The Home Page: Style Secrets, Posing Pups, and a Beachy Bungalow
Bonus: Lotusland’s Petal to the Metal Car Show
STYLE LIKE A PRO
Style Specialist columnist Christine Cowles is one of my favorite reads in our Indy real estate pages. Her monthly column tackles design topics such as choosing the right shade of paint and — my personal favorite — how to make the most of small spaces. If you admire other people’s rooms and wonder how they achieved the magic in their designer digs, Christine is one to follow. She and her husband, Mauricio, own Styled & Staged Santa Barbara, a home staging company that dresses up local houses to get them ready to sell. Even if you plan to live in your house forever, the topics she covers work for everyone. In next week’s real estate section, Christine will school us about how to correctly hang artwork. She warns, “Artwork hung too high is probably one of the most common design mistakes,” and then follows that advice with a list of five easy-to-follow guidelines of things we should do. I’m planning to rearrange my walls as soon as I read next week’s column. Until then, you can find other tips in some of her past columns, or follow her on Instagram.
DOWN TO EARTH
If your walls are fine but your floors need help, check out this recent article over on the Emily Henderson Design blog. There are plenty of similar how-to articles out there, but this one hit home for me. I recently bought a round rug for my living room and have been having a hard time making it look just right. This is the article I wish I had read before I made the rug investment. Ah well, like many aspects of my life, my home furnishings are always a work in progress. I’ll never be “finished,” and honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Have a fun home project you want to share? Let me know!
This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on March 31, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletter
HELPING LOTUSLAND
Our local Realtors are busy helping people find the perfect homes, but they’re also busy after hours, giving back to our community in so many ways. The team from Douglas & Associates recently sponsored Lotusland’s successful Lotusland Celebrates fundraiser. This year’s event, called Petal to the Metal, showcased rare Italian sports cars in the gardens. Shown above are Douglas & Associates team members Rachael Douglas, Mia Wamsley, and Sarah McCormick at the event. Rachael serves on the Board of Trustees at Lotusland and says she supports the organization because it “brings awareness around the importance of plants, pollinators, and sustainability.” Sounds like that’s good for the community and the planet.
CAN I GET A SHOW OF PAWS?
We’ve all heard of potential home buyers walking away from a particular home because of price, location, or condition … but walking away because of their pets? Apparently, it’s more common than you’d think. According to a recent Homes.com survey, half of the survey participants admitted they’ve rejected plans to purchase a home because it wasn’t a good fit for their fur-babies. Even more surprising is that 20 percent of those respondents said they did so within the past year, despite the extreme seller’s market and reduced housing inventory fueled by the pandemic. Fortunately, Scout doesn’t demand much. She and her tennis ball will fit just about anywhere.
OPEN HOUSE OF THE WEEK
I’m told that this beautifully preserved circa-1880 home was one of the first homes built in Carpinteria. This charming three-bedroom is just two blocks from the “World’s Safest Beach” and open to view from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today. At 750 Palm Avenue in the heart of Carp, it gets my vote as a must-see on today’s tour of open houses. Listed by Kendrick Guehr at Epstein Partners.
Check it out on your way to the beach. Enjoy your Sunday!
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