The Thing About Sidewalks

When you are in the market for a new place to live, it helps to remember that you’re not just buying or renting a home, you are also buying into and becoming a part of a neighborhood. How will this neighborhood impact your everyday living? Obviously, there are several things to consider when looking at neighborhoods, such as schools, amenities, culture, and low crime rates. One really important point to dwell on is how accessible is it? Here are some statistics to peruse.

80% want to be able to take walks and want access to sidewalks and places that are nice for a stroll. Most people might not even think about sidewalks when they're looking for the right neighborhood. But they should, because sidewalks actually say a lot about a community. If you're looking for an active place to live, sidewalks can be a good indicator that there are places like parks and other amenities nearby and within walking distance. Sidewalks also make neighborhoods safer because, obviously, walking on a sidewalk is safer than walking in the street. The safety aspect alone makes sidewalks extremely desirable if you have pets or children, as you'll likely be walking the neighborhood regularly if you are that 69% that wants to be able to walk to their local schools and shops. Walking to your local amenities will also deepen your love of where you live as you feel more connected.

65% of those walkers want public transportation within walking distance of their home, while 68% want to hop into their car and have easy access to freeways. 65% want a short commute and 55% want to live in a place that is away from it all, which obviously comes with it a little less convenience but possibly more peace of mind or quiet.

How convenient your neighborhood is can affect your happiness -- and your wallet. Easy access to stores you frequent on a regular basis is key to keeping your stress level to a minimum, as well as avoiding spending too much money on gas. But the biggest convenience factor regarding your neighborhood's location is probably your commute to work. Unless you are a digital nomad and telecommute every day, the distance you have to drive to and from work is something you need to consider…especially if you live in a city like LA that is notorious for traffic at pretty much any hour. You might find the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, but if moving there will double your commute, will it really be worth it?

There are always compromises to be made. As anyone who’s moved a few times knows, not all neighborhoods are created equal. There is no such thing as the perfect neighborhood, because not all areas are going to be truly a perfect fit for everyone and their unique needs. But you can make some choices that will improve your lifestyle based on some of these attributes.

Let me know how I can help you with some of these choices.

(Source: NAR National Community Preference Survey)

Misconception: You don’t need a real estate agent to buy a home now that all the information is online

Oh yeah you do!

Today it’s more important than ever to have a wonderful local real estate agent working with you.  Remember, there is no cost to you because the SELLER pays the commission fees, so why not get an experienced pro on your side?

Yes, it is easy to find all the information you need online on such sites as Trulia and Zillow. It’s all out there. Not only do Real Estate Agents have market knowledge, but they have access to much of this information before sites such as Trulia and Zillow.  In the market today, time is of the essence. There are fantastic properties selling before they even hit the open market.  Agents are also able to give you advice on realistic purchase and listing prices. Plus, they can provide you with a report of comparable homes for sale and historic market data, so that you can ensure you’re getting the most for your money.

Since buying a home is such an infrequent transaction in your life, you really do need someone along on your journey who knows and studies the market, understands the process and can act as a guide for you and answer any questions you may have along the way. And buying a home is not just a financial transaction. It’s incredibly emotional, and you’ll want a teammate to help diffuse the feelings, navigate the ups and downs, and steer you in the right direction.

They negotiate for you. One of the most difficult tasks whether buying or selling a home, is handling the negotiations. Many times, real estate agents can help you to get creative with your offers, so that you end up with a deal that has your best interests in mind.

They will help you negotiate inspections. During the home buying process, it is not uncommon for your inspector to find a few things that may need to be fixed before closing. Your real estate agent will help you wade through your inspection report and decide which items should fixed prior to closing and which items may be addressed as a credit to you.

And finally, a good Real estate agent will connect you with trusted partners. You may need to hire additional professional services, including: inspectors, lawyers, moving companies, plumbers, contractors, and more. Let your real estate agent recommend people that they have a good reputation in your community.

I am a Real Estate agent that also provides design services. I can assist with such things as space planning and remodels. There aren’t many agents out there certified to do that. I will help you maximize the value of your home. That, in itself, is a good reason to look for a great agent. wink wink.

Here Comes El Niño!

As we all prepare for El Nino and the coming of the torrential rains, we must all make sure to have our ark building plans accessible. Beyond that, preparing your house, your yard/patio, your car and making sure your insurance is current- NOW- can be the best way to be ready for the impending doom.

Here are some things you can do to get your house prepared:

1. Fix your roof leaks before it rains. The dry air can cause shrinkage of the wood structures under the flashing and create expansion joints, which, in turn, can cause leaking. Make sure there is no debris under the flashing. The flashing should be directing the water down to the gutters.
2. While you are checking the roof, clean out those gutters. run a hose through them to make sure they aren’t leaking and are free of debris. You can spray the roof as well to make sure the flashing is doing its job. Make sure the gutters are tight up against the house.
3. Paint the exterior wood trim on your home. Cracks can allow water to penetrate the wood, causing dry rot and termite infestation.
4. Caulk around your windows as needed. Don’t want water getting into the cracks there either.  
5. If you are in a neighborhood susceptible to power outages, invest in a generator that kicks in when the power goes out. I mean, really, what would we do if we can’t charge our smart phones?
6. Back up all your electronics on a hard drive or the cloud. Those power surges can be nasty.
7. Do you need a sump pump? with enough rain, water can invade below grade areas such as basements and garages.
8. check your balconies and porches, make sure water is being directed AWAY from your home.
9. Make sure you have some emergency repair materials available such as tarps and sand bags. Store them somewhere dry.
10. Turn off your irrigation systems. No need to water. And if you do your neighbors will think you are a jerk.
11. Consider installing rain barrels to catch water from the downspouts of your gutters. You can use this water later. Your neighbors will think you are so clever.
12. Loosen the soil in your garden. It will absorb the moisture better. If you are a locavore and plant your own food, consider planting in raised beds so they don’t flood.
13. Make sure all your outdoor furniture is either stored, covered or secure. you can put planks under furniture to get them off the ground.
14. And lastly, remember that doing these things before the fact will be alot easier because the toughest time to deal with rain related issues is during the rainstorm. Not to mention that everyone else will be trying to find solutions at the same time. Pandemonium.

Stay dry and let’s hope that the drought is washed away this winter! That would be a helluvalotta rain but, hey, arks aren’t so bad. Let me know if you need a DIY plan for one.

Friday the 13th Ain't So Bad

Are you triskaidekaphobic? (The fear of the number 13. Yes, there is such a name) or perhaps you just suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia, otherwise known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, a blinding fear of this day. No worries, there are 20,999,999 other people that suffer from this phobia as well. Rejoice in that it is the LAST Friday the 13th of 2015. The next one happens in May 2016.

The origins of this superstition are unclear. It could be any number of explanations including it may be because there were 13 people at Jesus' last supper, Judas was guest number 13 and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Being of Scandinavian decent, myself, I like the notion that it came from a Norse myth about a dinner in Valhalla, Norse heaven. Twelve gods were invited, but a 13th crashed the affair and wreaked havoc, thus tarnishing the number 13 ever after.
Obviously, dinner parties with 13 guests are a bad idea at any time, especially on Friday the 13th. But, if you are going to do it and you live in France, you can hire a quatorzieme, a professional 14th dinner guest.

Due to triskaidekaphobia, many buildings and most hospitals do not have a 13th floor. I'm not sure if that 22 story building is actually only 21 stories.

Between $800-$900 million is lost in business on Friday the 13th because so many people are so paralyzed with fear that they avoid their normal routines and stay home. Which leads to...

There are fewer traffic accidents and thefts on Friday the 13th because people are preventatively more careful or just don't leave the house.

Is the sky falling? Today, a bunch of "space junk" is expected to fall in Sri Lanka, prompting the government to institute a no-fly zone in the potential landing area, according to the CBC.

Black Sabbath debuted their first album on a Friday the 13th in 1970. Things turned out pretty well for them. Also for Taylor Swift, who considers 13 her very lucky number. Tupac Shakur was shot on a Friday the 13th. Things did not turn out well for him.

Did you know that in Italian popular culture, Friday the 17th (and not the 13th) is considered a day of bad luck. The origin of this belief can be traced in the writing of number 17, in Roman numerals: XVII. By shuffling the digits of the number one can easily get the word VIXI ("I have lived", implying death in the present), an omen of bad luck. In fact, in Italy, 13 is generally considered a lucky number.
In Greece and Spain, Tuesday the 13th is unlucky. That might explain why the 2004 Olympics in Athens had its opening day on Friday the 13th. No fear there.

There you have it. After every Friday 13, comes a Saturday 14, which can only mean one thing: the weekend is nearly upon us and THAT is something we all get excited about.

I am choosing to take today as a magical day with power and will attempt to harness said power for wonderful things. What will you do?

Open House Joy: 11.03.2015- Amazing Wallpapers!

Open House Joy: 11.03.2015

I saw the MOST amazing place. Here it is several days later and I still can’t stop thinking about it. The house is beautiful, without question and anyone would be lucky to live there but the thing is, it wasn’t the house, itself, that got me so excited, it was the stuff they had in it, and the design choices they had made.

I tend to be on the more practical, Scandinavian side with my choices. I like white, pale woods, a few kick ass “antiques” that are on the more modern side (i.e. an Arne Jacobsen chair or a PH Lamp), and some fun pillows. I tend to stay away from super out there elements, so when I see them and they are well done, I am slightly awed. And this place left me awed. In this post, I am going to focus on the wallpaper because it was just so damn cool. I did some internet sleuthing to figure out who they were designed by and was really, really surprised by what I found. They were all designed by artist Damien Hirst, the guy that became famous for a series of art works in which he preserved dead animals, sometimes dissecting them or displaying them in pieces. Weird, but interesting. There is one of a horse...there is one of a shark.... I was really surprised when I figured out that Mr. Hirst had designed one of the wallpapers and was even more surprised when I figured out he had done the others as well.

Let me start with the powder room. Silver metallic wallpaper with a prescription medicine motif that was designed for an installation entitled “Pharmacy” that Damien Hirst did in 1992.  Each section depicts a pill or a pill bottle, a title and a reference to a Biblical passage. I think it’s brilliant. Mr. Hirst created his installation after witnessing how pharmacies “provoke an idea of confidence” in people. Damien Hirst said, “I can’t understand why most people believe in medicine and don’t believe in art, without questioning either." It is an interesting commentary on modern medicine and how, regardless of our faith in them, we can’t be “saved."

It is a great “pattern” to use for a powder room. I liked the way the light reflected off of the metallic paper. A good solution for a windowless room. Not sure where else it could be used effectively. A dispensary, perhaps? That would be kind of funny. Pricing of this paper varies. I saw some for $900 a roll and I saw some for $1900 a roll. If you are interested in getting this wallpaper, I suggest researching...or asking me to help you find the cheapest price.

Each roll: 10000 x 538 mm (394 x 21 inches)
Pattern repeat 460 mm (18 inches)
Silver
Five color gravure printing process with metallic silver
Limited edition of 1000
Sold by the roll
Published by Other Criteria

The second wallpaper, with its large orange, red and yellow gerbera daisy motif, was in one of the upstairs bathrooms. “Oh, that’s cute” you might think, but then, upon looking closer, you will notice cigarette butts amongst the flowers. I was guessing this one was called “Pushing Daisies” and was yet another commentary. I am SO fantasizing that the owners of this house are in the medical field in some way. There are crystals EVERYWHERE, so there is obviously an opinion about something there...Or they are just really into rocks. Damian Hirst called this fabulous creation,“Beautiful Inside My Head Forever”. He used images from his 2008 piece entitled “The Abyss” and superimposed them over the flowers. Apparently, he is showing the dichotomy between the inhospitable cigarettes and the vitality of the blooms on which they have been snubbed out. The pairing is supposed to speak of the perils of addiction and the fragility of life after smoking or.... of pushing daisies.  This isn’t a wallpaper that I would be running out to buy, but I appreciate the statement, as well as the fact that I had to look deeper and find meaning in it. This one was a bargain compared to the pill paper at $300 a roll.

Each roll: 1000 x 52.5 cm (394 x 21 inches)

Pattern repeat 60 cm (24 inches)

Four color gravure printing process

Unlimited edition Sold by the roll

Published by Other Criteria

The last wallpaper was in the master bathroom and was FANTASTIC. Damien Hirst has done many pieces in which he creates patterns using butterfly wings, and this is a repeat of one such pattern. I believe this one is entitled “Rape of Persephone”. Despite its somewhat provocative name, it was very beautiful especially against the black tiles in the bathroom. The repeating pattern is reminiscent of some of the ornamental patterns from the 19th century. In this modern house, the use of this wallpaper was really bold and made it a showpiece. I can only imagine that the artist, himself, would be pleased with the application.

Each roll of this paper is about $700 and can be found fairly easily on numerous sites online, including Ebay.

Each roll: 10050 x 686 mm (396 x 27 inches)
Pattern repeat 685 mm (27 inches)
Five color gravure printing process
Unlimited edition
Sold by the roll
Published by Other Criteria

It was really fun to see these wallpapers AND figuring out what they were. I am also an interior designer and seeing these bold choices always inspires me. I like nothing better than ferreting out details, whether it be wallpaper or a house that a client with very specific needs describes. So fun. At some point, I need to find the bravery in me to put up some crazy wallpaper in one of my bathrooms. I’m thinking the butterflies…


In the meantime…the house with all these lovely wallpapers is on the market for $3.995M. It’s an amazing 3 bedroom + 3 bath located just west of Abbot Kinney Blvd on Cabrillo Ave in Venice. It has an open two story floor plan and a great roof deck. Interested?

Dropping In at a Few of LA's Best Skate Parks.

Los Angeles is the birthplace of skateboarding, home to Dog Town and the Z boys and part of the lifestyle that makes Southern California living so charming. Admittedly when my son, Oliver, first got into it, I wasn't so sure how I felt about it. Here I was with my 3 year old down at Venice Beach with the smell of cannabis and grime in the air. The vacant stares of some of the kids were slightly horrifying to me. Much to my relief, not long after, my son put his board in the garage, where it remained untouched until about 2 months ago.

Cut to 6 years later. Mama goes on a date and her date takes her skateboarding. Mama had no idea that skateboarding was so fun. After a great afternoon cruising the boardwalk, Mama decides she needs to get a skateboard and start skating with Oliver.  One night instead of walking to the local Omusubi joint (Sunny Blue...yum), Mama suggests skateboarding instead. The kids are delighted and off we go. On the way, there is a big parking lot and the kids end up spending about half an hour racing back and forth across the asphalt. Annnnnnnddddd Oliver hasn't stopped. No matter how much I beg him not to, he insists on skating in the house. We have spent countless afternoons at the Cove in Santa Monica where he races around, drops into the pools and carves the curves.

Last night we went down to the Venice Beach Skate Park. It was a gorgeous evening with the sky painted in yellow and orange as the sun was setting. It was a fantastic backdrop for watching the kids skate. Oliver did not have his board and was itching to join in. Again, the air smelled of weed, the kids looked a little scary but they were happy and Oliver was happy. It is a place where kids of all types can be together and just enjoy themselves. Ultimately, this is really what it comes down to. Whatever influences there are starts at home and I just need to chill the hell out about it and trust that my son has a good head on his shoulders. We met a kid who was an amazing skateboarder, he skated with such grace and ease in his black hoodie that covered his face that had clearly been sliced with a knife or something. He was kind to Oliver, shook his hand and offered to help him next time he came down. Really, what more can one ask for?

The Cove and the Venice Skate Park are two very different locales. The Cove is in Santa Monica and consists of mostly sunken pools.  One needs a membership and there is a pay per use fee of $3 that doesn’t seem all that enforced. It is fenced and all skaters must wear all the necessary pads and helmets. The yearly membership is $10 or $15, depending on whether or not you are a residen. Children under 6 years old are not allowed and there are some pretty great, but expensive instructors hanging out there.  

For more information-------->The Cove

The Venice Skate Park is an oceanfront skate park that features 16,000 sqft of various sunken pools as well as a street inspired area with stairs, ledges and rails. It is totally unmonitored and has no fees associated with it. There are

some pretty impressive skaters here and the atmosphere is decidedly laid back. It is definitely more urban than other places and there is that gang element about it. Despite that, it is super cool and doesn't feel dangerous.

For more information--------->Venice Skate Park

There is another skatepark at Stoner Park. I have not checked this one out yet, but it is supposed to be great with its 20,000 plus square feet of fun skating terrains. This one is located at 835 Stoner Ave in West LA and I am pretty sure there are less actual stoners there than there are at Venice. There is a main plaza with rails and ledges as well as features that are apparently not available or accessible at other parks. Oliver and I will check it out one of these days. 

For more information ----------> Stoner Skate Park

As for me...I am sticking to a long board. Perhaps if I get better in the future I might try dropping into a shallow pool. Funny how as one gets older, we feel less inclined to risk bone breakage. Will my dream of downhill boarding ever happen? Probably not, but for now, I am happy watching my son enjoy himself.  

And the Winner of the 2016 Color of the Year is....

Benjamin Moore has announced its choice for "color of the year" and it is surprisingly a color that has no color. Yes, you read that right. What color is that you may ask? 

White, glorious white.  

I love white walls and when it comes to picking the right white paint, I always go with a can of Benjamin Moore . I think their color choice of the year is an awesome one. Simply White OC-117 is the closest you can get to actual white without being stark and it doesn't have any undertones. Always a great option. My go to white is Cloud White 967, which can have a slightly grey cast to it at times. I love what it does with light with its warmth and neutral undertones. White Dove is a great choice as well and is a little richer and creamer than the other two. 

Do you have a fave?

Check out this link to learn more. Thank you to Elle Decor for giving us the skinny. 
http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/color/a7818/benjamin-moore-paint-color-of-the-year-2016/