Is it better to Tear down or Renovate?

The housing market is rebounding in many areas of the country. Southern California and the Upper East Coast are experiencing similar housing effects that occurred a decade ago. Lots of interested buyers, too few houses to buy (at least to the level or quality and finish they want). Today's housing market in the "hot areas" of the country have created some problems due to the previous 4-5 year housing slump. Developers didn't just slow down on renovating and building new construction, many put a halt altogether until they had more confidence that buyers would be consuming their products. This "freeze" has put a strain on the market for those buyers looking to purchase a new home that is updated. With the housing prices still high; and in some areas soaring again, buyers want move-in ready homes and not fixer-uppers. After all, if you're spending $700,000 or more on a home, would YOU want to live through the mess that is construction in order to save a few dollars a month on your mortgage or move into a home that you can begin enjoying from day one? Another issue being created is the overstock of homes that are small, outdated, or both in these areas. What does a developer do? Purchase and renovate with a possible addition in the hopes that his clientele will be satisfied with a 1950's home that has been updated with an addition or tear it down and just build an entire new home in it's place and be able to list it as a New Construction home? When it comes to advertising, it certainly is more enticing to many buyers to see the words "New Construction" because they associate it the same as someone buying a New Car versus a Pre-Owned Certified car. NEW conjures up the idea of, maintenance free for a period of time. Tear downs are becoming more and more commonplace and in many cases not for the betterment of community.

When a neighborhood was created, much like a new construction development today, many of the homes shared similar size, design, and scale to one another. They created an environment that worked together rather than each home standing on it's own. When a developer tears down a 1,800 square foot Cape Cod style home in a neighborhood of Cape Cod style homes and puts up a 3,000 square foot Colonial, that developer is not improving the neighborhood. He's creating a stand alone home that was not designed to the site it is sitting, rather creating what he feels will sell the easiest and make him the most profit. Making money is a great thing and I for one will never tell someone they should do something where they're going to make less money in order to satisfy my desires; it is however reasonable to request and expect anyone performing a tear down to create a home that represents the neighborhood and goes with the setting in which it will be sited. Where do you stand on the subject? Would you rather enter into and live in a neighborhood where the homes compliment one another or one in which the homes disregard the others and create a mish-mash that doesn't feel welcoming or warm?

To read more about some of what is going on you can follow this link to a well written article on the subject:
http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-housing-tear-downs-20140104,0,5252206.story

- Design is what you make it.

To Rent or Own...LEGOs that is...

Ok, so this is my second LEGO related post in as many; however there is a new start-up that is attempting to take the LEGO world by storm....or at least make it more affordable to build the newest sets without the clutter. It's called Pleygo and their concept is to get subscribers in a similar fashion to many of the online TV and movie streaming businesses. You create your Wishlist and voilà, they send you the newest LEGO set for you to create. Once you've finished your masterpiece, take a picture to preserve that momentous occasion and toss it back in the box and mail it back so your next one can arrive.

They theorize this will keep your home free of the clutter and the LEGO builder's interest piqued as new and exciting sets are changed out regularly to allow for hours of new creating. I would agree that getting new things is at minimally a temporary high, however this feels like it's a plan destined to fail. Remembering way, way back to when I was a child, I rarely recall trying to build the precise building or vehicle that the set was designed to create and instead enjoyed the creating process of new and exciting things that I thought up on the fly. In many ways, LEGOs are just a tool that allow people to express their creativity in a physical form. The creation process is much more valuable than the "can you follow the step-by-step instructions" of creating the Taj Mahal in LEGOs. We as adults have all the time in the world to get our fill of step-by-step instructions and mindless hours assembling furniture from IKEA! This is the part that I think Pleygo has missed the boat on regarding their LEGO rental concept. I for one want to see what an individual can create given a blank slate, a bucket o' LEGOs, and the time to perfect their masterpiece. The imagination is where we begin the process of problem solving at an early age. Should we lose focus of this most important skill, then we will deprive ourself of the one trait that truly sets humans apart from the animal kingdom.

To read more about this endeavor: http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/article/148281/Pleygos-Lego-Rental-Service?vwink=dc:synd:outbrain_Article:148281


- Design is what you make it.

The Colorful World of LEGO

At least that's how one typically thinks of those snap together blocks that every kid has played with, built with, and created amazing things....if only for a short period of time before they took it apart to create again. I admit, since I was a little kid I loved my LEGO sets. I never followed the designs on the package, rather opting to create new and exciting (at least to me) structures, vehicles, and places that only my imagination understood. All the colors of the rainbow. Mixed together and rarely sorted. Well that is about to change for this generation of designers. LEGO has created a new series, they call it Architecture Studio. It's a monochromatic (White and Clear) set for the modernist inside each child. This set looks drastically different from it's older brother of opaque and colorful versus lack of color and transparent. Will it provide the same kind of love and interest as the original? The initial thought is a resounding yes, only time will tell; but this architect does believe it will be around for generations to come just like the original.

http://archrecord.construction.com/yb/ar/article.aspx?story_id=189192450

- Design is what you make it.

Breath of Fresh Air

What is safe and unsafe? With new products constantly hitting the market, only time will tell. According to Consumer Affairs, a class action lawsuit has been brought upon SPF (Spray Polyurethane Foam) as being carcinogenic.
So I pose the question, what is one to do when new products enter the market and there hasn't been a true design study to verify the impact (positively or negatively) by that product? Just keep reading about the products is all one can do for now.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/homeowners-claim-spray-in-insulation-remains-toxic-071513.html

- Design is what you make it.

JOIN THE PARTY

Recently I reviewed an article that discussed the "new trend" according to Whirlpool. Apparently they're not the only player in the market that is gambling the dominance of Stainless Steel appliances is near the end of an era. It seems each manufacturer is pushing a new "trend-setter". According to the WSJ article out today, Wolf Appliance is pushing "Black Glass", while GE introduced a muted gray finish called "Slate". Miele has mentioned they will be producing new high-gloss finishes in the near future. The appliance world has gone through many "trends" since over the years including some which we in the design industry hope never occur again; see 1950's pink and blue and 1970's avocado phases.

Why the sudden decision to introduce all these new lines? The industry is struggling right now, trying to create buzz for their products. With the housing market stagnant, they're seeing a lull in the purchase of new appliances and thus their profits have been hindered.

Designers are always looking for new innovative ways to freshen a room, create an accent, or simply improve on the functional ability of the status quo. What the manufacturers are hoping to create, unfortunately feels more like a fad rather than a trend. The primary difference between these two situations is, a fad is a temporary high, while a trend typically stays hot for a longer period of time. Currently the stainless steel trend for kitchen appliances is hovering around 25 years since hitting the market. Based upon consumer interest and high end manufacturers less receptive to making a big splash with a "New and Improved" look, it seems appears in the end, stainless steel will prevail and endure yet another fad with which to compete.

To read more about this, check out the full article at:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/is-this-the-end-of-a-25-year-run-for-stainless-steel--.html

- Design is what you make it.

KITCHEN UPDATES: THE NEW LOOK TO COME

It looks like Whirlpool is attempting to be a trend setter in the appliance package world by taking a note from the Apple, Inc handbook. They're creating and marketing a new design line to replace the standard Stainless Steel packages offered by every viable manufacturer. What are they doing in an attempt to stand out you ask? They're creating the new white, "White Ice". it's a white package with a high gloss finish and stainless steel accents. In many ways it looks and will feel like many people's favorite handheld phone and tablet / lap top. I guess their hoping the image they're creating will invoke the love and emotions many feel about these items and push them toward the purchase of an entire new appliance package in order to make their home and hand held devices "one with each other". A very fend shui approach and actually speaks well for the company. An industry thinker that may have just created the new buzz, new trend, new "White Ice".

- Design is what you make it.

ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

The old adage from real estate; Location, Location, Location is well known and factual. It's all about the location of the property that makes it valuable. How well does this concept translate to other parts of life? Perspective, perspective, perspective....it translates quite nicely. After all, everyone has their own perspective of each situation. This is one reason eye witness testimony is so difficult to use as hard evidence. What one person saw and believes to be true, could be different from another observer of the same situation. Where you're located physically or mentally when asked about something or observing something plays a significant role on your stance of the reality.

Take Union Square, Somerville for instance. The mayor instituted a new concept for parking streetside in this community. In the past all street parking was parallel or 45 degree parking spots that one PULLS into. The mayor modified this to change the 45 degree parking spots so one must BACK into them, similar to some places they have found in other cities around the country.

Mayor Joe says the new parking is working! Well, there are many who beg to differ on the definition of "working". The mayor applauds the fact that "initial data suggests that the pilot program to calm traffic, promote pedestrian and bicycle safety,... in Union Square is working as intended.". From Mayor Joe's "perspective", creating a slower area that affords more walking and biking and less driving is all positive. From many residents of the area, they're "perspective" is quite different. "This has got to be the most idiotic thing Somerville has ever done!", said by a local resident. This backing in concept has slowed traffic which translates into MORE traffic. Introducing even more pedestrian and bicycle traffic also slows traffic creating MORE traffic.

So the question that isn't being asked that should be, is: "At what point is the balance of maintaining safe pedestrian traffic sustainable while providing safe vehicular traffic without causing congestion?" This specific situation may have some initial positives from Mayor Joe's perspective, but he is elected by the individuals that use this area of the city and vote him in. Perhaps he should listen to the local residents and try to find some harmony that allows for safest possible situation with the least amount of impact on traffic and thus satisfying his constituents on all accords.

To read more on this situation visit:
http://somerville.patch.com/articles/union-square-back-in-parking-is-working-says-city?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001

- Design is what you make it.