directing advertising, social media, publicity, event creation and cause marketing programs. Essentially taking on the role of “visionary” ensuring our brand ethos, personality and essence is filtered through all departments within the company. I oversee the sales operations, through strategic practices and managing our sales team as well as our broker relations.

Interior design has always been a core focus of my role, and after working with a few different design teams, this naturally evolved into becoming the lead designer on completion of all model homes, as well as creating fully furnished and decorated inventory homes for sale. The approach we take is to give buyers an opportunity to envision living in our homes. I’m proud to say that many of these suites and homes have been industry finalists and award winners across all our respective associations.

Since Kylemore was founded, we’ve had an in-house design studio, and we consider this an important part of the customer relationship process. My involvement with this aspect of the business has grown. Today, I work with our in-house design team on product design and development and curate the colour selections for our decor studio. I often meet our home purchasers and help guide their interior finishes selections. Engaging in this way gives me direct insight into purchasers’ expectations, lifestyle and dreams, which I believe helps to inform many aspects of our customer experience and product offering.

What are the biggest trends in your business these days, and what’s driving them?

I don’t really like to look at trends. Our company perspective is to create communities that allow people to enjoy a lifestyle that is all encompassing. We ask the question: How can we enrich people’s lives from the built environment to social opportunities? And then we aim to provide these. Another important part of this is a positive customer experience which extends from the moment a potential homebuyer steps into our sales centre to the pre-delivery inspection and service period. Once you become a Kylemore homeowner, you are considered a part of the family and become a member at Angus Glen Golf Club, as well as invited to join community events and hear first about sales launches.

Kylemore’s tagline is “Wellness. Luxury. Reimagined.” How does this translate to Kylemore product?

Kylemore’s approach is to keep the future residents in mind when designing our homes. Wellness can be clearly connected to the design and building of the homes and communities we shape. The convergence of wellness and luxury is our core brand, and it influences everything we do. Our community design prioritizes the location, proximity to amenities, as well as the preservation and enhancement of the natural outdoor environment. The architecture encompasses traditional and modern characteristics with a mix of lot sizes creating beautiful streetscapes. Interiors are generously proportioned with many options such as loft suites, separate coach homes, and private in-law quarters. Comfort and peace of mind are provided with future-proofing rough-ins such as EV charging, low VOC materials, top quality heating and cooling systems, and finely tuned construction methods. Add to this an array of finishes, such as 10- and nine-ft. standard ceilings, hardwood flooring, granite countertops and deluxe cabinetry plus a superb selection of upgrades. Lastly, taking wellness a step further, every purchaser of a home in Angus Glen South Village receives a free three-year family membership to Angus Glen Golf Club. Together, these elements improve the quality of life for Kylemore residents.

What is your signature imprint at Kylemore? What feature or idea really says, “Yes, this is Mariam”?

I initiated and implemented Kylemore’s rebrand a few years back to focus on wellness in the homes and communities we shape. What I mainly focus on is the direct experience the client has with the brand. When someone meets us for the first time, or sees our campaigns, or visits our spaces such as the presentation centre or model homes, all these touchpoints are filtered through the team I direct. Once a vision is created, we focus on the details to infuse each experience with the luxury and wellness components of the brand. When you have an experience with Kylemore, it’s coming from me.

What are you noticing from homebuyers these days that you weren’t, say, five or 10 years ago?

Today’s homebuyers are very knowledgeable. They keep our sales team on their toes with questions we may not have been asked a few years ago. Purchasers know what they want and are willing to take the time to ensure their home meets their family’s needs. Our buyers understand the homebuying process, as we are often not their first home. We’re finding our homebuyers are younger, will live in their home for many years and appreciate that they can move-up or down within the Kylemore community. I believe buyers are paying more attention to what goes into building their home, items that you can’t necessarily see in a finished home, but that add comfort, value and durability. That’s why the marketing and sales team worked to create a detailed illustration of a Kylemore home, listing many of these “hidden” elements. This helps us to tell the wellness story, and is something that differentiates us from the landscape of homebuilders.

And where do you see homebuyer needs going in the foreseeable future?

We were designing homes for Angus Glen South Village in Unionville, Markham when COVID occurred. This event made us rethink our approach to include more flexible and multi-purpose spaces within the homes. For example, a main floor office that could easily function as a bedroom with optional adjacent bathroom, large gathering zones and yoga/meditation rooms are included in some of our layouts. We’ve also considered multi-generational living in many of our layouts, where a purchaser can choose an additional fully private suite, a fifth bedroom plan or a coach home with a separate living unit above a garage, for example. The much-used utility spaces are often overlooked in design, and we want these to be enjoyed by the occupants. By thinking of how the modern family functions and spends time in their homes we provide space and privacy opportunities as well.

What’s next for Kylemore in this context?

In the near future, we have more phases of Angus Glen South Village – our major master-planned community – to come. So far, our focus has been on the lowrise component, but we are in the early design stages of the future condominium buildings. Considerations here are size and features of the suites, as well as the amenities the future residents will appreciate.

kylemoreliving.com

And on a personal note...

How do you spend time away from the office?

If I’m not working, you’ll find me at home with my two daughters. I spend quality time with them through meaningful experiences, as well as with extended family and friends. My kids and I share a profound love and appreciation for the arts. We are always creating, exploring and learning new crafts together.

I turned 40 this year – a big birthday. I recently decided to begin documenting my experiences through journaling each night. It’s both creative and cathartic. I also try to carve out time for wellness, which is not always easy but necessary, through working out, cooking and, my first love, visual arts. Being creative is in my DNA, I love sketching portraits and oil painting, as well as hunting for the next interior design book. I’ve also recently taken up golf, a skill which I hope to improve.

Who or what is your greatest inspiration for what you do?

The late Zaha Hadid, architect, artist and designer has always been a huge inspiration. Growing up, I studied art history and architecture. I feel a kinship to her as a Middle Eastern woman in a male dominated industry. I admire the incredible landmarks she created, while pushing the boundaries of architecture and urban design. She was a true pioneer. Her legacy is remarkable. Walking the streets of New York, especially the Highline, is always a marvelous experience and incredibly inspiring. I also like to pay close attention to progressive cities with respect to interior design. Places such as New York, London, Milan, Paris and Stockholm all seem to have their finger on the pulse before we do. It’s always fun to bring innovative influences into our designs; I like to think its part of what makes me different.

What’s on your reading or TV binge-watch list these days?

I’m currently reading The Pivot Year, by Brianna Wiest; On Women and Leadership, a series of definitive articles on gender dynamics at work from Harvard Business Review; and The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene.

The last HBO Series I finished was Succession. I have yet to find something as gripping to watch as that masterpiece. It was absolutely brilliant, from the writing/storytelling, ensemble cast, incredible acting and the many inspiring destinations we got to tour as the viewer, such as New York, the UK, Iceland, Croatia, Norway and Italy. TV Dramas are exceptionally well produced these days.