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Make Your Pad Reflect You
Hey men should know how to trick out their pads just as much as women do! I have a high amount of male clients who purchase homes, and they don't need Martha Stewart to make it their own! Ready to have your OWN space men? Call me! Laura Key 310.866.8422
Whether you're a sports buff or the trendy guy in your posse, we've got ways to make your pad part of your image.
By Karin Eldor, Fashion Correspondent
Page 1: Bachelor pad furniture
If you are where you live, what does that say about the maintenance and effort you have to put into your home? Well, that all depends on what you want others to think about you. So if you're decked out in expensive threads, your effort won't mean much if your place is a disaster, or worse, not a reflection of you.
Whether you live in a small apartment, a 1,500-square-foot condo or a three-level house, the home you call your own is your representative. And when a fine lady comes over to pay you a visit, you want to make sure she's impressed by your space.
You don't need to be an interior designer or spend tons of cash to be proud of your pad. As long as you feel comfortable in it, you will hold your head up high... even while lounging in your favorite chair.
who are you?
Start by asking yourself the following questions, for a self-inventory checklist:
How would you describe yourself? (athletic; cultured; ambitious; stylish; indifferent; etc.)
What are your hobbies? (mountain climbing; traveling; scuba diving; world history; wine tasting; golf; playing music; screenwriting; etc.)
These might seem obvious to you, but remember; making your home a reflection of you is worthless without knowing what your image is -- or at least what you want it to be.
No passions or traits have to be exclusive; you are likely an amalgamation of characteristics and that can be reflected in your home.
get started
The following are different broad categories that can be used as templates for decorating your pad, to bring out the "you" you're going for (based on your profile). Remember; you can be a combination of each of these categories.
The Athletic DudeWhether you're usually glued to the TV watching the big game (and this can mean several simultaneous games) or love reciting sports scores with your buddies after scoring big in your own football game, sports are your thing. Show your appreciation by adorning your home with things like vintage sports jerseys and mementos. And of course, you can't forget a widescreen plasma TV (50 inches or more) -- made larger than life with surround sound -- so that you can watch the game in style while sitting in a super cool recliner.
The HipsterWhen it comes to style, you've got it in spades -- at least that's what your friends tell you. You're a leader who always knows the trends before they hit the streets and your posse relies on you to dictate the latest fashion. This character trait could get pricey when it comes to your home, which is why I recommend starting with a classic, neutral base for the expensive items (i.e. couch, dining table, etc.) and decking your pad out with ultra-hip accessories like cool lamps, trendy vases, a stylin' coffee table, and cutting-edge gadgets.
Whether you're cultured or ambitious, here are some ideas for your home...
Page 2: Home decor
The Cultured BlokeThe ladies are always impressed by your appreciation for the finer things in life, be it your knowledge of fine wine, your travels to Botswana and Brussels, or your penchant for investing in valuable art. Make your pad your canvas by covering the walls with your favorite paintings, and rather than a table from Pottery Barn or Ikea, search for an antique table last used by Louis IVX. Store your wine collection in a slick wine cabinet and display your African masks in the living room.
The GourmetThere's nothing wrong with knowing your way around the kitchen; after all, you've been known to woo women with your creations. Show your female guests that you can satisfy their hunger (and more) by investing in a luxurious kitchen. If you enjoy spending time experimenting with food, make yourself more comfortable by installing a kitchen island, and treat yourself to an industrial-style stainless steel oven range. Pimp up your kitchen with a slick fridge or exhaust hoods, a rack to hang copper pots and pans over your oven or island, or, for those on a tighter budget, accessorize with appliances like a sleek toaster, blender and coffee maker.
The Zen Master Show off your inner peace by placing fresh bamboo or stones in clear glass vases, or for a bigger investment, treat yourself to a Jacuzzi with jets in your favorite bathroom. Maintain a minimalist look with white walls and furniture, and an overall sleek decor.
The WorkaholicWhile this might not be a character trait you want to flaunt, you can spin your workaholic tendencies as "ambitious." Set up a home office with a flat-screen computer, a state-of-the-art desk chair, and a slick table with a lot of organizational features to make you look like a guy who's always in control.
maximize your space
You don't need to overhaul your home to give it that unique touch that's "you." If you've been living in your home for a while and are already settled in, sometimes a slight reorganization can do the trick, as can a paint job and some new accessories.
Source: www.AskMen.com
Ginormous Kitchens: Are They Really a Good Choice?
Huge, open kitchens continue to grow in popularity, getting bigger and bigger. But is bigger really better? Houses with cozy eat-in kitchens are common. But enormous kitchens that consume most of a home’s square footage continue to be the trend.
High-end kitchens can top 3,000 sq. ft. and are becoming more and more popular. Even kitchens in mid-level housing are ballooning, swallowing dining rooms, living rooms, even garages.
Here’s the punch line (courtesy of the Wall Street Journal): Many home owners with ginormous kitchens don’t actually cook in them.
Instead they buy ready-made food to eat at home, and use the kitchen for socializing as friends gather and prepare food together.
Some even have smaller kitchens tucked away. These secondary kitchens, often called “wok kitchens,” hide the mess and smells of meal preparation, while creating the illusion of food being prepared in its larger counterpart.
So what’s the point?
Although, I confess, I completely understand large-kitchen lust.
When we designed our Virginia house 15 years ago, our son was a baby and I couldn’t envision him ever growing up. I wanted a space where I could keep an eye on him while I cooked. So we built a 500 sq. ft. kitchen with space for cooking, eating, lounging by the fire, and watching TV.
And it has its advantages:
- The space is an open, delightful place where I cook, work, watch birds at the window — feeder, and feel embraced by a flickering fireplace.
- The baby survived while I cooked, paid bills, attempted to write.
But the list of cons is much longer:
- Noise: It’s impossible to talk on the phone while someone is watching TV, and our 15-year-old dishwasher is running.
- Mess: When I entertain, piles of dirty dishes and utensils attend the party with us. So, I only invite good friends who love my mess and me anyway.
- Diet: It’s hard to fight fat when you work three steps away from the fridge.
- Temperature control: The room is always drafty and hard to heat without the gas fireplace going.
- Family dinners: Rarely do we eat a family meal without the TV blaring some must-see ballgame.
- Unused space: My adjacent dining and living rooms are obsolete dust collectors. I can’t pay guests to take coffee there.
- Teenagers: The baby is now 16, and would rather eat nails than spend time with Mom, no matter how big the space.
So how big is too big? What’s the “just-right” size?
- Published: December 03, 2012
- By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
Big kitchens are on trend — but home owners often use them as gathering spaces, not necessarily to cook in. Image: Burdge & Associates Architects Inc.
8 Kitchen Trends to Watch in 2013
Kitchens are a popular spot that home shoppers judge in a home. So what are the trends in the kitchen for 2013?HomeThangs.com, a home improvement superstore, offers up some of the following kitchen design predictions for the New Year: 1. Modern style: Kitchens are getting more modern in style, boasting simplified lines and offering up big, open spaces perfect for entertaining.
2. Tucked-away appliances: Appliances designed to blend in with the rest of the kitchen, like with the same wood of the cabinets, are becoming more popular. Also, some appliances, like undercounter or mini refrigerators or trash compactors, are being tucked away into a kitchen island.
3. Lots of lights: Great lighting in the kitchen is becoming more important, with lighting being layered with a mixture of task lighting and ambient lighting. Under-cabinet LED lights are becoming more commonplace.
4. Supersized kitchen islands: “2013 kitchen design trends are moving away from dining rooms and toward eating, drinking, and interacting in the kitchen itself, and a large kitchen island complete with bar stools is the perfect way to make this happen,” according to HomeThangs.com. this helps to create “a nice open-air feeling – especially if one can be used to bridge kitchen and living areas, another major 2013 kitchen design trend.”
5. Neutral color schemes: The use of neutral colors in the kitchen is on the rise, particularly in shades of grays and greens and a variety of wood tones. Bright colors are being reserved for only small accents in the kitchen.
6. Fancy appliances: Professional gas ranges and induction cooktops are popular kitchen appliances for making a more gourmet kitchen.
7. Decorative range hoods: Trends are moving away from a conventional stainless steel trapezoid-shaped hood to more decorative range hoods. These hoods may have built-in LED lights and are even serving almost like a decorative chandelier for a kitchen island.
8. Glass backsplashes: High gloss is “in” for cabinets, appliances, and backsplashes. A single-sheet, back-painted glass blacksplash is growing in popularity, which are also known for being easy to clean. These glass backsplashes are also reflective, adding a polished decorative touch to kitchens. Glass mosaic tile sheets are also increasing in popularity.
Source: Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine
Photo Credit: HomeThangs.com
Interesting in buying or selling? You need someone experienced to help make your journey easier! Laura Key, Real Estate Agent (DRE: 01908085) Laura.A.Key@gmail.com www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com