The shower gets more use than the bathtub in many households. That’s why some homeowners are ripping out their tubs completely, creating bigger showers instead. Extra shower space allows for multiple shower heads, a built-in seat and designs without shower doors, said John Petrie, president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, in an email interview about current kitchen and bath trends. They can be designed without a threshold — which look more contemporary and are easier for people to use as … [Read more...]
So Many Reasons to Love Cement Tiles
April 29, 2014 by 1 Comment
Would you believe me if I told you cement tiles are a lot like checkerboard cake? Hear me out. When you slice into a checkerboard cake, you see alternating squares of chocolate and vanilla goodness. Cement tiles, popular in Mediterranean- and Latin-style spaces, are often highly patterned with geometric and floral designs. So what’s the connection? That lies in how the cake and tiles are made.Like checkerboard cake batter, cement tiles are formed by hand pouring pigmented cement into decorative molds similar to … [Read more...]
Everything a Man Space Needs
March 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Power recliner? Check. Bar and pool table? Of course. Get the comfy hangout you deserve with these masculine-leaning finds With college basketball’s March madness upon us, we thought it would be the perfect time to give a nod to the man caves of the world. They will be in big demand this month when sports enthusiasts gather around the tube to see if their teams win or lose. After all, there is a payday on the line for the person who scores the perfect winning bracket.Man spaces come in many forms: the masculine … [Read more...]
Houzz Tour: Shaker Simplicity Inspires a Modern Farmhouse
January 16, 2014 by 1 Comment
Mixing classic farmhouse style with sustainable features, this Connecticut home is as charming as it is sensible When the owners of this house met with architect Rafe Churchill for the first time, they brought along the 1953 children’s classic One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey for inspiration. In the book McCloskey — best known for penning Make Way for Ducklings andBlueberries for Sal — recounts the adventures of an older Sal as she loses her first tooth.The backdrop for the story is a sensible and … [Read more...]
5 ways the jumbo mortgage market will change in 2014
January 16, 2014 by 1 Comment
Big changes are coming to jumbo mortgages. Wealthy home buyers signed up for these loans in droves last year because of their low rates and flexible repayment options. The total dollar amount of originated private jumbo mortgages—which exceed $417,000 in most parts of the country and $625,500 in pricey housing markets such as New York and San Francisco—was on track to be the highest since 2007. But the jumbo-mortgage landscape is shifting this year. New mortgage rules from the Consumer Financial … [Read more...]
10 Things Architects Want You to Know About What They Do
December 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Houzz.com recently spoke with two Best of Houzz architects, Nils Finne of Finne Architects and Michael Coates of Coates Design, to get the inside scoop on what architects do, where they find inspiration and what you should know before you hire one for your project. Here are 10 of their insights. What do architects do? Architects plan and design buildings and coordinate construction. Most U.S. states require licensed architects to have specialized education and experience and to pass a rigorous … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Know Whether to Sell or Stay Put
October 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Every real estate market creates its own buyer and seller personas, or profiles. When the market is slow and prices are low, it brings out 'the wheeler-dealer' and 'the lowballer,' as well as the 'paralyzed panicker' in some buyers. But sellers aren’t immune. And in a warm or hot market climate, the rise in home prices makes some sellers wonder whether they should exercise the freedom of finally having some home equity and make a move, or if it's a better idea to stay put in hopes they can sell for more, next … [Read more...]
Is The Phoenix Housing Market Finally Back to ‘Normal’?
September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
With big price gains, waning investor interest and plunging foreclosure activity, the metro Phoenix housing market was looking more “normal” this summer than its been for several years, according to a new report by Arizona State University. Even the number of buyers and sellers has finally begun showing some signs of balance after two years of a chronic shortage of homes for sale. But there is still much room for improvement, particularly in the new-home market where sales rates are still less than one third … [Read more...]
Home Prices Edge Closer To Pre-Crash Levels
August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
-In Arizona, we are still about 30% off pre-crash levels but those numbers are moving fast back in the right direction. Read below for further info on this trend. Home prices keep edging closer to pre-crash price levels and today's Home Price Index report from Lender Processing Services (LPS) indicates that national prices are now backwithin 15.2 percent of that peak. The index for June rose to $229,000 from 226,000 in May, an increase of 1.2 percent and is up 6.9 percent from the end of last year. The … [Read more...]
