Trending: Got Cloffice?

The “cloffice” is definitely having a moment due to Covid, and some argue it’s the new cube. 

 Brilliant use of space or too cramped?

Trending: Hallway Moments!

As homeowners learned to utilize every single square foot in 2020, high-traffic areas got a little more love! “Hallway moments” are having, well...

...a moment. Expect to see more of them in 2021!

2021 Pantone Color of the Year, times TWO!

Ok, friends... Pantone, the leading authority on trending colors, has officially announced their 2021 Color Of The Year and surprise... 

...TWO!! Ultimate Gray (coded as PANTONE 17-5104) and Illuminating (coded as PANTONE 13-0647).

 "The selection of two independent colors highlight how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, conveying the idea that it's not about one color or one person, it's about more than one.” 

 It seems fitting as we transition from 2020 to 2021, doesn’t it? Yay or nay, friends?

Color of the Year: Urbane Bronze (SW 7048)

 
Hey, hey... Sherwin-Williams finally announced their 2021 #ColorOfTheYear! 

As we're homebound and strive to create the ultimate home retreat for reflection and renewal, they turned to a hue whose simplicity and nature-inspired energy cultivate a sense of calm from the ground up. “Urbane Bronze” is rooted in nature. Love it or leave it, friends? 👍🏼👎🏼

CLOSED: #2824 Essex St in St. Charles

7 years ago, I sold a young married couple the perfect starter home for $130,000...

At the time, 2824 Essex was cute, clean, move-in ready, and the ideal place to start a family and a life together!  Today, just 7 years later and after very few renovations done, we closed it for a whopping $180,000.  That, my friends, is the power of a smart starter home purchase combined with careful preparation and diligent sale strategy. That is also what I mean by making real estate work for you by building an equity nest egg. YES.  

I am not going to lie, today was incredibly bittersweet for me.  Due to COVID19, my Sellers closed escrow electronically and I obviously was not able to attend. *sigh* Selfishly, closing  is always my favorite day of a transaction so it was a tough pill to swallow, but safety is imperative.

To the awesome W family- CONGRATULATIONS! I am taking a raincheck for a future in-person celebration of this sale!  I am so, SO happy for your family and am humbled by your trust and friendship.  High five, Team Essex!

In St. Louis and contemplating a future move?  We are living in interesting times with constantly-shifting market conditions due to the spread of COVID19 interrupting one of the most frenzied low-inventory markets I have ever experienced.  I have been thrilled by the amount of calls, texts, and emails I have received over the last week to pick my brain on what I am seeing and hearing in the trenches. Have questions about the Corona Virus' impact on the housing market?  Let's connect!  Knowledge is POWER, friends.

Main Floor Laundry Closet Conversion

It’s not about the size of the room, but the utility of the space...

Trust me, I have seen enormous rooms that just don’t work.

Don’t allow the fact that a prospective home doesn’t have a main floor laundry to deter you, particularly if everything else about the property fits your criteria.  Envision your space, friends, and scope out a closet near a current restroom or plumbing stack on the main floor to convert!  Problem solved with a healthy return on investment. 

2020 Behr Color of the Year: Back To Nature S340-4

Expect to see pops of warm meadow-inspired green in homes in 2020, friends!  Behr just announced their 2020 Color of the Year and it is meant to bring the soothing feelings of the outdoors in to interior spaces...

According to Behr,  “Back To Nature S340-4 is a fresh and slightly yellow-based green serves as an ideal backdrop to satisfy the desire for a soft landing at home and reflects societal trends toward embracing the outdoors as a collective and personal self-care activity. Back To Nature’s universal appeal and willingness to coexist with other hues make it a great option for adding peace and tranquility to any space.”

Yay or nay for a return to neutrals after last year's bold pop of blue? 

2019 Pantone Color of the Year: Living Coral

Pantone, the leading authority on trending colors, has officially announced their 2019 Color of the Year...

It’s a vibrant pinky-peachy-orangey hue that is said to "embrace us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy”.

Yay or nay for a color pop of coral in your home in 2019? 👍🏼👎🏼

2019 Behr Color of the Year: Blueprint, S470-5

Trend Lovers- Behr Paint just announced their 2019 Color Of The Year...

Blueprint, S470-5.  It is a strong, mid-range blue that is definitely more likable than the trending colors of years past (ahem, Ultra Violet... I am talking to you). These announcements typically foreshadow fashion and home trends for the upcoming year. 

I can see this color being a HUGE hit in home accessories, accent doors, and kitchen islands as blue has been the "belle at the ball" for awhile as it is.  Feeling blue, friends?💙

Pantone 2018 Color of the Year: Ultra Violet

Buyers- expect to see vibrant pops of eggplant in homes in 2018...

Pantone, the leading authority on trending colors, has announced "Ultra Violet" as the 2018 Color Of The Year.

TRENDING: Plunge Pools and Stock Tank Pools

If you spend time on the Internet (or touring homes like I do), you know that Summer 2017 is the summer of the POOL. Pools are making an enormous comeback, in a miniature way, via the plunge pool craze...  

Photos via Pinterest

Cannonballs may be out of the question, but these small, decorative deep pools provide the perfect place to splash around and cool off in the summer! Is it a water feature, is it a pool... plunge pools started popping up in exclusive spas and resorts years ago.  The trend has now hit the residential sector as they are inexpensive, economical, easy to maintain, and can even be customized to include fountains, spa jets, heaters, benches, lights, or even a counter-current system so one can swim laps!

As with  ALL luxury trends, the small-pool concept has also hit apps like Pinterest and Instagram in droves with a funky shabby-chic DIY twist...

Photos via Pinterest

Homeowners across the country, from rural to urban areas, are ordering stock tanks by the thousands from farm supply stores and retrofitting them with above-ground-pool pumps and filters.  This quirky upcycled backyard retreat can be easily executed for less than $600. Find tips HERE.

Having grown up in a home with... 

My now 15 year old floating in my parent's pool as a chubby little infant in 2002.

... an enormous inground concrete and tile pool, I know the expense, upkeep, and headache all-too-well.  That being said, the plunge pool trend totally changes the game, don't you think?

See more home trends HERE.

Geometric Accent Walls and Washi Tape

Geometric accent touches are in BIG time in 2017...

...though the expense and permanency or wallpaper is not.  Enter Washi Tape!  Creatives have taken to Pinterest in DROVES to show off their handiwork with this semi-transparent Japanese masking tape. It is inexpensive, easily removable, and comes in a vast array of colors, patterns, and textures...  

This would be a fun solution for bare dorms walls, as well!  Wouldn't it? 

The 2017 Pantone Color of the Year: Greenery

Hey Buyers and trend-watchers!  You can expect to see fun pops of fresh botanical green in homes in 2017.  

Pantone, the leading authority on trending colors, has announced "Greenery" as the color of the year.  Ironically, remember THIS POST that I did in 2015? Ha!  Who knew?!

Sherwin Williams Color of the Year: Alabaster (SW 7008)

As the Sherwin-Williams 2016 Color of the Year is "Alabaster", homes across the country are getting white-washed...

The name of the game in 2016 is light, bright, and airy with a pop of color. It will be interesting to see if this will be the final farewell to the "coffee with cream" popularity of yesteryear in the world of Midwest real estate!  

As far as my business goes, this year's return to the neutral palette has aided my Sellers in timely and profitable sales. One of the longstanding Golden Rules of Real Estate is that neutral homes show and photograph better.  They also sell faster and at a higher profit margin due to mass appeal.  

Give "Alabaster" a try!