Saturday, June 23rd, 2018
If you have to read about the history of townhouse living, then you’d have to go to Rome or even England and start your research there. Manhattan may be booming with apartments and townhouses but these structures weren’t born there.
The townhouse is that rental property that is either freestanding or attached to another townhouse. These habitats often have a terrace.
A rented townhouse comes with a monthly fee that is asked by the owner of the property in exchange for living the property. At times, the owners and the tenants live in the same habitat. Typically, only one family can be housed in such a unit, though.
Living in a townhouse comes with amenities such as pools, gyms, and spas. While apartments date all the way back to the times of the Ancient Romans, the townhouse came into existence in England when the aristocrats spent months living in different places at a time. While these elite people were living away from their homes, they had a townhouse to serve as their habitat.
The appeal to live in a townhouse is insatiable especially among urban dwellers. Just imagine having to pay heftily for every square inch of space in Manhattan so wanting to move into a more spacious dwelling unit is a dream come true. Plus, there is an increased sense of security since your neighbors are just within earshot.
Making the Most of Townhouse Living
Living in a townhouse is all about making the most of the space that you are provided with. It is all about making the eyes believe that the area is actually more spacious than it actually is. In the wrong designer’s hands, a townhouse could very easily turn into a claustrophobic environment rather than a cozy one.
Be able to decorate in such a way that light and colors are optimized. Make correct use of weight and scale as these can either make or break your design.
You could try a few things when you have grown tired of the traditional setups. So, instead of the usual blinds for the window treatments, you could use flowing drapes as they tend to make the eyes imagine height, thus, giving you vertical space. The floor-to-ceiling types are the best options to accomplish this visual goal.
Regardless of size, the living room in a townhouse must be the area of relaxation and entertainment. When you are designing for a dual purpose, you have to learn to use elements that could open up space. For instance, the age-old trick of using mirrors to reflect light can be used in the living area. Strategically placed mirrors can visually widen the space.
You can put the mirror behind a light source like a pendant lamp or even a lit candelabrum. This should give your townhouse the illusion of having another window.
You can also use the vertical space to hang small to medium-sized artworks. This technique is also used to make rooms visually larger. The trick here is that the eyes are led to roam the space horizontally.
When using colors, it would be best to shy away from dark hues. Small homes would do well to use neutral color palettes because these are known to push back the walls, visually of course. Softer hues also tend to lighten and brighten up a room since they can reflect light. Softer colors also add instant sophistication as well as a homier feel.
Lastly, pick only the furniture that has a lightweight appearance. It would be wrong to add chunky pieces of furniture as these will constrict your space. Use end tables and coffee tables that come in pale hues. Your best friends are glass and light-colored wood furnishings.
Tags: designing a townhouse, history of townhouses, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, townhouse design, townhouse history, townhouse living
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes, Townhouse Living | Comments Off on Why Townhouse Living Is Beautiful
Thursday, December 8th, 2016
Vertical living and privacy characterize self-sufficient living in the city. Home buyers are often attracted to these characteristics but these could also be a turn off to some would-be homeowners. In essence, townhouse living requires that you take out your own garbage, maintain the boiler as well as the HVAC. What’s great about townhouse living, though, is that you don’t need the approval of the board in order to renovate your place. You also won’t worry about a neighbor living downstairs who’s complaining about your noise.
Hunting for the Right Townhouse
The very experience of buying or selling a townhouse is a lot different from purchasing an apartment. There are more spaces to cover with a townhouse than an apartment. There are also other items that you need to evaluate such as width. Of course, the wider the townhouse, the more value it has. In NY, for instance, the average width of a townhouse is at 18 to 20 feet. Anything that’s narrower than this is, therefore, more difficult to sell. Over 25 feet and what you have is already considered a trophy property.
Location Always Matters
Location parameters differ when you’re scouting for a townhouse. Understand the value of location. There are apartments with winning amenities but are located in an inferior block but this doesn’t seem to affect its value. Do this same scenario to a townhouse and the value of the property become a lot less.
Another factor that brings the price down for townhouses is the kind of tenants. The best buys are those that have rent-stabilized tenants. The value is greatly discounted because of the rent-stabilized tenants. On the other hand, if you are seeking to renovate the whole building, then rent-regulated tenants won’t make that possible.
Loving History
Townhouses have an honorable history to offer. European royalty used to dwell in such habitats. Today, they still make sense because townhouses are shelters for single families who can live comfortably in an urban setting. Empty nesters who are also looking to downsize will find that townhouses are a wonderful alternative to condo or apartment living.
Townhouses aren’t for everyone, though so it is crucial that you do your research before you sign up.
Townhouse Living – The Benefits
Townhouse Living – The Downside
Decorating the Awkward Spaces
Get the idea from the first Harry Potter movie – have a room constructed under the stairs. This could become a room where the coat rack will be placed or where the cleaning tools will be stored. That space above the radiator could be used as a place for your artwork, some practical hooks and flower vases.
The secret to small space decorating is to make use of every nook and cranny. Townhouse living could be a tad more difficult but it also has its perks that other homes can’t offer so you might as well embrace those.
Tags: designing a small space, living in a small space, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small space
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Saturday, February 27th, 2016
If you ever thought of townhouses as mere glorified apartments, well, think again. They are no longer just houses that were put right next to each other. As it turned out, many are wrong about their notion of townhouses. They are not apartments, neither are they houses or condos.
Not all townhouses are condominiums and vice versa. Condos can be townhouse style, apartment style, even a small house style. The townhouse is not automatically a condo, though.
The Townhouse Difference
The crucial difference between a townhouse and a condominium is the patch of land where the former is situated at. Condo owners only have the space inside the building to own, nothing more.
The townhouse can be boring if you allow it to become just what it is – an unflattering piece of property. Just like any home, even when you do own a mansion, it is up to your artistic side to prove that there is so much more to your property than just a piece of land.
Know that your townhouse’s eventual style is a reflection of your taste. If you like modern, sleek, clean, with spare aesthetic, then add that to your townhouse. Putting texture in any home can also add some drama.
The Townhouse Living Areas
Are you an avid fan of travelling? Then go ahead and display all of your collection, from your numerous travels, inside your living room. Find a glass cabinet that will hold all those that you collect dearly.
Putting artwork right inside your townhouse living room will add a fresh contrast to the plain box look that townhouses evoke. Add continuity to the limited space by installing mirrors. Just make sure that you find the ones that suit your chosen theme.
Consider all the factors that will make your house a home. Most of the time, it is simply repeating a certain shade from the stuff that you love. You can use the shade of pink from your favorite Teddy Bear and have it don the plain walls. Do this and see the place transform!
If pastels and everything sweet is not your cup of tea because you are a formal transitionalist, then find out how you can coordinate modern flair with the rest of the textures and patterns inside your home. Lay out the pillows but be sure to plan everything so that what you would see is a collection of pillows that suit the room.
Do you have exposed timber or metal beams in your home? Then use them to your advantage. These were placed there to act as a support structure, however, they can also be used for aesthetic purposes.
Have a lovely sofa that can serve as the star of your living room.
A second seating unit can be used in your lounge. This is a spot that normally has a fireplace where friends and family could gather. Use subdued colors if there is a fireplace in the room. Bright colors may take the spotlight from the fireplace since this can also be the focal piece in a townhouse living room.
A townhouse dining area is often just a nook. Use a hanging candelabra to illuminate the spot and be sure to tie the rest of the elements with the design of your lighting fixture.
The kitchen area can be given a homey aesthetic by having a lacquered cabinetry and a simple backsplash. Storage is a necessary part of every townhouse. Add more storage shelves and cabinets where you can put all of your pots, pans, and cooking utensils.
Storage is just as important inside the townhouse bathroom. Have an interesting vanity inside this room if there is extra space.
The home office is also often a nook. This is usually just a corner inside the bedroom, an area where books and office stuff are stored. A lovely desk and chair should complete the townhouse home office that you have set up.
Tags: designing small spaces, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, tips, townhouse
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