All About Condo Living
Everything, Anything, All About Condo Living!

This is one of the rages that is sweeping the nation of condo dwellers and has many people afraid of heights screaming, glass patios that seemingly has you hanging in mid-air and allowing unimpeded views of the floors and grounds below. There may be some privacy issues but it is indeed a novelty and kids love them. They are normally made up of laminated glasses that has alternating layers of glass and tempered glass that makes them quite tough and shatter proof.
They have been installed on some of the newest properties but your stomach for heights may have to be tested, to the extreme. You may have to change your habits in terms of clothing for your neighbors would surely be looking up to you, for the wrong reasons.

There is a notion in today’s environmentally conscious world that green is in which is mostly a very good choice yet not always the best for old condos that were built when caring for mother earth wasn’t always the norm of the time. But this doesn’t mean you can’t do your own little part in the greening of your particular unit for the simple act of changing all your lighting with CFL’s or energy saving lamps may be a good start. Old buildings also had a menagerie of appliances that were not too good for the environment, these appliances can be replaced by better newer ones that are more efficient and thus saving you more in terms of electrical consumption. More →

The fad of collapsible furnishings that can be torn-down and re-assembled easily creates a hidden danger in the home for they release VOC’s that are known to have harmful side effects to you and your family’s health. The solvents and glues used on such products eventually begin to leach out of the wood thus exposing you to cancerous compounds that should be avoided considering the small confined spaces in such homes. More →

Image Source: www.pmi.org
Condominiums: Owner has a deed for unit, has a separate mortgage, pays property tax on the unit plus a percentage of the common areas and pays a monthly maintenance fee. A board of directors governs the complex with the owner having one vote. The condominium owner has a fee simple absolute unrestricted ownership and is individually responsible for property taxes and maintenance fees. Use the sales price of condominiums with similar size, appeal, age, neighborhood, incurring similar maintenance fees, etc. to determine market value.

Cooperatives: Most co-ops are incorporated and a board of directors governs the complex with the owner of each individual unit having one vote. The owner has no deed, only stock and a proprietary lease which has a term from 10-50 years renewable automatically or at the discretion of the shareholders. He/she cannot refinance his unit as a condo owner can. Mortgage, property tax and maintenance fees are paid pro rata by the owner according to the percentage of the overall size of the unit. Property tax appeals involve the corporation and the stockholders.

Do you have money to splash for interior design yet you don’t want those frilly designs I have mentioned earlier? How about getting your home a 1940’s look?

Don’t feel miserable. The 1940’s look is not so bad, it’s chic in fact! Loud colors that contrast each other were “in” during those times. Red and white, gold and gray… anything goes. Since you are living a convenient and fast-paced lifestyle, getting things mixed-and-matched is not anymore a concern.

Also, since we’re talking about the 1940’s, expect that you’ll have to splurge on some antiques. No, not the uber expensive ones, but those little paraphernalia (figurines perhaps?) that have a 1940’s touch in them. Maybe you could add in your shopping list some glass doorknobs too so it’ll be more authentic looking.

Photo taken from http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com

Are you a plant lover but your strong and heavy home decorations do not seem to go with plants? Then better adopt the French Country design and start having those plants that you yearn for. The French Country motif basically makes use of green as its base color. Green is seen as something lively, easy on the eyes and it exudes a fresh feel to a person’s senses. Plants such as lavenders and stargazers go with toiles.

Toile is a type of French cloth (or any other material) that has a light background (mostly beige) and has repeating images printed on it. Decorating your home using these two materials (flowering plants and toiles) will surely bring you that invigorating French feel.

Photo taken from http://www.bellahomefashions.com & http://discount-wallcovering.com

Do you think your house is quite dull to look at? Then why don’t you try adding colors to it?

Perhaps Mediterranean interior design is the answer to your home dilemma. It uses a mixture of earthly colors that depict certain picturesque scenes. Such colors include red, yellow and orange to represent sunsets. Or perhaps, blue green, turquoise, and blue to have that cool oceanic look.

As per the furniture, this design motif normally uses pine wood as its primary material for tables, chairs, and sofa frames (you can actually get those from local dealers for a cheap price, or if you’re lucky, maybe a second hand is available at the thrift shop nearest you). You can also add colorful paintings to your walls or some mosaic for that Spanish Mediterranean feel. Plus, don’t forget that Mediterranean design is not complete without those colorful pot flowers.

Photo taken from http://www.bishopshotel.co.uk

If you are planning to redecorate your condo unit, might as well have themes in mind. One of the most soothing (to the senses) designs is that of the Japanese. Japanese designs usually make use of natural and earthly colors, avoiding those flashy colors most commonly used by Western styles, as they want to be faithful to their dictum which is simplicity. Symmetry is also important to achieve that Japanese look in your home, so if you buy little mats in your thrift shop, might as well buy it in pairs (ask for a discount if possible). Japanese style is also affiliated with “anything environmental” so you might as well put a flowering plant beside that coffee table of yours (some ikebana would be nice!). Don’t forget the famous short table

Photo taken from www.turbosquid.com