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Allow yourself to set — and get — higher fees

Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

If you’re an interior design professional, only one person will prevent you from setting and getting much higher fees and markups in the year ahead. That person isn't a competitor, critic, or customer. That person is you. You're the one who will convince yourself that you can't charge more. You're the one who will tell yourself that clients would never pay more for your design services. And that your local market won't "bear" higher fees. And that you simply don't have the experience or expertise to substantially raise your fees. That's baloney.

Ironing out the wrinkles in activity-based workplaces

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Snowballing complaints about the deficiencies and annoyances of open-plan office spaces have pushed employers and designers to experiment with alternative workplace solutions. One model gaining in popularity is the activity-based workplace, which provides a greater variety of spaces to accommodate different types of tasks and work styles. While this approach has received favorable acceptance from employees, recent studies show additional factors need to be considered in order for these spaces to live up to their promised performance.

Portland, Oregon’s Urban Growth Boundary: Smart growth or a stranglehold…

Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building Materials

When it is not being sent up for its bike karaoke and ironic mustaches, Portland, Oregon, is being held up as the city that threw out the rule book for conventional city growth patterns in the U.S. It is distinctly more walkable, bike-able and compact than other cities in the country and has become the poster child of "smart growth" in the U.S. Some of that is down to a not particularly glamorous land use policy introduced in the 1970s that essentially drew a circle around the city to stop sprawl in its tracks, and to reflect development back toward the downtown area.

The future of interior design is wellness

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

It’s that time again when members of the home décor media roll out their lists of interior design trends for the coming year. While some clients are interested in acquiring the latest look for their home, many of these so-called trends are really just fashion changes or fads that have little impact on how and what professionals actually design. The trend you need to be paying attention is wellness. It’s going to be a game-changer. Clients may not need you any longer to purchase products or pick out paint colors, but they do value your ability to make their homes safer, more comfortable and more functional.

Remodeling market sending mixed signals as 2019 begins

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

Will 2019 be another banner year for remodeling and renovation, or will firms begin to experience a softening in demand? As the new year gets underway, the answer seems to be that it depends on which part of the market you are looking at. Early indicators point to ongoing demand but a decrease in the size and value of projects. Results from the just-released Q1 2019 Houzz Renovation Barometer show "a mixed degree of caution about market conditions among contractors, architects and designers," states Houzz principal economist Nino Sitchinava.

Commercial and residential real estate marketing to baby boomers

Sam Radbil Marketing

Real estate marketing used to be a more manual process that included handing out business cards, writing newsletters and even delivering flyers door to door. Since the creation of the internet, however, real estate marketing has radically changed, and many real estate professionals focus on social media marketing via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms and apps. What is the best way, then, to reach baby boomers? Whether commercial or residential, you need reach the largest audience possible. Here’s how.

Washington state’s Paine Field gears up for its next stage

Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & Automotive

Next month, Paine Field, north of Seattle in Snohomish County, Washington, will enter an exciting new phase in its life with the beginning of scheduled passenger services. As the first flights approach, the new terminal building has reached the final stages of construction and looks set to be one of the most attractive facilities for passengers in the country. Flights begin operating out of Paine Field on Feb. 11 when Alaska Airlines commences service to Las Vegas, followed the next day by Los Angeles and San Jose.

Should you invest in real estate or stocks?

Patrick Gleeson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In the long run, stocks have a higher return on investment than real estate. But in some circumstances, you’re better off investing in both. If you’re trying to figure out which is a better investment over the long term, you might begin by searching the internet with a simple query like "real estate or stocks better?" You’ll be surprised to find that while most sources conclude that stocks are the better long-term investment, there are writers that come to the opposite conclusion. But not all of these writers rely on appropriate data.

Housing pressures cool luxury home market

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

Many of the same factors that are dampening the housing market overall finally caught up with the luxury home sector during the second half of 2018. Prices and inventories have begun to drop, and sales have slowed. Luxury properties were being snapped up at a near-record rate in the second quarter. While that brisk pace actually accelerated somewhat in the third quarter, the total volume of sales declined, according to Redfin’s latest luxury home report.

Will the single-family home market find relief in 2019?

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

Housing starts and sales of existing homes rose for the second month in a row in November, thanks to demand for multifamily properties. The single-family market, though, remained more or less flat, stymied by high prices and the rise in mortgage rates, and is on track for negative annual growth this year. Yet, already there are signs that prices are softening in some areas, and it’s possible mortgage rates will recede if the economy begins to slow down next year, as expected. Will that be enough to put the single-family market back in the black?

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