by Furnishly | Jan 19, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Four years after my partner and I purchased our first home, I started shopping around for refinance options. Motivated by the urge to drop private mortgage insurance and increase our property value, I was confident it was the smartest move.
At the time, our interest rate was at 3.9 percent. Even though I discovered the current rates weren’t much lower (3.75 percent), one of the mortgage brokers I reached out to suggested a cash-out refinance and was kind enough to explain the details.
What is a cash-out refinance?
A cash-out refinance is a type of refinancing agreement that lets you tap into the equity of your home. You take out a new loan for an established amount that is greater than what you currently owe. The difference is paid to you in cash and financed through the new mortgage.
It’s generally only available for those who owe significantly less on their home than it’s worth, and it can be a great way to secure funds for big expenses. Unlike a home equity line of credit, this is not a second mortgage. The new mortgage replaces the old one, and the lump sum is given to you when you close on the new loan.
I opted for a $15,000 cash-out refinance to renovate my home.
We decided on a modest cash payout. With our knack for DIY projects, some trusted connections in the home improvement industry, and plenty of time to shop around, we were able to stretch this amount pretty far.
Our first order of business was new flooring. We needed to replace the laminate downstairs with luxury vinyl and put new tile in the bathrooms. We also decided to remove the carpet from the staircase, freshen the wood on the steps with a new layer of stain and varnish, and put new carpeting in one bedroom. The rest of the carpet had been replaced when we first purchased the home, but our modest budget wouldn’t allow for a full flooring refresh at that time.
We shopped around and ultimately found a local company that gave us a great price if we paid in cash.
Kitchen Countertops — $2,100
This was handled by another local business in our area. We shopped at their warehouse for the right style granite to fit our humble, galley-style kitchen and bar space. This price included materials and labor.
The kitchen contractors had to rip up our backsplash for the countertop installation, so that left us looking in need of a replacement. We purchased the tile, mortar, and grout ($200) at Floor & Decor, and while we were there, we met another contractor who offered to handle the installation for $400.
Once the major interior elements were done, we moved to the exterior of the home. Landscapers carved out a nice hydrangea bed out front and completely revamped the backyard with fresh sod, new steps, and stone pavers.
Miscellaneous Updates — $1,500
Minor updates can still make a major impact. With the big stuff out of the way, here’s how we spent the rest:
A cash-out refinance helped us further invest in our most cherished space. Since we weren’t in a rush, we took our time and spread these updates out over the course of the year. In the end, we were able to make straightforward renovations that contribute to the overall value of our home.
Chantel Wakefield
Contributor
Chantel Wakefield is a content writer and copy editor who enjoys writing about all things home and leisure. She lives in Metro Atlanta and spends her free time buried in a library book or sipping wine at a local tasting.
by Furnishly | Jan 19, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Lighting
Super soft monochrome decor melts over these two luxe modern home interiors, creating mellow tranquillity. Each of these home interiors are furnished with made-to-measure cabinetry that fits flush and builds a look of luxe. Elegant metallic accents lift the warm, creamy backdrop of these home designs, adding rich lustre that polishes room layouts with a sense of quality. Large modern lighting installations are used to sculpt shape and create unique styling, often acting as the main focal point for the space. From oversized and unusual pendant light designs, to eye-catching modern floor lamps, and contemporary wall sconces, there’s inspiration here to set your interior aglow.
Shades of milky white smooth over our first soft monochrome decor scheme, creating a peaceful minimalist living space. The light, tonal arrangement lets the eye and the mind rest, whilst textural elements ensure that the design does not fall flat.
LED strips are situated around the perimeter of the whote room, where they create a glow from the ceiling line and floor seam.
At night, the slices of fresh white LED illumination can switch into dark mode, burning an atmospheric flame orange.
A modern sofa design cosily embraces the edge of the open plan lounge area, pulling snugly around the edge of a solid stone rustic coffee table.
The woven living room rug adds a deeply inviting textural appeal. The chunky rug works to define the outline of the sitting area, clearly distinguishing it from the neighbouring kitchen and dining space.
Flat-fronted, handle-free white kitchen cabinets fade quietly into the back of the room. A beautiful beige stone backsplash cuts through the centre of the kitchen run, where it’s lit by the warm radiance of undercabinet lights.
A unique modern floor lamp echoes the golden glow of light at the opposite side of the living room. Its light dances magically across a stunning metallic feature wall.
The reflective golden panels crown a linear fireplace, where open flames flicker brightly across a floating stone hearth.
Stone panels behind the modern fireplace are fluted in texture for further contemporary flair.
The vertical lines of texture in the fireplace are complemented by wood slatted screens at the large windows of the living room.
A female figurine adds a decorative touch to the top of a stack of coffee table books. An incense burner fills the room with soothing scents.
The wood slatted window shutters gently diffuse the daylight that washes through the expanse of floor to ceiling glass.
Sunlight and flame from the fire reflect upon the playful curves of a champagne gold Balloon dog by Jeff Koons.
The balloon dog statue fetches a moment of fun character to the sophisticated living room plan, and cheerfully rounds out a small reading area by the window.
A papasan chair extends an irresistible invitation to come sit, with its deeply cushioned curved seat and plush upholstery.
Wood grain flooring is laid with seams matching, adhering to a tiled effect.
The lounge area is separated from the back wall of kitchen units by a luxurious kitchen island that doubles as a dining bar. Three chic modern kitchen bar stools line up along the stone countertop, which wraps the edges of the unit in a waterfall effect. A fluted panel clads the front of the kitchen island, in mirror image to the fireplace at the other side of the room.
Two huge, unique kitchen pendant lights are suspended above the dining island at slightly different lengths. The effect is sculptural and mesmerising by its scale.
White kitchen appliances, accessories and fixtures meld cleanly into the light kitchen installation.
The second of our soft monochrome interior designs has a creamy concrete backdrop, subtly lit with warm white perimeter lights. A piece of 3D relief artwork depicts fashionable arch motifs behind a colour coordinated L-shaped modern sofa. A racetrack-shaped coffee table and a modern floor lamp visually weight the light decor scheme with matt black anchors.
A curvaceous sofa table wraps the back of the sofa, where its mirrored top reflects daylight from the patio doors. Black wood effect units are built-in around the TV and fireplace to create a bespoke focal wall.
A chic living room chair completes the stylish lounge furniture arrangement. A light grey area rug softens the seamless grey microcement floor.
Black window blinds complement the darker accents in the room. A floor to ceiling picture window interrupts the white rendered wall with an uplifting glimpse of the green garden and its plantlife.
A fabulous contemporary dining room chandelier sketches a fiery line of undulating light above the modern black dining set.
A 3D relief polyptych makes an intriguing background for the formal dining area, whilst its light colourway prevents it from challenging the statement chandelier.
Upholstered modern dining chairs are comfortable enough to extend dinner into drinks and talking long into the evening.
The kitchen is a light wood design with glossy black integrated appliances.
A white marble dining table is integrated into the kitchen island.
A wine storage unit is tagged onto the end of the kitchen run, conveniently positioned to serve the dining spot.
Champagne gold and white dining chairs crisply accompany the sleek dining table.
White marble countertops match the dining table to create a smooth cohesive finish across the entire kitchen diner space.
The luxurious kitchen design boasts two sink units, one by the oven and one in the kitchen island beside the hob.
A winding staircase ascends through the house. Solid wood effect balustrades edge the climb, whereas glass balustrades open up the landings to the light.
A double height window towers all the way to the top of the void.
Linear wall lights illuminate the journey to the top of the staircase. A modern chandelier tumbles from the ceiling above, like great straps of gold.
The flooring upstairs is oak plank, which warms the cool cream bedroom palette.
Wood effect panels stripe an effective headboard wall treatment. A modern wall sconce provides reading light on one side of the bed, whilst an unusual bedroom pendant light shines down on the opposite bedside table.
A designer swivel chair cuts an interesting silhouette at the home workspace in the bedroom.
Curved walls sweep into the bedroom entryway, creating a grand entrance.
The second bedroom inside the home is smaller. This time, a floating desk is set up alongside the upholstered bed.
Two overlapping desk units are set against a headboard wall panel to engineer one linked entity.
Panel boards create an area of decorative shading by the foot of the bed, mirroring the headboard panel.
A luxurious dressing room is lined with made-to-measure wardrobes.
Gold hardware and golden frames add a high-quality flourish to the built-in units.
The single bedroom is a mesh between a guest room and a kids room, to suit all ages. Cutesy kids’ wall decor is swapped out in favour of elegant wall sconces.
A trundle bed pulls out from underneath the single bed to accommodate another sleeper. See more inspiration for kids’ beds.
A small platform marks a change in function of space into a kids play gym.
Set at a perpendicular angle to the bed, a fluted cabinet forms a short room divider.
On the opposite wall to the kids’ bed, a floating dressing table/desk protrudes from a wall of wardrobes. Here, a decorative vase gives the bedroom a more mature appearance.
The bathroom is encased in swathes of stunning white marble. A gold racetrack-shaped bathroom mirror descends in front.
A wall mounted modern vanity unit leaves the floor clear, which expands the sense of space in the room.
The spacious shower enclosure is trimmed with gold framework that matches a gold shower head and valves. A black toiletries shelf runs across the back wall of the shower area, cutting a stark outline against the white marble wall.
A grey accent wall smooths across the cistern concealment chamber.
A narrow shelf holds cosmetics and soaps above the basins.
The large tiles continue across the floor of the shower area, and repeat along the wet wall.
A semi pedestal sink carries a bold column-like design that stops short of the floor.
A backlit marble backsplash creates mood lighting in the powder room.
In the home entryway, a wall of fitted storage cabinets floats a few inches above the floor, leaving a convenient nook in which to tuck shoes.
Recommended Reading: Contemporary Neutral Homes That Don’t Need Bold Color To Wow
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by Furnishly | Jan 19, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Aparna Sudhakar and husband, Simon
Location: Manhattan, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 330 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband and I share this cozy little one-bedroom (almost like a studio) home in the bustle of the Big Apple. We’re both architects and love making custom things. The gloomy months of quarantine made us realize that our walls needed life and our tiny space as a whole needed a story. Starting with an organic growing living room wall filled with unique handmade art, craft, posters, and gifted items, our goal was to tap the maximum potential of every usable square foot in our apartment. A few months of layering our place with things we love and need gave it a warm makeover and became so personal to us. We love that we made our first apartment together as a married couple something beautiful, creative, and memorable!
We’re a couple that loves to design and make things. The artsy, crafty items that my husband and I made for our space that add more character outnumber the things we store-bought. A quick glimpse at any direction in our apartment will have at least one element that was made by us and naturally speaks about our interests and who we are as people. Walking into and waking up everyday in a space that reflects so much of ourselves inspires us to always keep creating things we love and things that make us happy! Our DIYs include our entryway, kitchen tiles/paint, wall art/craft, custom 3D prints, and our corner work desk space.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Creative, Cozy, Lively, Efficient, and Organized!
What is your favorite room and why? Our bedroom. This is the brightest room in our apartment and had the most potential for changing layouts. To make the most efficient use of space and to maximize room size, we made a corner work desk/window seat, which has been the best addition to our home so far! We dismantled our IKEA closet and re-used the panels to create a desk with a flip-open top and a connecting window seat. The L-shaped corner is now sun-drenched and is our creative work space.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? String lights! You can never go wrong with these, they will amp up the coziness of your home 10 fold.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Your home should be a place you want to come back to for respite at any point of time. Choose a room, corner, or even a small thing that you want as part of your home. You can build up eventually. The best thing about DIY is that it doesn’t have to be permanent, your home can evolve with your changing taste to best reflect who you are. Start making notes for yourself anytime you see something you like. I have a running list on my phone for all the things we want in our home but cannot have right now. If it is not possible right away, the right time for it is not far away!
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
by Furnishly | Jan 19, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Ashley Abramson
Contributor
Ashley Abramson is a writer-mom hybrid in Minneapolis, MN. Her work, mostly focused on health, psychology, and parenting, has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, Allure, and more. She lives in the Minneapolis suburbs with her husband and two young sons.
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by Furnishly | Jan 19, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Now Trending is our one-stop spot to get ahead of all of the biggest things for 2022 — before everyone else knows about them. From the surprising color that’s taking over kitchens to the TikTokers you need to follow and so much more, check out all of the top trends of 2022 here. Now Trending is created independently by our editorial team and generously underwritten by Target.
As a design writer, part of my brain’s always on the lookout for trends emerging in the world of interiors. When suddenly everyone is wallpapering their home with botanical prints or making their beds with throwback ruffles, I notice. Lately though, I’ve been focusing on cook spaces, helping Apartment Therapy’s sister site Kitchn gather candidates for their Renovation Diaries series. While scouting kitchens, you quickly realize that white, white, and more white is the current color trend in kitchen design. If people are feeling adventurous, you get some grays and blues. So it was with great surprise when my trend-spotting eye saw glimmers of a new and bold kitchen color trend emerging: shades of red!
“I chose this color because I love moody, deep jewel tones,” Gardner told me about her kitchen renovation project, pictured above. “It’s one I know most people would never have chosen. I wanted to create a space that felt fresh and inspiring and would challenge people to think beyond neutrals.” She continues: “I think so many design lovers and creatives are really, really sick of the all-white kitchen reign.” Amen!
Dunst’s cabinets are a slightly more plum hue than Gardner’s burgundy, but clearly, they’re kindred colors. I wasn’t the only one who caught the similarity. Gardner reveals, “So many people in my community sent Kirsten’s kitchen to me because of how many similarities it has to mine.”
Next, I spied oxblood cabinets in design writer Sophie Donelson’s new kitchen as shown just above, and as the saying goes, “Three is a trend,” right? “My designer Celia Bryson and I didn’t really look at other options,” Donelson said of the project. “She already knew my high threshold for living with color, and, when I saw it, it was sort of obvious how and why it would complement everything in it and near it.” While Donelson knows the color’s a bold choice and not for everyone, she does think it’s quite livable and versatile, especially when paired with warm earth tones like beiges and greens. “Berry colors are, unsurprisingly, appetizing,” she adds. “They look beautiful with green — from the houseplants on the windowsill to whatever we’re prepping for meals.”
Will these hues in the deep red to plum range truly become an all-encompassing trend though? Donelson and Gardner think it’s possible. “I hope it will make its way into the mainstream,” says Gardner, who doesn’t imagine, say, off-the-shelf burgundy cabinetry being available everywhere. “But I do see it in specialty stores and also offered in freestanding pieces like hutches or cabinets that can be incorporated into kitchens or other spaces as accents.”
Donelson agrees but thinks these bold hues are part of a larger trend. “I believe we’ll be seeing more colorful cabinets in the future,” she says. “I wanted painted cabinets so that I’d have the option of re-painting when I needed a fresh start. Is that arduous? Absolutely — but it’s easier and more environmentally responsible than installing new fronts or a new kitchen. I’m a huge believer in iterating on spaces.”
With paintable cabinet doors, you can change your mind without ripping the whole kitchen out. If you’re the type to crave a new look often, this is something important to consider when specifying cabinetry for your kitchen renovation. Even if it is more expensive upfront, it’ll mean you have an economical option to update later on down the road. As Donelson says, “No color or design choice should feel permanent — unless you want it to be!”
Laura Fenton
Contributor
Laura Fenton is the author of The Little Book of Living Small. She writes about home design and sustainability, and is a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy. Her work has been published in Better Homes & Gardens, Eater, New York Magazine, and Real Simple.
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