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US housing market hitting slowest period of year
Bambi Majumdar Construction & Building MaterialsAs per the latest Trulia report, the U.S. housing market is headed for its slowest period of the year. Online search indicators have shown that the peak the housing industry enjoyed until early summer has shown signs of decline. Since July, the market has dwindled to below-average sales.
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Design insights for more livable kitchens
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesKitchen renovations top the list of home remodeling projects, and for good reason. The kitchen is the hub of the household, the place where families and friends come together, the place where meals are transformed into wonderful memories of tempting aromas and tasty, comforting cuisine. Above all, though, the kitchen is a work space.
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Growing need for green renovation experts
Bambi Majumdar Construction & Building MaterialsEven though 78 percent of homeowners have said that improving the look and feel of their homes is a key criterion for renovation, they want eco-friendly means to get there. This demand has in turn led renovation experts to upgrade their own skills and offer more innovation and efficiency in their projects.
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Keeping up with the elders: Senior living offers choice, convenience
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesFor some time now, senior living has been migrating from a healthcare model to a hospitality model. While availability and quality-of-care services still rank high on the list of priorities for residents and their loved ones, today's healthier, more active seniors want a living environment that is less institutional and more conducive to socializing and keeping fit.
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Uniting smart home technologies: Who will rule the roost?
Michael J. Berens Science & TechnologyThe race is on in the smart home industry to develop a unified "Internet of everything," a system that will allow smart products of all kinds — from home heating and security systems to Crock-Pots and baby monitors — to communicate with one another and a central control panel.
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Affordable housing is drawing people away from the coasts
Bambi Majumdar Construction & Building MaterialsA recent article in The New York Times has been an eye-opener for the U.S. housing industry. An analysis of Red Fin data shows how in inland cities — like Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Oklahoma City; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah — luring in young American families with their housing affordability, low cost of living and economic growth.
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Kitchen and bath remodels top homeowners’ makeover list
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWhether they are planning to sell or stay where they are, homeowners have remodeling on their minds. More than two-thirds of consumers across the U.S. have immediate plans to undertake one or more home improvement projects in the next six months, according to a recent survey conducted by Realtor.com
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Remodeling industry gains momentum, trending upward
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsAfter a disappointing first quarter, the remodeling industry bounced back in the second quarter of 2014, with notable month-over-month gains. Current projections indicate that trend will continue into the second half of the year, with the industry as a whole experiencing a substantial year-over-year increase.
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The rustic-chic trend is taking over interiors
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesNow that the housing industry is really looking up, there seems to be a new spurt of life breathed into the interior design sector as well. According to the 2014 Outlook and State of the Industry report released by the American Society of Interior Designers, there is hope for definite and positive growth for residential interior design in the coming months.
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Are we on the cusp of a visual renaissance?
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesA growing emphasis on visual communication and quality has elevated the public's awareness of design, from graphics to fashion to products to interiors. A more visual culture will create more demand for good design. That should be good news for designers of all stripes.
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