Sneak Peek: 5 Home Design Trends You'll Be Seeing in 2018

Twice a year, true interior design magic happens when the industry gathers in North Carolina for High Point Market. This massive trade show gives the design world an opportunity to show off the newest styles in furnishings, lighting and accessories.

We left the event with a wellspring of inspiration after spotting these exciting new trends.

Charcoal and honey

Deep, dark walls painted in rich charcoal and matte black, accented by lush honey tones and cream accents, created a dramatic look.

High Point Market featured plenty of furnishings and decor items that repeated the trend on a smaller scale, with glossy black elements and golden hardware and textiles.

Flouncy florals

Florals are always on point, but the market was flooded with heavily saturated, big-blossomed flourishes with lots of contrast.

Dramatic florals were everywhere, but most notably in large billowing fabrics. From drapery and wallcovering to club chairs and pillows, this look was a show front-runner.

If you're looking to make a bold statement, consider a sofa with a colorful floral print on a dark background, or even a large art piece. For a more modest look, try incorporating smaller items, like a vase or toss pillow.

Velvety vibrants

We always see jewel tones in design, but this season we’re seeing heavily textured pieces with vibrant gemstone coloration. Think fuchsia velvet ottomans and multitoned boucle fabric on accent chairs - even a rich emerald-green tufted couch.

These intense hues can be a lot to take on, so start small with a throw blanket or chair to start.

This is a great color choice for any palette, and it ties into that jewel-tone trend we mentioned earlier.

Continuing the jewel-tone trend, deep teal is a shade you’ll be seeing more of. Sherwin Williams’ Oceanside, its 2018 color of the year, is a perfect representation of this hot hue. Mix metals with this color choice, and watch them sparkle. Consider painting a single statement credenza this enticing shade, and make it pop with hammered brass hardware. Or, paint your entire living room this rich color, and mix in shades of green and fuchsia. If subtle’s more your style, tone it down with cream or charcoal.

Blushing twilight

The high-contrast sophisticated combination of navy blue and a soft blush pink is easy to pull off and surprisingly timeless.

This soft pale-pink rug, paired with the artwork’s rich navy accents, pulls the look together, while mixed metals and cream accents finish off the aesthetic.

Marvelous marbling

One of the most prominent trends from the market was the use of marbling. We found chairs, pillows and art sporting this noteworthy pattern.

Artist Jill Seale handcrafted the art for this gallery wall - paired with a rich organic olive and soft gray blues - and it was quite a showstopper.

The trend was so popular at the market that they offered classes on how to create the striking effect. Try it yourself, and build your own art collection.

 

Whether you’re just refreshing your home for the season or planning a full decor makeover, let these styles from the fall 2017 High Point Market inspire you.

Photos courtesy of Kerrie Kelly.

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• 2017 Home Design Trends With Staying Power
• How to Brighten a Dark Home
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8 Places in America That Will Pay You to Move There

If you're willing to make a move and fit the qualifications, many rural American towns - and whole states - are offering attractive incentives aimed at attracting new residents and reviving their communities. Ranging from cash grants to free lots of land, these enticing incentives are luring many city dwellers to rural America.

At the beginning of the 20th century, rural America housed more than half the country's entire population. While the total number of Americans living in rural areas has been roughly stable over the past century-as urban and suburban America have boomed-its share of the total population has declined, falling from 54 percent in 1910 to just 19 percent in 2010. This is due in part to outmigration to urban cores, especially by younger generations and the middle class.

This decline in population - and the accompanying social and economic challenges - is forcing rural America to come up with inventive incentives to attract new residents back to rural communities.

Tribune, Kansas is one such town with one such program. "If you move here, we will pay down your student debt," explains Christy Hopkins, community development director for Kansas' least populated county, Greeley (in which Tribune sits). This program, called the Rural Opportunity Zone program, incentivizes post-grads from big cities to move to under-populated towns in one of 77 participating Kansas counties. One of the incentives? They'll help you pay off your student loans - up to $15,000 over the course of five years.

And it seems to be working, for both the town and its new residents. "We knew we needed young people in our community, and so we were looking for opportunities to bring them back," explains Hopkins. “Since beginning the ROZ program, Greeley's population has increased by 55 people-25 of them being direct program participants benefiting from the student loan incentives.”

Here are five towns and three states that offer a robust set of loans, programs, and/or assistance for those seeking to become homeowners:

Curtis, Nebraska

Population: 896
Median home value: $79,000

Dream of building your own home from the ground up? Curtis, Nebraska has a sweet deal for you: Construct a single-family home within a specified time period and receive the lot of land it sits on for free.

Marne, Iowa

Population: 114
Median home value: $75,300

Just 45 minutes east of Omaha, the town of Marne will give you a lot of land for free - all you have to do is build the house (conventional construction or modular) and meet program requirements. Houses must be a minimum of 12000 square feet, and the average lot size is approximately 80 feet x 120 feet.  

Harmony, Minnesota

Population: 1,013
Median home value: $93,900

Dreaming of a peaceful life in a newly-built home in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? Good news: Your dream comes with a cash rebate. The Harmony Economic Development Authority offers a cash rebate program to incentivize new home construction in Harmony. Based on the final estimated market value of the new home, rebates range from $5,000 to $12,000 and there are no restrictions on the applicant's age, income level, or current residency.

Baltimore, Maryland

Population: 621,849
Median home value: $123,000

Definitively not a rural town, Baltimore's homeowner incentives were just too appealing and inventive to live off this list. Baltimore has not one but two programs offering robust incentives towards buying a home in the city. Buying Into Baltimore offers a $5,000 forgivable loan (forgiven by 20 percent each year, so that by the end of five years you no longer have a balance) if you meet certain qualifications. The second solution offered by the city is a brilliant one: the Vacants to Value Booster program offers $10,000 toward downpayment and closing costs of buyers to Vacants to Value (distressed or formerly distressed) properties.

New Haven, Connecticut

Population: 129,964
Median home value: $157,900

Also not a rural area, but offering an incredibly generous package of homeowner incentives: The city of New Haven, CT has a suite of programs totaling up to $80,000 for new homeowners, including a $10,000 forgivable five-year loan to first-time home buyers, $30,000 renovation assistance, and/or up to $40,000 for college tuition.   

Alaska

Population: 741,894
Median home value: $268,800

Chances are, if you're moving to Alaska, the state has a program for you. The state offers an interest rate-reduction program for those financing new or existing energy-efficient homes or improvements. Alaska also offers incentives for veterans and live-in caretakers of physically- or mentally-disabled residents. They even have a manufactured home program and a rural owner-occupied loan program. See the full list of programs here.

Colorado

Population: 5,540,545
Median home value: $337,900

Like most states, Colorado offers traditional programs that assist with down payments and low interest rates, but the state also has a disability program that helps first-time buyers who have a permanent disability finance their home. The state also has a down payment assistance grant that provides recipients with funds up to 4 percent of their first mortgage, which doesn't require repayment.

Wyoming

Population: 585,501
Median Home Value: $195,400

Interested in buying a home with history (and maybe some wear and tear)? Wyoming just might be the place for you. The state offers programs like the Wyoming Rehabilitation & Acquisition Program, which takes homes that have been foreclosed on or abandoned and puts them back on the market for households with low incomes after they've been rehabbed. Wyoming offers another rehab program that allows for older homes to be "spruced up" if they need more than $15,000 worth of repairs.

Related:

• Do You Qualify for Treasury Down Payment Assistance?
• Pre-Wedding Bashes Can Put a Dent in Saving for a Home Down Payment
• The Down Payment Quandary: Trying to Save 20 Percent

 

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8 Favorite Halloween Traditions of the Past and Present

The Best Houseplants for Low-Light Spaces

No houseplant truly prefers to live in the dark, but the bulletproof indoor plants listed below come pretty darn close.

All you need to grow these gorgeous houseplants is natural light - enough to comfortably read without turning on the lights.

ZZ plant

Looking more like the back of a stegosaurus than an actual plant, the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) will survive extinction-level neglect without missing a single beat.

The leathery green “fronds” make it look like a cross between a cycad and a philodendron. And you can rest assured they’ll continue to look like that, even if you miss a month of watering or keep it in an absurdly low amount of natural light.

Make new ZZ plants by dividing the root ball or by planting leaf cuttings.

Cast iron plant

Understated yet elegant, the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) has been popular since the Victorian age for its wide straps of deep, emerald-green foliage.

Variegated types have patterns like cream bands and specks, but they may lose their markings if kept in low light for too long. Cast iron plants can survive considerable neglect, but keep the potting mix lightly moist for luxuriant foliage.

Snake plant

You can call it snake plant, mother-in-law's tongue or even Sansevieria, just as long as you don't call it boring.

Sansevieria trifasciata “Laurentii” is the variety normally encountered, but there are many other varieties with an assortment of foliage markings and shapes. S. cylindrica, for example, has cylindrical, sage-green leaves that are spread out flat like a fan.

The worst thing you can do to a snake plant is give it too much water, so let the potting mix dry out between waterings.

Lady palm

This is the most luxurious houseplant around, with fans of deep-green, glossy fronds on a compact clump of bamboo-like stems.

They're slow-growing and often expensive, but a lady palm can live an entire lifetime indoors with care and occasional repotting. To get the healthiest plant for your buck, keep the potting mix moist, and feed annually with a palm fertilizer.

If the plant becomes root-bound, divide the root ball with a sharp knife, and pot up the divisions.

Peace lily

Getting a peace lily (Spathiphyllum) to live in low light is easy. Getting one to bloom, on the other hand, is not.

That's OK, though, because its fountain of glossy, blue-green leaves is more than attractive enough in its own right - especially if you clean the leaves and periodically change the potting mix to prevent browned leaf tips.

Pothos

Thanks to its apathetic nature and tolerance to just about anything, that blotchy-looking, golden pothos vine (Epipremnum aureum “Aureum”) has become so common that it's downright boring.

Luckily, interesting cultivars abound, such as the chartreuse-green “Neon” and the appropriately named “Silver Satin,” with its velvety, sage-green leaves.

Pothos isn't picky, but if your plant gets a little leggy, prune it back and root the cuttings in new flowerpots.

Chamaedorea palm

When it comes to palms, the Chamaedorea genus is chock-full of shade-tolerant species that can thrive indoors.

Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is the most popular of them all for its bamboo-like fronds on narrow trunks, and the bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) is practically the same thing, only larger.

For a true conversation piece, however, grow metallic palm (Chamaedorea metallica). It has nearly iridescent, metallic, blue-green leaves, each bearing the shape of a mermaid's tail. What could be cooler?

Mistletoe cactus

Mistletoe is probably the very last thing you'd think of upon hearing the word “cactus.” Mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis) grows in the shady rainforest, perched upon tree branches with other epiphytes, like orchids and bromeliads. Best of all, most members of the genus have long, leafless stems that drape down like wet spaghetti.

One thing they do have in common with other cacti is their drought tolerance. Still, they do best with potting mix that isn't allowed to dry out for long.

Philodendron

The common heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) that we all know and love is only the tip of the iceberg.

For an even more exotic look, grow self-heading varieties like “Moonlight,” with its crown of lime-green foliage, or the huge divided leaves of the split leaf philodendron (P. selloum). Better yet, grow the three of them together in a single pot.

To keep your philodendron healthy, keep the potting mix moist, and remove any yellowed leaves. Periodically check between the leaves and stems for pests.

Related:

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• What Your Houseplants Need to Make It Through Winter

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How to Brighten a Dark Home

9 Updates Your Home Needs Every 10 Years

No matter how much you love and care for your home, things are bound to wear out and need fixing - especially when you hit the 10-year mark.

To keep your house in tiptop condition, consider making these updates every 10 years or so.

Get new carpet

The average medium-grade carpet has a life expectancy of approximately 10 years. Of course, that depends on several factors, including the number of people and pets.

Signs that you need to replace your carpet: rips, tears or stains, and odors that remain even after a good cleaning. And even without any of those, you carpet might just look old and worn out. An update wouldn’t hurt.

Replace hot water tank

A water heater may not show many symptoms before it leaks or fails, so it’s important to know its age. If the manufacture date isn't shown, then it may be embedded in the serial number on the tank.

A good rule of thumb: Any tank that’s been around for 10 years or more is a candidate for replacement.

Update ceiling fans

A midrange ceiling fan should last about 10 years, if it’s running frequently. A common sign that it might be time for a new one: the lightbulbs seem to burn out more quickly than usual.

And since a ceiling fan is about style as well as function, you may just want a more modern model.

Buy a new dishwasher

Like your water heater, consider replacing your dishwasher if it’s 10 years old. You’ll likely get a more energy-efficient model that’ll pay for itself over time.

Signs that you should replace your dishwasher sooner rather than later are an unresponsive control board, poorly cleaned dishes and cracks in the tub.

Replace garbage disposal

You’ll know you need a new garbage disposal when it doesn't work as well as it used to. This is because the blades dull over time.

The average garbage disposal should last about 10-12 years with regular use, so if yours is around that age, consider replacing it.

Replace washer and dryer

The average lifespan of both appliances is about eight years. So, if your set is 10+ years old and running without any issues, consider yourself fortunate! That said, think about replacing them before you have any real problems or leaks.

Repaint inside and outside

There’s no hard and fast rule about when to repaint your home. It depends on where you live, humidity and many other factors.

People often repaint certain areas, such as a heavily used living room, every three to five years. But if some areas of the home haven’t been repainted in 10 years or more, now’s definitely the time to do it.

Re-caulk showers, bathtubs and sinks

Few jobs offer as much bang for your buck as re-caulking. Whether you just haven’t gotten around to it yet or you’re moving into a 10-year-old home, go ahead and re-caulk the tub, shower and sinks. You can easily do this yourself, and it makes everything look so much brighter.

Re-glaze windows

Re-glazing old windows is easier and more cost-effective than replacing them. And generally speaking, re-glazing should be done about every 10 years or so.

But check your windows every year before the cold weather arrives to make sure you don't have any leaks or cracks.

Related:

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• Setting Up a Successful Home Repair Budget
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Why Cities Must Become Affordable For the Middle Class

This article was originally published on attn.com.

Cities need the middle class. They need nurses and teachers. Yet if people have a well-paying job like those, they're finding it increasingly hopeless to afford to pay for a house in the city in which they work. Cities tend to have the most job opportunities, but they also have the highest cost of living. In recent years, the housing costs in urban areas have grown more than anywhere else.

"This isn't just a coastal problem," explains Zillow economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "We're seeing rapidly appreciating home values in places like Nashville, Provo, Charlotte, Orlando. These people that have good jobs are running into the problem that they simply cannot afford to live in cities anymore."

Not Enough to Go Around

So, what happened that is causing housing costs to rise so much? A classic problem of supply and demand. "We're in a really strong part of the recovery," says Gudell, "and it comes down to not enough homes available to sell right now, but a lot of people demanding housing."

Even though cities are becoming unaffordable, there is still an intense desire for people-especially millennials-to move there. "For a lot of people, their jobs are actually located in cities, so the appeal of a short commute is right there," says Gudell. "Millennials are starting to think about renting, leaving their parents' basements and perhaps even buying their first homes. They have a preference to be in cities, oftentimes. The acute inventory shortage that is being experienced all across the country right now is because cities don't have as many single-family homes. They have more condos available."

Smaller and Smaller

Unfortunately for potential buyers, there are not many choices that you can make in this situation of high demand/short supply. "You can choose to simply rent," says Gudell, "but you end up missing out on wealth building because you don't actually invest in equity by paying off a mortgage. Or you have to choose to move further out, where housing gets a bit cheaper, but then you face very long commutes."

If you're in an average, middle class-paying job, buying a home in a city with your current employment isn't realistic at all. Unless that home is under 500 square feet-about the size of a toolshed. For the biggest cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington, D.C., your average affordability falls to under 300 square feet.

So, why shouldn't we have cities be just for wealthy people, and suburbs and rural areas for people who are not? "In every city, you'll find a coffee shop," says Gudell. "You'll need garbage pickup, you'll need all these things and it simply doesn't work to say, 'If you're a janitor, you're going to have to commute in for an hour and a half, but if you're ultra-rich, you can live in the city.'"

Fill In the Cities

The middle class should be able to afford the cities they serve without incurring the burden and long-term physical and mental stressors of a multi-hour commute. With America's supply and demand problem not getting any better, there are certain steps that both governments and the private sector could do to try to help impact cost in a positive way.

"Cities have to evolve with the times and that means adding more units," says Gudell. "People oftentimes are afraid that higher-density living will ruin their cities, but in the end, higher density will just change the character of a city. It won't ruin it. But pushing people out and having only a city for the rich will probably ruin cities."

This article was originally published on attn.com.

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The Ideal Home for You, Based on Your Zodiac Sign

Each zodiac sign gravitates to different home features, and consulting the stars can give you a fun perspective on your style.

Read on to find your ideal home, based on your horoscope. And tell us in the comments if it sounds like you!

Aquarius (January 20 to February 18)

A dreamer and connector, you like a home that reflects your idealistic side. This means that, yes, you may have a far-out bungalow with mystical murals and bead curtains.

But you may also want a home with a barn and a few acres of land to house your growing family of rescued animals - or even a group house or apartment to match your communal Aquarian vision.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

Deep and sensitive, you like to recharge at home so you’re fresh for heart-to-heart conversations out in the world. You love being near water, and you don't mind if anyone thinks you take being a water sign too seriously.

You may choose to live near a river or anywhere that involves a ferry commute. Of course, if you can swing it, your ideal house has a pool and an ocean view - or it might even float.

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

You're enthusiastic and energetic, and you live for fun. When looking for a home, you think about all the ways you can thoroughly enjoy it.

As a naturally impulsive risk-taker, you need a place to blow off steam so you can be more balanced out in the world. Your ideal home has a karaoke den, a climbing wall, or a trampoline.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

You have a reputation for being structured and steady, but you're anything but boring - you have great taste and love the finer things in life.

Since you're an earth sign, you like being stable and comfortable, and you don't feel pressured to go out. So it makes sense that you'd want all your favorite luxuries at home, like a custom wine cellar (or bar!) complete with comfy chairs.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

You're the sign of the twins: friendly, talkative, and a little distracted. You're a great communicator, so you need Wi-Fi everywhere in your home - you don’t want to miss an important tweet or Skype call. For in-person chats, you might opt for an old-school conversation pit in the living room.

The important thing for a social butterfly like you is to keep your finger on the pulse, even at home.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

Empathetic and nurturing, you're a natural caretaker. You may spend hours making jams and cookies for friends or lending a sympathetic ear whenever someone is stressed.

For you, a well-equipped kitchen is a must, especially if it has an island where visitors can sit while you bake. As a caring Cancer, you're also protective of your own space and family, so you'll feel more secure when you invest in a solid deadbolt and alarm service.

Leo (July 23 to August 22)

You love attention, whether you're giving it or receiving it. As the natural leader of your group, you love nothing more than hosting a big dinner party that brings all your friends together.

You prefer a home with plenty of entertaining space, including a good-sized dining room, and guest bedrooms. Of course, you’ll also want superb bathroom lighting so you can style that mane.

Virgo (August 23 to September 22)

You're naturally detail oriented, conscientious, and responsible. You love planning, organizing, and keeping your home neat as a pin. You live for a well-organized closet and pantry, where you can put everything in its place.

Another Virgo dream home feature - a central vacuum, because the only thing better than organizing is cleaning.

Libra (September 23 to October 22)

Patient, balanced, and inquisitive, you love having a beautiful home, but you don't need to live in a mansion to be happy.

You’ll always put a home office to good use - not necessarily for working, but for designing a garden, creating a household budget, or planning vacations. As a Libra with wide-ranging interests, you tend to collect hobbies, so a craft room is a must.

Scorpio (October 23 to November 21)

As a secretive Scorpio, you don't mind a home that's a little dark - as long as you have some privacy from the neighbors. You may even lean into your dark side and choose an old home, especially one with a secret passageway, an intriguing history, or a nearby graveyard.

Scorpios are very loyal, so once you've picked a home, you may not want to move for a while. Settle in, and outfit your den with sensuous fabrics and mysterious curios.

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

You're the zodiac’s explorer and traveler, so you need a home that can accommodate your wanderlust. That might mean motorcycle parking, an Airbnb-ready suite to fund your next journey, or a portable home - like a yurt.

Sags are also spiritual seekers, so you may choose a home in a serene location, such as the desert or the mountains. At the very least, you need clean, white walls to display your souvenirs.

Capricorn (December 22 to January 19)

You're hardworking and earnest, with a not-so-secret weird side. Adaptable and unshakeable like your emblematic goat, you’re comfortable just about anywhere. This means you can make the most of a studio apartment, but you're also willing to restore an old house back to mint condition.

You may also embrace your weirdness and go with a totally offbeat home, like a converted school bus.

 

Related:

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Pending Sale: Sting and Trudie Styler's $56M NYC Penthouse

Rockstar Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, have been living large in their New York City pad at 15 Central Park West. Measuring 396 square feet, the terrace off their living room is bigger than some New Yorkers’ entire apartments. The penthouse interior spans an additional 5,417 square feet.

The famous couple seems ready to move on after nearly a decade of ownership. Given the home’s iconic address and spacious quarters, it’s not surprising to see a pending sale after just 8 months on the market - even with an original ask of $56 million.

The 4-bed, 5.5-bath residence is spread over two floors and connected by a spiral staircase. Views of the city and Central Park can be found from almost every room.

Photos by Andrew Kiracofe

Even for a luxury home, the penthouse offers some spectacular touches. Instead of a standard set of appliances in the kitchen, the buyer will receive two full-size refrigerators, an oversized Wolf range, four ovens and three Miele dishwashers. In the master suite, two dressing rooms and a lavish, spa-like bathroom are accompanied by a separate steam room with a rain shower.

If the posh residence and its high-end touches aren’t enough, residents of the white-glove condo building are privy a host of amenities. Between the 14,000-square-foot gym, sky-lit lap pool, wine cellars and game room, there’s something for everyone.

Deborah Kern of Corcoran holds the listing.

Photos by Andrew Kiracofe.

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