Real Estate Information

When talking “home” with writer and director Mara Brock Akil, you’re not necessarily going to discuss paint swatches, sconces, and square footage. I mean, you should. Besides being the creative powerhouse behind such TV shows as Girlfriends and Being Mary Janethe screenwriter and producer turns out to also be a design maven who has masterfully renovated the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, Black Lightning director Salim Akil, and their sons, Yasin and Nasir. It’s awash in exquisite original detailing, vintage Murano chandeliers, and a robust collection of work by Black artists, including Lorna Simpson and Noah Davis.

But for Brock Akil, design is about more than just the details: It’s about the kind of lifelong longings

The first room that greets you as you and your guests arrive into the home, a well designed entryway should make a great first impression, and create a warm welcome as soon as you step through the door.

A transitional space, your entryway should still remain uncluttered, organized and connected to the rest of your home, as well as being able to withstand the busy demands of people passing through each day. So, finding the perfect balance between a design that looks good and a space that is functional and practical is key for a successful entryway ideas.

From the flooring to the final finishing touches, to help you create the perfect entrance for your home, we will guide you through our five fundamentals for when designing an entryway.

The fundamentals of entryway decor – how to transform this transitional space

Follow our five foundations for designing an entryway to

Situated between the Santa Barbara foothills and the Santa Ynez mountains in a rock quarry in Montecito, California, the Quarry House went from being a humble 1950s wood cabin to a modern, retreat-like residence designed by AB design studio in collaboration with House of Honey. The property houses two structures, a single-story home and a new guesthouse by the pool – both black and boxy with large expansions of windows. The elongated main house features a long hallway that connects the public space to the primary bedroom suite at the opposite end.

A large wooden deck wraps around all sides of the house creating opportunities for a connected indoor/outdoor lifestyle prominent in California.

A stepped pathway joins the two structures with a garden courtyard in between.

Black-framed windows replace solid walls offering ever-changing views of the surrounding oak forest.

The light-filled interior is designed by House

Many people want to continue to enjoy their own home as they get older. This is a time when empty nesters can repurpose kids’ rooms and retrofit them for hobbies, guests, and grandkids. Accessibility, mobility, and comfort are all top priorities, though renovations that account for these might not all fit within your budget or the layout limitations of your home. To make the most of independent living, interior design experts suggest focusing on five key aspects to create your forever home.

1. Rethink Stairs

A single-floor home might not sound stately, but it is a wise choice for families planning to age in place. If you’re purchasing a home, consider a ranch-style house that doesn’t have exterior stairs from the sidewalk or driveway.

If you have a multi-level home, you’ll need to address stairs. Install a chair lift or consider an elevator. With new technology, installing an

According to Tru-Cape, fruit décor is on the rise due to a harkening back to pastoral times. “We’re seeing plants and fruit taking center stage in interiors, clothing, art, and décor styling. We see it as a growing appreciation of the simple things and nature’s goodness,” furniture designer Haldane Martin shared. “Using a bowl full of inviting fruit or simply seasonal vegetation scattered organically … emphasizes a welcoming feeling of homeliness and communion. It’s also a more eco-conscious way of living as the family consumes the fruit rather than disposes of dead flower arrangements. “

Apple and pear fruit bowls are popular because both could be left out to ripen properly. For those who favor the fall months, apples provide a crisp-smelling aroma that’s perfect for the season. Check out home and candle shops to find fruit scented room sprays and fruit scented reed diffusers. Or you can go

By Bob Walsmith Jr.
2022 President
Santa Barbara Association of Realtors

For most of us, our pets are family. We let them sleep in our beds, ladle nutritional supplements on their organic kibble, and throw birthday parties for them. In fact, we love our animal companions so much that we even choose a home and a home design for pets.

These numbers tell the story. Forty-three percent of pet owners say they’d move to accommodate their pet, according to a 2021 study from the National Association of Realtors. What’s more, 68% of pet owners surveyed by Realtor.com say they’d pass on an otherwise perfect home that didn’t meet their pet’s needs.

Here are some pet-friendly features that will make a home more welcoming for animals.

#1 A Pet Bathing Station

Washing a dog in a normal bathtub can be miserable. Even if your pup is groomed regularly, you still need

When you think of Bauhaus-style furniture, the first things that probably come to mind are sundry armchairs made of tubular steel and black leather. And indeed, the Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer (both available today through Knoll International) are the most famous designs from the Bauhaus era and great additions to have today.

However, for a modern Bauhaus, don’t feel restricted to a neutral color palette of just black, white, and gray, but consider incorporating primary colors too. Even patterns are allowed when decorating, if they are composed of simple, geometric shapes. For Bauhaus followers, the form always follows function, so unnecessary flourishes should be avoided. A great advantage of this straightforward, simple design is its timeless appeal. Even after a century, it can still look fresh and online.

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The minimalist styles asks decorators to consider consumption

Brooklyn Residential: Rethinking Home Design in NYC’s Most Populous Borough

New York City is defined by its architecture, and in turn, diverse ways of living. As the nation’s “metropolis,” it has also faced some of the most challenging housing problems of any American city. From single-family homes to high-rise residential towers, housing has evolved at different paces and scales throughout the boroughs. In turn, each district and county is home to a wide range of residential styles and housing solutions.

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All five boroughs came into existence with the creation of modern New York City in 1898 when they were consolidated within one municipal government under a new city charter. Named after the Dutch village of Breukelen, Brooklyn is located on the western end of Long Island in Kings County. It is New York

It can be said that a historic house is only as good as its bones, but oftentimes, it takes a little digging to find them. Such was the case for Carrie and Robert Hicks, who found their dream home in the form of a Tudor-inspired house built in 1926 in one of Austin’s oldest neighborhoods.

“We first fell in love with the location and the great big front yard. It was just a really wonderful space,” recalls Carrie, an interior designer who cut her teeth in New York and West Hollywood before settling down in Texas. The house had been through many hands in the nearly hundred years before the couple, who have three young children, took possession in 2015. Layers upon layers of misguided renovations had taken their toll. “The bones were there, and the structure was there, so the idea was to bring in Paul to save the