This Month in Real Estate (March)

The Kitchen of Tomorrow

What will the kitchen of tomorrow look like? Just ask the people building and planning the kitchens of today. With that in mind, we asked homeowners in 11 countries — the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Denmark — through a series of discussions, polls, surveys and interviews to describe the ins and outs of kitchen projects they had recently completed, have underway or are planning to start in the next three months.

Houzz data shows that 41 percent of homeowners are remodeling kitchens that are 16 to 30 years old. With nearly 9,000 people responding to Houzz’s most recent kitchen survey — 85 percent had completed or worked on their kitchen project in 2015 and the rest planned to start in early 2016 — that means their choices in layout, materials, storage and special features offer insight into trends you’ll no doubt see in kitchens for years to come.

But don’t expect Jetsons-style whiz-bang gadgetry anytime soon. Other than a few high-tech appliances, homeowners aren’t looking to impress NASA with their kitchens. Apart from TVs and iPads, the majority of homeowners in almost every country we surveyed aren’t interested in many high-tech features. “Programming ovens from an iPhone is not something people are doing, and people don’t care about a refrigerator that will send a message to your phone that it needs to be defrosted,” says Ken Burghardt, owner ofDomicile San Francisco. Instead, they’re focusing on materials and features that provide basic function and classic style.

The local climate and size of the space dictate a lot about how a kitchen will look. But so do cultural influences. For example, step into a kitchen in Spain and you’re more likely to see a built-in coffee station and walk-in wine cellar than in other countries we surveyed. Nearly a quarter of Spanish homeowners plan to add a built-in coffee or tea station, while almost 10 percent plan to add a wine cellar.

But for the most part, kitchens from all the countries we surveyed are a lot alike. Homeowners almost everywhere seem to want white cabinets, pullout garbage and recycling bins, more pantry storage and new countertops, appliances, cabinets — new everything, really

Give Me a ‘U’

The basic layout of the cabinets and appliances dictates what kind of experience you’ll have working in a kitchen. It’s a matter of preference, and often depends on the layout you start with and how much time and money you’re willing to spend to change it.

In the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Germany, U-shaped kitchens (like the one shown here) are the most popular, according to the survey. In the U.K., designer Conrad Hendrick of LWK Kitchens says history plays a role in kitchen layouts. “Unless you are willing to remodel, then your home’s existing architecture will often dictate what your layout will be,” he says. “And with Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture still imprinted on many modern homes, it follows that these styles naturally influence kitchen design, and in many modern cases lean toward a U-shaped kitchen layout.”

Aside from the historical influence, Hendrick says people desire the U-shaped layout because it provides a generous work surface and storage capacity. “They are also highly efficient and simple to use because of the limited number of steps required when moving between different areas of the kitchen,” he says.

L-shaped layouts reign supreme in every other country except Denmark, where nearly a third of homeowners want a galley kitchen.

In Russia, where the majority of homeowners choose an L-shaped layout (like the one shown here), interior designer Andrey Maksimov-Pavlychev says a legacy of small-space mentality and nostalgia has a lot to do with the preference, and is likely to continue into the future.

“Our people have always lived in tiny apartments, so they obviously did their best to make the kitchen occupy less space,” he says. “These layouts allow us to fit all the appliances you need in a very small space. Even when people move to bigger apartments, memories make them choose the angular configurations while they could afford an island kitchen or any other kind.”

New interpretations. Though Japan was not part of the survey, which was conducted online from October to November 2015, we reached out to Toshiyuki Imai, manager of Japanese kitchen design firm Kitchen House’s Tokyo showroom. Imai says one of the most popular layouts in Japan is somewhat like an open galley style, in which the kitchen counter and dining table are linked seamlessly together.

“This is efficient because it makes it easy to deliver meals from the kitchen to the dining, while it’s still possible to change the layout of the dining table according to the number of guests you are entertaining,” Imai says.

And designers are responding to this with new interpretations of the traditional Japanese kitchen. Kitchen House recently launched the combination kitchen island and dining element seen here in collaboration with architect Kengo Kuma. It combines modern design and technology with “primitive materials like glued laminated bamboo board, black iron frame and cast aluminum,” Imai says.

The Rise of Porcelain and Engineered Quartz

New countertops are the top feature most homeowners want in their kitchen. While granite remains popular for its look — despite its maintenance — other materials are catching the attention of homeowners.

George Lisac, owner of Kerrock Countertops in Union City, California, is seeing a big rise in requests for engineered quartz. “Even more than granite,” he says. Engineered quartz is 97 percent crushed quartz mixed with 3 percent resin to create a nonporous material that doesn’t need to be sealed like granite. It was the most popular countertop material in the U.S. after granite, and the No. 1 choice in Canada, Ireland, Spain and Australia.

But not everyone embraces the material. Burghardt, owner of Domicile San Francisco, says he’s been ripping out and replacing the engineered quartz countertops he installed years ago. “People are not happy with them,” he says. “People also universally seem disappointed with the matte finishes which are prevalent in our market. They show a lot of fingerprints and look dirty as opposed to the polished surfaces.”

Instead, Neolith, a porcelain material from Spain, shown here mimicking Calacatta marble, has been taking over his clients’ kitchens lately. “You can’t scratch it, burn it or stain it,” he says.

To demonstrate in his showroom, Burghardt says he scrapes the surface of Neolith with a screwdriver until it throws sparks. “No scratching,” he says. Then he takes a flamethrower to it. “We will brown the top of a crème brûlée, then aim the flame at the countertop and hold it there. No cracking or discoloration. Pour zinfandel, hot chili oil, blueberry and nothing happens. And no, I do not have stock in the company.”

In Japan, artificial stone seems to be moving out of the way for materials like quartz and ceramics. “Our hottest one for next year is durable ceramic panel [shown here], originally developed as an exterior material,” says Imai of Kitchen House.

Stainless steel also is a popular countertop material for the Japanese. In an informal Houzz Japan poll, stainless steel was the No. 1 chosen material for kitchen countertops. “People tend to choose it in order to give a cool and sharp image to the space, not only because of its durability and heat resistance,” Imai says.

Induction Junction

Once they take care of the kitchen basics — cabinets, countertops, faucets and plumbing fixtures, sinks, lighting, appliances and wall color — many people turn their attention to special features, if the budget allows, that can make life more convenient and enjoyable. In the kitchens of tomorrow, expect to see extra pantry storage, islands and breakfast bars. But, depending on which country you’re in, expect a few surprises too.

A recent Houzz discussion about kitchen remodeling desires sheds light on a few sought-after features. Induction cooktops, charging stations for electronics, retractable power points, baseboard vacuum systems, built-in pet feeding stations, ovens with side-opening doors, as shown here, and drawers instead of shelves on the bottom cabinets came up frequently.

But there were also calls for a few nontraditional kitchen features. “A sexy man that will do dishes, cook and take out trash,” commented Houzz user Brandi Nash Hicks.

Meanwhile, homeowner Sarah Haubert had an inventive idea. For her recently built custom home, she mounted the motor for the range hood outside. “So I can be cooking at the stove with the fan on high and it is amazingly quiet,” she says. “This has seriously been one of my favorite things we did in this house.”

Range hoods. In many countries, homeowners are paying special attention to range hoods, which have improved in strength and appearance over the years, according to Spanish architectOskar Velez. “Good parties always end in the kitchen,” he says. “Some people are worried about the smell of food, but nowadays there are very effective and well-designed extractors, even embedded in the ceiling, so food smell should not be a problem unless your diet is based on fried food.” Velez designed the home shown here, which has a recessed range hood.

Wood-burning stoves. Walk into a kitchen in Sweden, the U.K. and Ireland — countries known to have the occasional day of dreary weather — and you might find a crackling wood-burning stove, like the one shown in this Dublin, Ireland, kitchen.

“In the midst of ever-increasing energy bills, people in the U.K. and Ireland are often turning to wood-burning stoves, as they are cheaper to run than gas or electric,” says London designer Conrad Hendrick of LWK Kitchens. “Some types of wood-burning stove are also eligible for the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Made from cast iron, wood-burning stoves retain their heat for longer, which is important for those long winter nights where we all want to keep warm. But coupled with their functionality and energy-saving qualities, wood-burning stoves are also popular as a visually impressive feature within the kitchen or living room. They create a stylish and appealing look, within the midst of a warm and welcoming atmosphere.”

Neutral Is Supreme — But Here Comes Green

White dominates homeowners’ color choices for things like cabinets, walls and even backsplashes. But it’s not all because people are color-shy. The noncolor color serves practical purposes too.

“We need the white colors to reflect any sunlight that comes through the windows during those long, dark winters. In general the weather is not great, so any reflection of light is important,” says Allan Torp, a lifestyle expert for Bungalow5 in Copenhagen, Denmark. “It keeps the kitchen looking bright and clean, and doesn’t induce a heavy feeling when those sunshine days are over.”

Neutral colors define U.S. and Canadian kitchens too, where white cabinets and beige and gray walls are preferred, according to the survey. But green, such as the minty shade shown here, and blue are creeping in. “I think green edges out blue in kitchens because it’s the more organic, appetizing color of the two,” says Jennifer Ott, an interior designer who specializes in paint consultations.

“Plus, there’s such a push now to eat unprocessed, healthy whole foods that I think people are drawn to having a vegetal hue in the space,” she adds. “My other theory is that we live in pretty stressful, trying times and green is thought to be a happy hue, unlike blue and gray. Yet it’s not as high-energy as the other happy hues of yellow and orange. So green is a nice compromise between happy yet soothing and stress-relieving.”

Read more here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/58786469?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u2376&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0

The Kitchen of Tomorrow Is Already Here

This Month in Real Estate: July

Rolling Hills The Early Years: June

The Early Years – Sheriffs Posse, Los Angeles County

In the early days of Los Angeles, the Sheriff had a group of men he could call upon him to help him in capturing highwaymen, murderers, and desperados. The men of the posse were all mounted because the bandits would escape to the outlying country and had to be caught by men on horseback.

By 1940, the Sheriff’s Posse was primarily a social organization. It was composed of a group of expert horsemen – you’ve seen them ride many times in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

The Sheriffs Posse probably reached the height of its prestige in 1930-1940 under Sheriff Eugene W. Biscaluiz. It was a large group of men, and occasionally they would go to some of the large ranchos around Southern California for rides. All of it was for fun – they would trailer their horses to the rancho headquarters that they were going to, and saddle up their favorite horse with a western work saddle, equipped with lariat, etc., and go off for a ride of miles and miles, and end up having a barbecue and then going home.

Just after the hay was harvested, in the late summer of 1940, the Palos Verdes Corporation invited the Sheriff’s Posse to come to Rolling Hills and ride over our 12,000 acres, and be the guests of the Palos Verdes Corporation, and enjoy themselves.

They all assembled at Ken Buggy’s Rolling Hills Riding Stables, unloaded their horses and saddled up with western saddles and equipment. From the assembly point, they rode across fields until they came to Rancho Elastico. It was a beautiful, clear, sparkling Autumn day – and dry. So, by the time they got to my ranchito they were all ready for a drink.

I had arranged to have a bar set up on a pickup truck. It was all equipped with liquid refreshments that a Sheriff’s Posse would like. After a round of drinks, the children’s ringtail monkey, who was a great household pet and who really ruled the roost, showed up. He had been in the habit, when we had guests, of stealing a sip from the Old Fashioned glasses – and here was his golden opportunity.

The riders thought it was funny as heck that a monkey would like liquor. After a drink or two, Adolph, which the children thought was a fine name for a monkey, climbed to the top of the tallest eucalyptus and then would leap high in the air to the neighboring black acacia tree – but he rapidly got to the point where, on account of being a little the worse for liquor, he would miss the upper limbs of the tree and come tumbling down and just barely catch himself. He did this over and over. That monkey really had a head by the time the Posse rode on to the next stop.

From Rancho Elastico the Posse rode down the Long Valley until they came to a stack of straw. This year we had threshed the barley rather than baling it, and where the Peninsula Center is at the present time was a huge stack of fluffy, loose, barley straw. They were all feeling pretty good – it was a nice, warm day. They got to riding around and around and around the stack of straw. Then every once in awhile, one of the riders would get very hilarious and he would his horse straight into the straw, which was very loose, and the horse would stumble and fall down, and the rider would fall off – and the only way the could get the rider and horse back onto firm ground again would be to lasso them and drag them out. And that is one version of what you might call “horsing around”

By 1:00 pm everybody was starving, and ready for a good meal, and they had a good meal. We had employed caterers to barbecue the food. They barbecued a steer, and it was ready by the time the boys got there. There were all kinds of Mexican dishes – lots of frijoles, tamales, and green salad — anything they wanted. There was plenty of beer, plenty of coffee, and plenty of fun.

From there the Posse rode down Georgeff Canyon back to the Rolling Hills Riding Stables, where they unsaddled, put their horses in the trailers, and returned to their homes.

Excerpt from: Rolling Hills: The Early Years by A.E. Hanson

Rolling Hills Newsletter – June

Rancho Palos Verdes Newsletter

This month in Real Estate: March

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This Month in Real Estate: September

How to Restore Your Credit Score Quickly

Buying a home is the American dream and you have decided that it is time to start looking into buying a home of your own. That’s great! However, you probably know that there are things you should be doing before you begin your search – but where do you start? The first thing you need to get in order, before you do anything else, is to get a copy of your credit reports. That’s plural – credit reports.

You need to get a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies – Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. If you are thinking about buying a house, you may not realize the importance your credit reports hold in getting an approval for your new home.

The mortgage companies are more concerned about your recent buying and repayment history than what may have happened years ago. If you have too many recent late payments or collections, there may not be anything you can do to get approved in the immediate future.

However, there are some things you can do to clean up your report. So in six months to a year or maybe even two years, depending on how bad your credit is and how long it takes you to clean it up, you can apply for a home mortgage and get your approval.

Here are a few things you can do to restore your credit and credit score quickly:

 1. Check your credit reports for errors. Again , that is plural so check all three of your credit reports for errors. If there are mistakes on your credit reports, you will need to start an investigation with the company or the source of the derogatory information. Contact them in writing and make sure you include all supporting documentation proving the information is in fact an error.

 2. Set up a timely repayment schedule. If you have any accounts that you have been late in paying, you will need to begin paying all of them on time. Paying your bills on time for a minimum of six months will go a long way in improving your credit rating.

 3. Collections. Try to avoid having your accounts turned in to collections. A collection is the most damaging of all credit issues. So work out a re-payment plan before your account turns into a collection. A credit improvement agency may be able to help you get your collections erased; but only if the creditor did not abide by all of the laws of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. However, this is generally not the case because most creditors know the laws and how to follow them. So don’t count on this as a quick fix . Most collection accounts will stay on your credit report for a minimum of seven years.

 4. Keep a low balance on all of your revolving credit accounts. Try to keep your balances below 50% of your limit. The lesser the balance the better it looks to potential creditors.

5. Do some soul searching. Try to determine what caused your credit status to get out of control in the first place. Then do whatever you have to to amend your bad habits – if any.

 6. Get a secured credit card. Secured credit cards can be very helpful in improving your credit. There are many things you can do to get your credit report back on track quickly. So talk to your real estate agent for more information about how you should go about doing this.

In the meantime, your Realtor will be able to get you started on your path to home ownership while you are working out your credit issues. Your agent has the experience and the know how to help you get into your new home as quickly as possible. So take advantage of all they have to offer you.