Housing Trends

by Brandon Bidwell

A living room decorated with eclectic interior design including palm tree pattern drapes hanging from the doorframes, floral print chairs, gold framed mirrors, and pink table covers.

When decorating your home, it can be hard to decide on just one aesthetic. Maybe you’re a fan of mid-century modern interior design but its minimalistic approach leaves you wanting more. Maybe you love the clean look of a farmhouse style interior but wish it had some of that classic Art Deco flair. Fortunately, there’s an approach you can take where you don’t have to limit yourself to the principles of just one line of design thinking. Eclectic interior design is a smorgasbord of home décor styles that allows your imagination to run wild.

What is eclectic interior design?

Eclectic interior design is a blend of different styles, patterns, eras, and all things home décor. By pulling from seemingly contrasting sources of inspiration, it allows homeowners to create an interior that’s uniquely personalized and lively. Eclectic interiors are inherently busy, so it’s important to focus on leveling the dynamic energy among the pieces and artworks you select to create balance, scale, and proportion.

A kitchen and hallway decorated with eclectic interior design. There is a patterned rug hanging on the wall, a small gallery in the kitchen, colorful patterned pillows on a bench in the hallway, and modern industrial lights hanging above a breakfast bar in the kitchen.

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: xavierarnau

Decorating with Eclectic Interior Design

With so many shapes and colors at play, creating harmony is vital. Choose a color palette for your home and select pieces that reinforce that section of the color wheel. That way, when you decorate with accent pieces throughout your home, you’ll have a solid base to work from. This will also help you select which neutral colors will best help to balance out your interior spaces. For example, if you’ve settled on blues and browns as your foundational colors, beiges and creams will act as complimentary neutrals while creating a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere.

When it comes to textures and patterns, you’ve got far more leeway with eclectic interior design than many other styles. Have you been waiting to extract your patterned vintage furniture from your storage space? Still waiting to find a home for that ornate gold-framed mirror? Eclectic design may be just what the doctor ordered. With this style, vintage design can pair with modern furnishings and vice versa. Textures help to create contrast throughout your spaces, but even with eclectic design, repeating a texture in a few spots helps to create cohesion. Similarly, make sure your textural pieces fit somewhere within your color palette to create consistency throughout your home.

Create a Gallery Wall

A living room decorated with eclectic interior design. It has a gallery wall above the couch with a variety of framed photography and hand drawings. The living room carpet is made up of dozens of pastel cubes, there are colorful pillows and houseplants throughout, and the furniture is minimalist.

Image Source: Shutterstock – Image Credit: Ground Picture

A gallery wall is naturally eclectic, making it a perfect way to use up empty wall space while reinforcing this unique home décor style. Create a gallery wall at home by selecting the wall space you’d like to use and mapping out your desired gallery pattern. Once you’ve sketched out your plan, pay a visit to your local framing or hardware store so your artwork can hang professionally and evenly. Assemble your tools, hang your pieces, and admire how a gallery wall can really snap a room together visually. Experiment with different frame colors, designs, and textures that reinforce the rest of your interior. Here’s more on how to curate artwork in your home.

For more info on the various interior design styles, home décor tips and more, visit the Design page of our blog:

Windermere Blog – Design

Chief Economists Economic Update

by Brandon Bidwell

Exclusive Invitation!!!

Tune in on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 9:00am to meet with Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist LIVE and get your chance to ask him questions. He’ll be discussing the housing market, employment and the effects of COVID-19 on the local and national economy.

As one of the only real estate companies in the US that has a Chief Economist on staff, we have exclusive insights into the housing market, economy and government happenings. This is a one of a kind event for clients and friends of Windermere Real Estate in Colorado.

To sign up, please register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6400354351666419467

(If you can’t attend live, you can register to automatically get the recording.) If you miss it and would like me to send you a copy afterwards feel free to reach out!

Do Election Years Impact the Real Estate Market?

by Brandon Bidwell

It’s an election year which means that our clients are asking us if election years impact real estate.

According to research done by Real Trends there is zero correlation between election years and the number of transactions in the market compared to non-election years.

They found that sales were down in 1980, 1988, and 2008 compared to prior years, and sales were up in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2016.

To hear more about what will happen this year in real estate and the factors that really do impact our market, be sure to get registered for our annual Market Forecast event next week.

It’s time to register for our annual Market Forecast event. We will be live at 5:30 on January 15th at the Wellshire Event Center. Back by popular demand is our Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. Save your seat HERE.

Preparing Your Garage for an Electric Car

by Brandon Bidwell

Photo Source: FleetCarma.com

Electric cars help lower emissions and fuel costs, improve fuel economy, and bolster energy security. And considering the volatility of gas prices—and their general skyward trajectory—electric fuel shows promise as an economic alternative. But switching to an electric vehicle entails more than new driving habits and a conversation piece with strangers. It’s also a lifestyle update. From setting up a charging station in the garage to maintaining optimal temperatures therein, check out these useful garage preparation tips to assure your electric vehicle battery is in tip-top shape.

Selecting a Charger: Level 1 vs. Level 2

Charging an electric vehicle is more involved than charging your smartphone, and you’ll likely need a home station charger. That said, make sure you familiarize yourself with the two main levels of electric vehicle chargers supplied by home-based charging equipment and most public charging stations so you can choose the best one for your home and car.

Level 1 Chargers

A Level 1 cord set charger delivers a standard household current of 110 or 120 volts and comes with most plug-in vehicles upon purchase. It’s outfitted with a three-pronged, household plug at one end that’s connected to a control box by a short cord. A longer 15-to-20-foot cord running from the other side of the box connects directly to the vehicle itself.

If you have the time, a Level 1 could be the way to go. But be forewarned: What you get is, more or less, a trickle charge that affords roughly three to five miles per charging hour. For instance, the Nissan Leaf takes around 24 hours to fully charge on a standard 120-volt household outlet.
The upside is, Level 1 equipment doesn’t entail an elaborate setup of high-power circuit breakers or dedicated electrical lines, which are required by major appliances like stoves and refrigerators.
Because cord sets are portable, plug-in vehicles can be charged virtually anywhere there’s a standard outlet. Provided the circuit isn’t a household outlet that’s patched into the same circuit as other demanding appliances—in which case you could trip a circuit breaker.

Level 2 Chargers

You can also consider installing a Level 2 charger, which delivers 240 volts and replenishes pure electric vehicles in about three hours—which is about seven to eight times faster than Level 1 equipment. Unlike the simplicity of Level 1 setups, though, Level 2 chargers may warrant the services of a professional due to the rigmarole of electrical codes, equipment setup, and necessary inspections.

Level 2 chargers cost anywhere between under $300 to over $1500, the price ultimately depending on cord length and amperage.
Level 2 outputs typically range between 16 to 30 amps, but professionals often recommend around 30- to 40-amp systems—an adequate overnight charge for most plug-in electric cars.

Installing a Charging Station

It’s worth mentioning that the “charger” you’re installing is technically referred to as Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE). This is the wall-mounted box with cord and plug that delivers electricity and functions as a communication and safety unit for the actual charger situated inside the vehicle itself. The EVSE ensures the battery doesn’t overheat and shuts the charging session down if there’s a short circuit, power surge, or any other type of faulty hardware.

If you’ve opted for a Level 2 ESVE, you’ll likely need to reach out to a professional electrician to wire up equipment and determine where the ESVE should be situated in regards to where your vehicle is parked. Notwithstanding factors like outdated wiring, meters, and breaker panels, updating the garage for your electric ride should actually be pretty straightforward.

Cost of Installation

The installation cost generally hinges on the work involved—such as the amount of wire that needs to be run, whether additional or replacement breaker panels are necessary, and the cost of labor in your area. This could vary between just a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand. It’s also worth looking into your local. utility company’s offerings, as you may qualify for special rates or a rebate when you install an ESVE.