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Scandinavian interior design: How to Bring Scandi Style to your Home

Deciding on an aesthetic for your home can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Considerations include choices in furniture and colors, function and accents, personal touches, cohesiveness, home size, and more! Design can be a challenge for any homeowner, so where does one begin? There are a huge variety of well-known design schemes inspired from all over the world – a quick google search can easily bring you a plethora of results! Our featured design for today comes from Scandinavia – one of the most popular interior design methods of our time. This nordic design is rooted in earthen tones, high-quality craftsmanship, and functionality, with significant nods to minimalism. For more information on how to incorporate this design in your home, read on!

Scandi style has impacted the world of interior design through its focus on functionality and minimalistic detailing. Minimalism has been on the rise, but who wants a home that feels more boring than stylish? There is a fine line between the two. Used in homes around the world, Scandi style is ageless and highly elegant. Natural and neutral materials (pale woods, wools/linens, leather, glass), tactile fabrics, metal accents, and high-quality craftsmanship elevate minimalism. Scandi style is all about the details.

When capturing Scandinavian-inspired themes in your home, consider colors in muted tones or shades of white, beige, or brown. Scandi style pairs gorgeously with earth tones and natural pieces such as wooden accent tables, woolen fabrics, and other earthy designs. Older pieces passed down through generations can often be incorporated into a purposeful style in your home. Wooden furniture (bed frames, dining tables, etc.) in particular – regardless of their color – can be shown off when the colors and accents surrounding them are simple.

Draw focus to what matters to you. Do you have lovely china you wish was featured? Or maybe curtains with bold colors that always cheer you up? Scandi design balances your home and creates a gorgeous canvas in which to showcase the decor that matters most to you. In no way does this design need to be devoid of color or life, in fact the exact opposite is true. Blues, reds, and other vibrant colors ‘pop’ when combined with wood, metal, and earth tones.

The Scandinavian interior design movement began in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland in the 1900s, and became a worldwide phenomenon by the 1950s. Scandinavian designs you may recognize include Alvar Aalto’s stools in Apple stores, the PH lamp series, the Egg Chair, the Spanish Chair, and the Finlandia glassware series. Who knew elegance could be so simple and yet effective?

Where to Start?

If you’re wondering where to find Scandinavian inspiration, we recommend these two sites in particular:

– The Nordic Nest is a Scandinavian company inspired to bring nordic design to homes across the world. 250 Brands

– My Scandinavian Home “Niki started My Scandinavian Home blog in 2011 with a simple vision: to inspire like-minded people with ethereal Scandinavian inspired homes often with a vintage touch.”

Hopefully you feel more comfortable diving into the process of design. Home buying can be daunting, but there are so many other considerations that come after! Will you turn your home into a Scandinavian oasis? If so, enjoy the serenity, style, and simplicity of this gorgeous design, and always remember – personalized twists are what make a house a home!

WANT MORE ADVICE ON HOW TO SELL AND STAGE YOUR HOME?

Are you looking to sell your Orange County home? If so, it’s helpful to know what to expect and how to maximize your investment. Even moreso, it also helps if you have the best real estate listing agent in Orange County. At the Stavros Group, we are expert marketers with a proven track record of preparing OC real estate to net the best return.

Visit our seller’s page to start the no-pressure conversation and tell us more about your situation. We can help expertly price your home and work with you throughout the entire home selling process. Questions about Orange County real estate? Contact us today and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Ways COVID-19 Will Affect Future Home Design and What to Look For

Are you looking to build a new construction home in Orange County? Do you wonder what the difference will be in home design pre- and post-COVID-19? If so, then you’ll be interested to learn how the coronavirus might affect future home design.

Understanding future home design trends will help to stir your imagination and plan for the features you want, before you set out to find or build your next home. We are beginning to see old spaces used in new ways, with novel additions to current homes and adjusted open floor plans, just to name a few.

See below for an in-depth guide on several COVID-19 architecture design solutions that you can expect to see in a post-COVID world!

1. The New-Look Open Floor Plan

Everyone loves an open floor plan. It’s a trend that has become commonplace in many modern home designs, whether you’re building a new construction home or remodeling an existing structure.

However, the worldwide pandemic revealed something to us about open floor plans that we didn’t consider before: productivity is just as important at home as it is in the workplace. Really, the home has become a workplace itself.

Among those who were able to maintain their employment during the pandemic, many were forced to share space with their family members in ways they had never imagined. Suddenly, mom and pop were forced to work at home, while kids ran around, eating, playing, destroying, sometimes learning…

All of a sudden, those coveted open floor plans became more distracting than invigorating. Productivity declined as a result.

That brought on the invention of what we’re calling the “new-look open floor plan”. In this design, the entire space is maximized. What was once a living room/kitchen combo is now a living room, kitchen, office, arts and craft station, play area, study room, and more.

When looking at a new home, we at the Stavros Group believe that we need to embrace these changes, not run from them. It makes your home more functional and, thus, more valuable to your family!

2. Super Porches

Sounds like an awesome comic book title, right? While it might not be picked up by Marvel for their next blockbuster, this is certainly a growing trend in the home design industry.

We all had those neighbors, friends, and relatives that used the 2020 pandemic as a way to catch up on their home renovations, both inside and outside. Maybe you did too.

Many homeowners used that opportunity to improve the outside of their properties, like patios and porches. For some, it was the deck in their front yard. For others, it was the balcony or the roof lounge atop their home.

With more time spent at home, homeowners want better exterior living spaces to maximize their enjoyment of the great outdoors. A good portion of them preferred covered patios so that they could enjoy the fresh air in any weather (it helps that we’re blessed in Southern California with great weather most of the year).

These homeowners are on to something! Not only does the “super porch” give you more ways to enjoy the outdoors, but it also enhances the curb appeal of your home for when it comes time to sell. It’s what we like to call a “win-win,” improving your enjoyment of the home now and your sale price later.

3. At-Home Gyms

Did you know that Orange County has been ranked the healthiest county in California

This can be attributed to the residents, who are often health-conscious and committed to bettering their health and fitness each day. Unfortunately, when the pandemic struck, all the gyms we frequent to stay in shape were temporarily shuttered.

Everything was closed: CrossFit gyms, big-name gyms, the track at the nearest high school football field. All completely closed off to the public. Even public parks were shut down for a time!

So, many homeowners made their own workout solution. They invested in creating an at-home gym, which gradually continued to evolve as the year 2020 went on. Since everyone at once started looking for gym equipment, buyers had to hunt and buy piecemeal to put it all together. But now, a home gym has become a feature that many homebuyers are looking for in their next home.

4. Potential for Additions

As if land wasn’t already at a premium in Orange County real estate, the 2020 coronavirus pandemic made it even more of a hot commodity.

Economists believe that this is a direct correlation to many families having relatives move in with them during the pandemic, especially elderly relatives. Now, they’re with them for the long haul, and many homeowners are looking to build additional living space to give their new “roommates” their own private area.

Having a bonus bedroom suite or standalone ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit, aka “granny flat”) is a huge boon for housing multiple generations of family. An ADU is amazing when you have teens or grandparents living with you. Homebuyers know this too and will pay a premium for it!

5. Healthy Homes

An aging, dirty or broken HVAC system is never great, but homebuyers these days are putting even more attention on ventilation and comfort. After all, if the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s to be more conscious of the air we’re breathing (and who’s breathing it near us).

The indoor air quality of a home is no different. Home inspectors put an emphasis on checking the home’s HVAC system for signs of mold or build-up in the air ducts, signs of poor air quality, etc.

Good cooling and heating has become a primary selling point. If you’re in the market for a new home, make sure that the home’s HVAC system is inspected by an expert. This pandemic has shown us all how much air quality truly matters!

Consider These Future Home Design Trends as You Search

Now that you have seen a few ways that COVID-19 has affected future home design, be sure to use these to your advantage while you search for or build your new house!

Getting ready for a big move? It’s never too early to start planning. See this article for a list of tips and tricks for a stress-free move.

For any other inquiries and questions about real estate, please feel free to connect with us and we will be happy to assist you further!

Some of the Most Unique Homes in America

Have you ever walked through an open house or a showing and seen a uniquely odd, custom feature to a home that made you scratch your head? Although the homes we list are some of the most beautiful properties we’ve ever seen, we have still seen our fair share of atypical custom additions. With this in mind, we thought it’d be fun to take a departure from the pristine luxury homes we typically present, to venture through some of the most eccentric and sometimes, flat out bizarre, architecturally designed homes across America. These unique homes are truly one of a kind!

Smith Mansion – Cody, Wyoming

Located in the beautiful Wapiti Valley, Smith Mansion is the former home of builder and engineer Lee Smith, who became enthralled with his building project after starting to build a home for his wife and children using locally gathered logs and wood. After completing the base of the home, he got inspired and continued to add on extra floors and balconies. Fed up with how much time and energy he was putting into the construction of the house, Smith’s wife divorced him. This, however, only fueled him to keep adding more layers of staircases and scenic terraces. Tragically, Smith fell to his death while working on one of the upper balconies. The Smith Mansion has since sat empty, collecting myths and legends about ghosts and madmen. However, Smith’s daughter, Sunny Smith Larsen, has begun a preservation campaign for the site in hopes of keeping her father’s creation from being destroyed.

Sculptured House – Golden, Colorado

Sitting on the top of Genessee Mountain, the Sculptured House was built in 1963 by architect Charles Deaton and is often called “the Flying Saucer House” or “the Spaceship House.” The futuristic, modern movement style home has appeared in a number of movies, TV shows, and photoshoots. It was most famously featured in Woody Allen’s science-fiction comedy, Sleeper. Deaton ran out of money while working on the home, so the interior is less interesting than the exterior. It remained unlived in until 1999 when the home was purchased by entrepreneur John Huggins, who worked alongside Deaton’s daughter to finish the interior. Today, the house is not lived in, however, hosts private events on occasion.

House on the Rock – Spring Green, Wisconsin

During the 1940s, a man named Alex Jordan decided to build a house on Deer Shelter Rock, a sandstone formation within the scenic Wyoming Valley, after discovering a 60-foot chimney of rock. Jordan built the house as a weekend retreat, never intending it to be a tourist attraction. Peoples’ curiosity peaked as they caught wind of his construction and began visiting in order to see this architectural innovation. However, people kept coming to see the architectural wonder they had heard about. What started as a 14-room house, has turned into a complex of many buildings, exhibits and garden displays. It is said it can talk multiple hours to walk through the entire property, and there is so much to see, it can’t be done in one day. In December of 1988, Alex sold The House on the Rock to longtime associate Art Donaldson, a collector and a businessman, who continues to build on Alex’s dream of expanding and entertaining visitors from all over the world.

The Mushroom House – Perinton, NY

Located in the town of Perinton, NY, The Mushroom House (also called The Pod House) is a retro-modern designed home, which was fashioned after Queen Anne’s Lace. The notable design has been featured on TV and in books due to its whimsical appearance. The house was constructed for attorney-artist couple Robert and Marguerite Antell between 1969 and 1972 and was designated a town landmark in 1989. The unique structure sits in a wooded ravine adjacent to Powder Mills Park. The unusual design of the house features four 80-ton pods which rest on reinforced concrete stems. The larger pods spread out into smaller pods, which serve as the typical living spaces. With the exterior of the home being made of concrete, it is very soundproof. This one of a kind property is actually available for rent for $6,000/mo if it happens to call to you!

The Pavilion/Mushroom House – La Jolla, California

Located within the cliffs of Black’s Beach, this uniquely shaped home was designed and built in the 1960s by architect Dal Naegle for General Mills heir Sam Bell to serve as the guest home to the main house that is located at the top of the beach’s cliff. A 300-foot tram running down the side of the cliffs links the two properties. Originally called the Pavilion, the structure was built to withstand not only naturally occurring rock slides, earthquakes and waves, but also teenagers! It was purposely built on a remote section of the beach so as to avoid any disruptions. Now, more commonly coined The Mushroom House, the house was last said to be owned by UC San Diego, for use as a place for professors and administrators to take a sabbatical.

Flintstone House – Hillsborough, California

In 1976, the Bay Area architect William Nicholson built this unique 2,700-square-foot home using a building technique known as monolithic dome construction. Throughout the years, the home was updated a bit, with the exterior ultimately painted red, purple and orange. This led to it being dubbed “The Flintstone House” after the famous cartoon. The new owner has gone even further, as after purchasing the house for $2.8 million in 2017, Florence Fang decided to install 15-foot dinosaur statues; a giant metal woolly mammoth and giraffe; a garden of colorful, oversize mushrooms; and a rainbow and peacock sculpture. She has now found herself in a legal battle with the town of Hillsborough, who wants her to remove the animal statues, as they pose as ‘eyesores’. I guess her neighbors think it’s a “Yabba-dabba-DON’T”.

What do you think? Do you find these properties creatively cool or gratuitously obscure? While we assume most of you out there aren’t actively looking for a mushroom house or a property replicating your favorite cartoon, we do know everyone has their individualized needs and desires when it comes to buying a home. We are confident that we can find the perfect marriage of your unique tastes and what the current market offers to place you in your own unique home. If you’re looking to buy or sell, we’ll hope you’ll think of us!