Author: Igor Nastaskin
10 Daring Interior Design Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2019
Realtor.com consulted with dozens of design experts from coast to coast to unveil the biggest decor trends we’ll see in 2019. Here, the results: Artisanal accessories Anything that looks like the work of a detail-obsessed artisan will be right at home in 2019. Whether it’s a handcrafted headboard, a standout chair or a custom metal-framed mirror, a few artisanal elements will keep things interesting without the pressure to commit an entire space to the look. Once upon a time, only bespoke cabinetry and other woodwork was widely available. Now, you can find anything from sinks to shower-door hardware to wall decor from really cool vendors. Warm Neutrals Rooms have been slathered in icy, aloof grays for quite a while now. But in 2019, the pros say this neutral’s cool edge will thaw a bit. A much more elegant choice: Neutrals with classic sensibilities such as warm beige or taupe. This all-around warmup also should bring a fresh slate of fleshier, pinker naturals in the coming year. All shades of pink Speaking of pink, the flowery hue still is decidedly in the moment. You’ll continue to see the pale “millennial” variety, of course, but get comfortable with her bolder raspberry-toned sister making a statement. In fact, the audacious shade will be right at home even in a prominent spot—like your kitchen cabinets. On your walls, however, expect a less pink pink—it’ll be all about those peach tones. This shade is surprisingly versatile, pairing well with mustard, orange or even dark green. Tweed While velvet can pack a sophisticated punch, it sometimes can seem stuffy. That’s why design gurus envision a star turn for tweed, a tightly woven wool that shares velvet’s impact but isn’t quite as extra. Tweeds are similarly rich and expensive-feeling without being costume-like. Tweeds also play well with velvet and other fabrics, so you can mix and match pieces easily. Terrazzo Made from a mix of glass, granite, marble or quartz chips suspended in a polished cement or resin, this Mid-century mainstay was once the de-facto flooring option in schools, hospitals and airports, thanks to its durability and thrifty price tag. But these days, terrazzo has reemerged as a retro-luxe choice, popping up in every room of the house. Larger patterns in lots of shades give this throwback a fresh feel on everything from coffee tables to shower walls. Contrasting tile and colored grout You’ve probably already noticed intricate tiles—Moroccan, herringbone and other geometrics—swooping in to take the place of the ubiquitous white subway tile. But tile is expected to get even more interesting in 2019: Expect to see colored grout and contrasting tile on the walls and floor. Like wallpaper, tile is an easy way to create a focal point in the room. Think dark tiles with light grout and vice-versa for a punch of dimension and texture. Aiming for a more monochromatic vibe? Just sync the tile and grout to match. It’s a thoughtful detail that can really make a bathroom look more expensive. Black kitchens In 2019, designers say we’ll embrace black kitchens to help impart a sleek, rich feel and modern ambiance, and it’s a risky choice you should be willing to take. Think dark or black wood tones for the cabinetry, paired with gold hardware and lighting, white countertops and light wood flooring. It makes for the ideal combo of modern and organic. Curvy furniture Intimate conversation is making a comeback thanks to more curvaceous sofas, settees, and chairs. Gone are the days of big, boxy sofas—granted, they will always have a place in an oversized room or basement—with more and more of those looks being replaced by curvier forms, which in the past were used primarily in formal (and uncomfortable) living rooms. Today, the curved sofa and chair have maintained their elegance but added comfort—which is key. A new crop of florals There’s a theory in the interior design world that what we see on the fashion runways in spring and fall will dictate what appears in our home decor the following year. And this year, Paris and New York were all about florals. So, expect florals to show up in stores on bedding, pillows, chairs and wallpaper, including blooms that are big, bold and often abstract. Dog showers Expect 2019 to go to the dogs, particularly with a trend toward dog showers in the vicinity of the mudroom. The ability to walk your dog into a wet space and clean them up is a quick and easy solution. A dog shower also doesn’t require much square footage, and doors are unnecessary. But if you’re feeling ambitious, you can decorate with lively tiles.
3 Ways You Can Help Your Millennial Buy a House
Between rising home prices and millennial student loan debt, many parents are in a financial position to help their millennial buy a house, here are 3 ways. Be warned, though: Buying a house for your adult child isn’t so straightforward. Purchasing a house for your kid requires careful planning. Here, realtor.com tells you what you need to know and your options for getting it done. Gift the down-payment money Money can be classified as either a loan or a gift when you contribute funds to your child’s down payment for a mortgage. The decision has major tax implications. If you provide the cash as a loan, your kid (or you) will have to pay taxes on it. However, gift money can be transferred tax-free up to a certain limit. For 2018, any gift of $15,000 or higher will incur taxes, up from $14,000 in 2017. For couples, however, that means each person can gift $15,000 to their child tax-free, for a total of $30,000. Note: If you gift the down payment, your child’s mortgage lender will require proof showing that the money is indeed a gift. This must come in the form of a gift letter, where you swear on paper that you don’t plan on asking for the money back. But that letter might be insufficient for your child’s mortgage lender. In many cases, you’ll have to provide a paper trail verifying where the money is coming from, and most lenders will require two months of statements from your bank account. Buy the house and rent it out to your kid If you can afford it, you have the option of buying a home solely in your name and renting it out to your child; in fact, this may be your only option if your kid can’t qualify for a mortgage. Fortunately, property taxes, mortgage interest, repairs, maintenance and structural improvements are generally deductible on a second home. Be warned: Your kid must pay you rent for you to qualify for these tax deductions. If you let your child live in the house for free, you won’t receive any write-offs. Buy and co-own the house The third approach is to purchase a home and co-own it with your child. In this case you’d be purchasing the home and dividing the equity in whatever percentage you choose, and when the house is sold, your share of the money would be repaid. This is a good arrangement if you eventually plan to sell your portion of the house to your kid. However, not all mortgage lenders offer home loans for shared ownership. Another drawback? If your kid can’t pay the mortgage, you’re on the hook for it.
6 Pre-sale Home Improvements Sellers Wish They Had Never Made
Every seller wants their home to stand out from the crowd, which often means partaking in some shiny new improvements before placing it on the market. Sometimes owners go overboard, however, and the repairs become costlier and time-consuming than they’re worth. To help you learn from others’ mistakes, realtor.com gathered actual stories of home sellers who regret the pre-sale renovations they made. Regret No. 1: Going too trendy When it comes time to beautify your home, beware of falling for decor fads. For example, one seller’s original lighting fixtures were pretty standard, boring brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze, circa the 2000s. Thinking the home needed more of a “wow” factor before placing it on the market, the seller swapped out all of the perfectly serviceable lights for bold Mid-century fixtures that wound up costing about $2,000. While this is great if you’re sure your buyers are going to love that style, the eventual buyers may not. In this case, the buyers made an appointment for the day after closing to replace every single one. Regret No. 2: Smart house, not so smart of a decision Living in a house surrounded by technology is not everyone’s cup of tea. One seller decided to make his home high-tech, with the lighting, window shades, and sound system all controlled from via a smartphone. He paid a lot of money for these expensive bells and whistles, but none of the prospective buyers who came in cared. Instead, buyers were all focused on the space itself—and the lack of light and poor views. The eventual buyer turned out to be a person interested in tech and smart homes. But by the time the deal closed, he felt the technology was outdated and therefore wasn’t interested in paying extra for the existing features. Regret No. 3: Adding a guesthouse Not every home shopper dreams of bringing in extra income by renting out the guesthouse, and one seller found this out the hard way when he made the rash decision to renovate his detached guesthouse to function as a vacation rental property. Thinking it would add value, he spent about nine weeks—and $3,000—on the project while the property was on the market. He painted the exterior, resurfaced interior floorboards and replaced the stairway. After all that, the eventual buyer ended up demolishing the guesthouse and replacing it with a pool. Regret No. 4: Rehabbing the roof Rehabbing a major system in the house—like the roof—might seem like a great idea when it comes to attracting a buyer. But it’s not always worth it. One seller was told by several buying agents that they could sell their house faster if they replaced their roof. Without talking to their own agent, the seller tore off the roof and installed a new one for $11,390. When the project was done, the house sat on the market for months, despite the brand-new shingles. To move the property, the sellers ultimately had to reduce the price by $17,000. Not only did the roof not make a difference in the home sale, but the decision to sink money into the repair led to a total loss of $28,390. Instead, the sellers should have looked at the recently sold houses—not just those that were listed—in their area to determine what to fix or leave alone. Regret No. 5: Doing it yourself to cut corners Some home improvements are better left to the pros. That’s one lesson a seller learned when she put her first house up for sale, thinking she was going to easily flip it for a giant profit. Instead, she made all kinds of unneeded improvements that didn’t increase the home’s value. They only narrowed her profit margin. Her biggest mistake was purchasing four “granite-look” painting kits to redo the counters in the kitchen and baths on a budget. It turned out terribly, and the counters all had to be redone, costing thousands of dollars more than she had originally budgeted. Regret No. 6: Opening Pandora’s box It’s common to want to complete some home improvements before listing your home, but doing so might plunge you head first into a mess of expensive repairs. One seller, for instance, wanted to renovate his two-family home before putting it on the market. The seller wanted to install new insulation throughout the home, despite the contractor’s warning that gutting the walls could lead to plumbing problems. Sure enough, the difficulties started piling up and the seller had to install a new sprinkler system throughout the entire house to meet new building codes. This ended up costing thousands of dollars, and the seller did not receive a good return on the investment.
Hollywood Riviera Celebrates New Community Markers
Riviera residents celebrated the 90th birthday of our beautiful community with a ribbon cutting for two new historical markers. Created by the Friends of the Hollywood Riviera, the signage identifies our community at the corner of Palos Verdes Boulevard and Via Monte D’Oro, which was the original entrance to the Hollywood Riviera. The marker stands at about 6′ x 5′. Both markers use a font on the front that is a close replica of the one used in original promotional materials for the neighborhood. The rear of the marker is set with custom period tiles and reads: “The Hollywood Riviera was established by developer Clifford F. Reid in 1928. Inspired by the beauty of its seaside location and surrounding hills, he coined the name due to his familiarity with the French Riviera and to attract residents from the movie industry. Sales initially boomed but were soon constrained, first by the Great Depression in 1929 and later by World War II. By 1941, only 42 Mediterranean style, red-tile roof homes and one apartment house had been built. Ultimately, it was the aerospace industry rather than Hollywood that contributed to the neighborhood’s growth. The postwar housing boom in 1945 spurred new construction and the original Mediterranean architectural restrictions were abandoned. Hollywood Riviera’s borders expanded over time and came to include approximately 3,100 homes. Dedicated September 2018 by the Friends of the Hollywood Riviera” The second marker is a vintage stone gateway at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Palos Verdes Boulevard which had the lettering changed from “Torrance City” to “Hollywood Riviera, Torrance.” Thank you to the Friends of the Hollywood Riviera for their six years of hard work to claim the name for our community and document its history with two identifying markers. The Friends will continue with the purpose of preserving the historic Hollywood Riviera neighborhood. Nothing is set in stone, but one of their ideas is to have small Hollywood Riviera signs at strategic points in the Riviera. They are also considering Historic Home designations at the 42 original home sites, as well as pursuing a picture or tile mural of the Hollywood Riviera Beach Club at Miramar Park (where the Beach Club was situated before it burned down). The group is also working on documenting the history in written form to preserve it for current and future generations. The history project is being undertaken by the Old Hollywood Riviera Research Group. To learn more about the Friends of the Hollywood Riviera, including how you can support their efforts, please visit friendsoftheholywoodriviera.org or contact [email protected].
Upgrade Your Home’s Curb Appeal to Attract Buyers
These days, you need more than a for-sale sign out front and a touch of curb appeal to attract potential buyers. They’ll likely being viewing listings on the Internet before ever scheduling a showing, which means your home needs to stand out from the crowd if you want to entice someone to actually set foot inside the front door. Hint: It’s all in the images. So, before your real estate agent sets up a photography session, you’ll want to be sure and get the place looking especially attractive. Here, Realtor.com offers up some tips on how to stage a home for the perfect photo op. Make the living room light and bright Changes in the living room can make a huge difference in the appearance of the listing photos. For example, the room will look much better without dated furniture, and the window treatments should be clean, modern and fresh. Tip: Furniture pieces with exposed legs will give the illusion of more space as opposed to furniture sitting directly on the floor; it allows the eye to see more of the floor and makes the space feel larger. Swapping out a painting for a mirror also makes a room feel light and bright by reflecting the view outside. Let in more light by framing the view with curtains. Declutter the kitchen Selling a home is difficult if the buyers can’t picture themselves in the kitchen. No matter how small a space you’re working with, a simple way to make a big statement is to declutter counter space. For a sleek design, remove chunky pieces such as wine racks and then add smaller items. Also try adding lighter bar stools to add more space, while keeping the room functional. More streamlined lighting fixtures also help to visually expand this room. Tone down the bedroom The wall color in a bedroom needs to evoke relaxation. So, stay away from aggressive colors such as red and opt instead for neutral soft blue and greens that will help sell better than taste-specific colors. Also try adding furniture that can be seen through, as well as large-scale artwork and floor-to-ceiling curtains to make the space feel bigger. Another smart move is to take out the carpet and replace it with hardwood flooring and a large area rug. New window treatments that frame the view and greenery also is a nice touch, along with adding balance with side tables on both sides of the bed.
7 Things Every House Should Have if You’re into Entertaining
If you love hosting dinner parties, holiday gatherings, and New Year’s Eve bashes, then you’ll want to make sure your next house should have if you’re into entertaining easy. According to Realtor.com, here are seven must-haves that should be at the top of your list if you’re looking to buy a new place. Adequate parking It will be difficult to have more than a few friends over for dinner without a sizable driveway that you can be designated for parking. If the new home you’re considering doesn’t have a long drive, check posted signs and local regulations for street parking. Or think about getting a quote from a contractor or paver to see whether the existing space you have can be reconfigured for more cars. A large kitchen island A kitchen island allows plenty of people to linger in your kitchen, perched on barstools, without you having to maneuver around them to get stuff done. Do a little math when you are house hunting, and decide how many people you want space for around your island—and then factor in a bunch of hangers-on. You probably need to add several more to your number, because people like to congregate in the kitchen. Outdoor space Any porch, deck or patio space in a potential new home is a bonus for those who love to entertain. Even if your outdoor area is on the small side, it still can be a plus at a party. Use it to set up the bar, as a lounge for smokers, or a place to serve cocktails and appetizers. Covered space also is a premium item, along with outdoor fire pits and kitchens. A powder room on the main floor This is a definite must-have when you’re entertaining because it saves your guests from venturing upstairs or using your own master bath. And if its location is well away from the main entertaining rooms, all the better. Smart storage For this feature, you’ll want to seek out lots of kitchen shelving, a walk-in or butler’s pantry, built-in china cabinets or multipurpose units. Home entertainers are always looking for lots of creative storage, particularly those who live in houses that don’t have an attic or basement. For these homes, wall units are a brilliant fix because they can incorporate a wine rack, extra refrigerator, and cabinets for glassware and dishes, plus a countertop that functions as a buffet for serving food. Home bar If the house you’re in love with doesn’t have this item, an extra closet or nook underneath a staircase might be the perfect spot to install one. Be sure to request space to store wine, drawers for cocktail napkins and bottle openers, and adjustable shelves behind clear or frosted glass to fit liquor of all shapes and sizes. Wall bed A party house with extra bedrooms is a bonus for overnight guests, but sometimes you can’t devote an entire room to a single purpose. The solution: a pull-down Murphy bed that gives homeowners the ability to make the space multifunctional. A wall bed offers a sleep spot, as well as added shelves and drawers that can be built in to the design.
Questions About New Homeowner Etiquette
You’ve successfully completed the home-buying process. Now it’s time to navigate some tricky etiquette rules centered around being a new homeowner. For instance, how to pull off a housewarming party without everyone thinking you’re just seeking gifts. To help, Realtor.com consulted a few etiquette experts to find out what is, and isn’t, considered appropriate when it comes to celebrating this huge life achievement. Who throws a housewarming party? Many people think that a housewarming party is thrown for the new homeowner by others, like a bridal or baby shower. According to etiquette experts, it’s fine for the new homeowners to throw their own housewarming party. In fact, inviting friends, neighbors and family over to check out your place not only is acceptable, but it’s expected. Is it rude to ask for housewarming gifts? Asking for gifts for your new home is considered impolite, even if you just spent a lot of money on the house and would love to have some help filling it with the essentials. Throw yourself a housewarming party in good faith, but don’t hope for—or hint at—gifts you need to finish getting the place in order. That means you definitely shouldn’t put a link to your gift registry on the invite. If guests insist on some ideas of what to bring, maintain a no-gifts stance to sidestep any mixed messages about the party’s intent. Most guests likely will show up with something—like a bottle of wine or a potted fern—which you should accept graciously. Just avoid suggesting specific ways your friends and family can spend their money on your new home. How do you gracefully host a housewarming party? Still feel a little weird about navigating the whole gift-receiving/hosting thing? Enlist a close friend to help with logistics and greeting guests at the door. If not handled carefully, a self-hosted housewarming can come off as drinking a toast to yourself. Have the friend who is hosting the affair accept gifts at the door or indicate to the arriving guests where to place them. Keep in mind that it’s all about hospitality and making others feel welcome. Toward that end, mix up a special signature cocktail named with a nod to some feature of your home (Red Door Rum Runner, anyone?), offer tours of the house and maybe even send guests on their way with a cute parting gift or favor like a specialty cookie decorated with your address.