Have you ever come home to find that your house has been broken into, your husband has canceled your recordings of The Bachelor, and it appears as though your “big bad guard dog” has actually led the robber to the fine china? I truly have “seen red” before. And I bet you have, too.
So how do colors affect human emotion and reaction? Company owners, home decorators, web designers, have all recently been paying more attention to not only what colors to choose, but why to choose them. Color psychology is now known to play a larger role in marketing, design and branding. Perhaps as homeowners, we, too, should choose wisely. The colors you choose for your spaces can actually play a role in your mood and temperament.
Black begs power and authority. You wouldn’t bully the karateka sporting the black belt.
For the home: Choose an accent wall in your home office and paint it black! Own your work space, and make it be known that you’re the boss in there! It will demand dominance.
White symbolizes purity, innocence, and sterility. Wouldn’t it just seem odd to baptize a baby in a red gown? Or to paint the walls of an operating room a dirty tone of split pea soup?
For the home: If you have a case of kitchen OCD, a white kitchen is a necessity. White will make the kitchen appear larger (and it IS the heart of the house, so the bigger, the better!), but the more sterile this room feels, the better. Perhaps your guests don’t want to question whether their food was prepared in a germ breeding ground, as white countertops and cabinets are no hiding place for grease splatters or red wine rings.
Red brings about feelings of passion and rage. Studies also show that it increases circulation, action, and exudes an empowering masculine energy.
For the home: Assuming most households do have at least one man in them, perhaps use red as an accent color: Red pillows, a red door, red vases. Does your house have a man cave? Red that room!
Orange has the tendency to elicit increase in energy and optimism. Think of the fruit – it’s bright, sweet, makes you want to do an Irish jig.
For the home: If you have a home gym, this is the PERFECT place for this color. It will likely give you that needed boost an extra shot of espresso may provide…without the calories!
Yellow sometimes enhances concentration, but can lead to irritability and anxiety. Just because it’s gender neutral doesn’t mean you should paint your nursery this color. Studies have shown that the same baby will cry more in a yellow room than in a blue room.
For the home: As with red, use this color as an accent. If you just love the color, a downstairs powder room would be a nice place to put yellow on the walls. It will add a kiss of zest to the first floor. Consider the sun…it’s always nice when it’s out, but you never want to stare at it!
Green…ahhhh green. It’s natural…relaxing…can’t you smell the fresh cut grass? Not only does green bring you down to earth, but it can symbolize greed and envy. So, use green wisely.
For the home: Incorporate green by using indoor plants! Plants will bring the outdoors in, and studies have shown plants and flowers will reduce stress and improve general well-being. You wouldn’t bring your sick friend a gerbil, right? You’d bring them a fresh bouquet! If you’d rather bring green in another way, go with a nice pale green for the living room.
Blue has a similar effect as green. You feel calm around blue. It symbolizes loyalty and peace. Straight from Wikipedia, “In 2000, Glasgow installed blue street lighting in certain neighborhoods and subsequently reported the anecdotal finding of reduced crime in these areas.”
For the home: I’d choose a navy blue as an accent wall in the dining room, or a light blue for a bedroom. If you’re like most, your bedroom is the one place you can really go to unwind. Blue will allow you to feel soothed and restful. Light up a beach wood candle, and you’re in heaven! Just don’t go painting clouds on the ceiling. Then you’ve taken it too far.
Purple is the color of royalty, wealth, and sometimes romance. In ancient healing therapies, the color psychology behind purple was believed to treat skin problems, and purple crystals were used for both emotional and physical healing.
For the home: If it is believed to aid in skin therapy, what better place for a purple paint job than the master bathroom? Maybe the good purple vibes will work their magic and make you forever beauteous. If that’s not what you’re about, picture a relaxing lavender scented bath. Purple is also said to spark the imagination. I know many people do their best thinking in the bathroom!
Pink makes people think of love and romance. But it also brings about a sense of nurturing and immaturity – the silly, playful kind.
For the home: A little girl’s bedroom is the obvious choice here. But I think another less obvious space would be lighter maroon color in a playroom. This may help mold creative thoughts and visionary children.
Now go grab some color swatches, and create your own desired household aura!
Helter swelter, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk! Eat the egg, but don’t BE the egg. If you follow these 10 tips, you may actually find that there are ways to enjoy the dog days of summer. Our bodies, moods, and bills take a toll during the scorching summer heat, but don’t let the temperature and humidity keep you from the beach, outdoor entertaining, and boating. Stay cool, my comPADREs.
Padre Island Corpus Christi
Bang for your buck
I, for one, admire Winter Texans. They’ve got the right idea: Come to our piece of paradise, spend a few months, spend a few bucks, then repeat! Some come in RVs, others have a home/townhome/condo to which they retreat. The time is coming to welcome our Winter Texans back, and it’s the Winter Texan “way” that reminds me of one powerful investment tool – real estate of course! We are lucky enough to live in a place where many come to vacation. Whether you live here and want to capitalize on the growing rental market, or you’ve got relatives and friends to whom you’d love to persuade to do the same or invest in a vacation home…Get your own piece of Padre Island Pie!
They fly, crawl, bite, invade and annoy! And the word is that this summer, they’re coming in larger numbers due to the increased rain we’ve received this spring.
TWIA NEWS…….
It’s hot here on Padre Island, and I’m not talking just the high temperatures. It is real estate’s steamy season, and properties are being listed and sold faster than season tickets at the ‘bahn. With the active market, it’s critical to take a look at your spending. How can you be assured you’re not wasting money? Here are some smart tips on how to save and spend during peak purchase season. Do not fall victim to these common money mistakes.
I just had the pleasure of taking a safety course with our own city Sheriff Jim Kaelin, in lieu of Realtor® safety month. Although the course was geared toward real estate agents learning safety tips, it occurred to me that these tips and tricks apply to far more scenarios than just being cornered in a vacant home. So I thought I’d share some of the valuable and potentially life-saving techniques that we should all keep in our back pocket – alongside our tactical keychain.
Here is our top 6 tips for the New Year
These dwellings are having their shining moment, thanks to an increased demand by both first-time buyers and Boomers alike! Both appear to be seeking the appeal for walkable communities in which the amenities are grand, you can get a great bang for your buck, and often less maintenance (big perk for both busy, young families and Boomers alike!).
You got your home under contract! You’re so excited, a buyer loves your home as much as you do! Then, inspections are set up. The three inspections typically performed on a home here are the general inspection, the pest inspection, and the plumbing inspection.
With the flooding and other tragedies that have occurred across the state, it is important that consumers be aware of Chapter 57 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code that was enacted by HB 1711 effective September 1, 2011. The bill applies to contractors who remove, clean, sanitize, demolish, reconstruct, or otherwise treat improvements to real property as a result of damage or destruction to that property caused by a natural disaster. Specifically, it requires that a “disaster remediation” contract must be in writing and prohibits a “disaster remediation contractor” from requiring payment prior to beginning work or charging a partial payment in any amount disproportionate to the work that has been performed. However, the statute exempts contractors that have held a business address for at least one year in the county or adjacent county where the work occurs.
STOP! Or, you soon will be! On August 18th, a traffic light at the intersection of Aquarius and SPID was approved by the City Council.
It’s no secret that it costs a lot to live on the coast, especially once you add up your taxes, homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, and windstorm insurance. And in 2012, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) proceeded forward with several proposals to fund the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the provider of last resort for windstorm insurance on our coast. It was then that TWIA adopted a 5% increase on all residential and commercial windstorm insurance policies to policyholders in the 14 counties (Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, and Willacy) comprising the Texas Coast. This was the third rate increase since 2009. But the long fight is finally over.
CORPUS CHRISTI – Plunging oil prices may be a relief for Coastal Bend residents at the pumps, but they’re having little influence on rents or mortgage payments.
On Thursday, February 13th, at the Padre Island Business Association lunch, Jeff Shea, Site Manager for M&G Chemicals, spoke to update us on the M&G Chemicals PET/PTA Facility.
The effects of the government shutdown are rippling through the real estate industry, and practitioners are feeling the pain all over the country. Most of the complaints we’re fielding are about USDA loans, which have been entirely frozen. Real estate pros are seeing deals fall apart, as the Department of Agriculture has shuttered its mortgage division during the shutdown.
