Brand Extensions: World-Dominating Ikea Now Makes Fully Furnished Houses

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, February 29, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Things Ikea has been doing forever: unleashing relationship turmoil on all who buy its MALM beds and all who navigate its stores. Things it should have been doing forever, arguably: creating video instructions for its products and designing houses. Now these are both a reality: the Swedish furnishings chain has just unveiled its first-ever line of houses. Designed in partnership with Oregon firm Ideabox, the "Activ" (Swedish for—guess!) model is a one-bedroom prefab home aimed at a Pacific Northwest consumer. Translation: it's eco-friendly (fual-flush toilets, Energy Star-rated appliances) and features fiber-cement siding, a metal roof, Ikea flooring, Ikea closet systems, cabinets, beds, and so on. Colors are customizable and the $79,500 house is shipped with everything from cabinets to countertops ready to go; per the architects' description: "Think of it as your own personal euro designer flat... only where you want it!" Or just think of it as a house that was built using only one tool: an S-wrench.

· IKEA DEBUTS COMPLETELY-FURNISHED, PRE-FAB, MODERN HOMES [PSFK]
· aktiv [Idea Box]

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On the Market: Bane to Surfers, Hollister Ranch Makes The Outdoors Exclusive

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, September 7, 2011, by Rob Bear

The 14,400-acre seaside tract north of Santa Barbara, Calif. known as Hollister Ranch has been a ranch since the tail end of the 18th century, and was acquired by the Hollister family in 1869. In 1971, a developer subdivided the coveted property into 136 parcels, each measuring 100-acres. With 8.5 miles of pristine shared beach, a beach club complex, 24-hour security, a 500-head shared herd of cattle, and strict community guest policy make for a unique blend of celebrity-level privacy and rustic Old West ranching. The focus on limited access has made the gated community a villain to local surfers, who now boat in and anchor off the coast to access Hollister's legendary breaks. And yes, in case you were wondering, the Abercrombie & Fitch spinoff Hollister Co. takes its name from the ranch. That sounds like strike two for, er, real surfers. One way around all the access b.s. is to buy or rent a place, but you'll need to be a millionaire beach bum for that.

Offering spectacular canyon vistas and a rustic but luxurious pair of houses, Parcel 114 (top) is listed for $6.7M. The land includes more than 40 apricot trees, a rose garden, irrigation system, and countless old-growth oaks. The wood frame houses are accented with numerous stone fireplaces, outdoor showers, and hot tubs, while the "barn" has been turned over to a man cave-type entertaining space, complete with bar, pool table, and neon signs.

? With 105 acres under its umbrella, Parcel 129 is a surprisingly cheap alternative to 114. The spread is asking $1.85M, but includes more basic accommodations than the last place. There's just the one log house, but it still has elevated views of the Pacific and is just a short distance from the massive ranch's main gate.

? Given the spectacular coastline and the fact that only 30 of the ranch's lots lie on the waterfront, it's no wonder that Parcel 27 is listed as "price upon request." This desirable lot is coupled with a 4,300-square-foot Mediterranean-style manse that includes five bedrooms. In one of the ranch's more confusing eccentricities, only a 1/3 interest in the land is up for sale, but that interest includes exclusive use of the main house. Good luck finding a comp for that!

? In another strange Hollister Ranch twist, there are houses listed for rent, but according to the ranch's policy, only landowners and their guests are permitted on the property. Does that mean this casual two-story spread, Parcel 19, is off-limits to visitors? That'd be a shame, considering its glorious hillside views, huge wall of windows, and laid-back appeal.

? Lacking in decent exterior photography, the rental listing for Parcel 76 says it's available for either short- or long-term rental, though doesn't disclose a price. Yet another 100-acre lot, 76 has a substantial Mediterranean-style home with more of the not-so-rustic luxury features that might lure renters and those are on top of the 180° ocean views. Potential renters might not be so pleased with the interior design and would be well served by bringing their own furnishings.

· Hollister Ranch Information [HR]
· Parcel 114 [HR]
· Parcel 129 [HR]
· Parcel 27 [HR]
· Parcel 19 [HR]
· Parcel 76 [HR]

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Real Estate Sold: South Park Loft Makes a Quick Exit From the MLS

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, August 23, 2011, by Sally Kuchar

We first told you about unit #7 at 10 South Park earlier this month. The 1-bed, 2-bath loft was asking $795,000. We gushed about the location, but questioned the kitchen remodel, which is… highly specific. Commenters chimed in and said things like "that kitchen is just for porn," and "fancy finishes don't necessarily pay off, and tend to look out of place on lofts." We agreed. However, we're very happy to report that although the kitchen has a very unique style, it didn't stop this condo from selling less than a month after it was listed. 10 South Park #7 sold for $785,000 last week, only $10,000 under asking. Congrats to the lucky buyer!
· "Highly Customized" South Park Loft Lands on the MLS [Curbed SF]
· 10 South Park, #7 [Redfin]

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Makes Your Blood Boil: The defendants sent out at least...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, August 19, 2011, by Philip Ferrato

? Back to top

? Previous: Time Traveling

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Outdoors Week: A Chat With Frederico Azevedo, He Who Makes Huge Planters

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, June 24, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

Photo by Eric Striffler

Brazilian-born landscape architect Frederico Azevedo seemed like just the guy to talk to about dramatic—yet decidedly sane—lawn ornaments. Azevedo owns Unlimited Earth Care, a garden shop in Bridgehampton, N.Y., where he runs a landscape design business, as well. In 2006, he launched a series of oversize planters that was immediately embraced by his jet-setting clientele—he tells the story of a California woman who painted her fence with white-and-purple stripes and chose one of Azevedo's 72-inch-high purple planters to stick in front of it. Here, we talk to the guy behind all this grandiosity.

Let's talk about these planers. What do you think inspired you to start designing them?
Well, everybody was going with a certain scale—maximum 36 inches—and the problem was that in certain places you need more height than width. So I started to have the idea to make them narrower and longer, so they fit in any space. They can fit in a terrace, a large landscape design, around swimming pools, or even in a small city balcony, because the base is very narrow and it doesn't have a very big diameter. That is the trick and the way so then you keep them balanced.

What sorts of plants were you designing for?
To use in these particular design, usually the plants are low—you can go with low palms or make a great visual because actually that's what palms are. They have very narrow trunks and big canopies.

How big is the biggest planter you offer?
82 inches with a base diameter of 30 inches.

Do you sell many of those really huge ones?
Yes, actually yes, people from California—they have completely different environments. The colors make them really great, too.

What types of gardens and landscapes would you say have impacted you and your work?
Always modern gardens make an impact on me. I'm from Brazil, and I grew up in the
'70s when all the modern architecture was exploding in Brazil with the creation of Brasilia, the capital. It was done all by Oscar Niemeyer, and the gardens were designed by Roberto Burle Marx, the father of modern landscape design. All this modernism was a great inspiration in my career. Also, in Rio was the development of Flamengo Park, which is a park that crosses the south part of the city to downtown. That's where the modern museum is and other things that all create an image of how to treat the environment differently and be careful with what you plant. They searched for all native plants and put them there. That is really what inspire me—how you can make all landscaping very sustainable by researching species that were here and for some reason disappeared. If you can bring them back and group them in a specific way, they will look great.

So you always use native species?
I try to—I try to always to do what's going to grow in a healthy way because everything that you try to force is going to be forced not natural.

Would you say you're drawn to one type of garden or landscape?
Everything is fascinating. I just like to observe everything—the woods, sometimes when you go to Europe you'll find species along the road that came from a completely different environment and turn out to be invasive now. I'm very curious about all the little details. I like everything—any garden, any time.

So what style would you say defines your work for clients?
I try to push for modern style so I have more of a concept about what the garden is and what landscaping is involved. With very defined concept that will help the garden to have more style. We all like a lot of stuff, but we have one body, and one style, and we cannot mix everything that we like. That's what i try to develop with my clients: to get into a concept and translate the ideas to an environment. Everything changes and what remains is the style. In the moment you achieve garden that will stay forever.

What do you mean by "concept?"
The idea of blending, repetition, and the ability to translate ideas. Sometimes people have a definition of what they think is an English garden but it's actually an Italian garden. The key is to translate everybody's ideas into one reasonable concept that will blend into nature and will be acceptable to the architecture and the environment.

Where do you live? What's your outdoor space like?
North Haven, N.Y., which has lots of deers. The first time I saw deer in my life was when I went to Austria, and friends took me to their country house in Salzburg. I woke up and I was staring at deer for two hours. I thought it was so beautiful. When I came to America, I said, "I want to live where the deers are!" Some people don't like it. I love it. I stared to experiment and research and I developed these gorgeous perennial gardens—everything is deer proof. We have the deer, and the dogs, and everything blends in with each other. It's no problem. That was a challenge for me; what I didn't have from past experience became a great pleasure. I developed a beautiful garden in a natural environment without fences.

Photos by Eric Striffler

· Unlimited Earth Care [official site]
· All Outdoors Week posts [Curbed National]

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Conn Commercial <b>Real Estate</b> Makes Modest Improvement | Connecticut <b>...</b>

The second quarterly survey on Connecticut real estate conditions conducted jointly by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA), the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC), and DataCore Partners LLC, reflects modest improvement within the State’s commercial real estate sector.

“U.S. economic recovery officially commenced in June 2009, but has yet to filter down in a large way here in Connecticut over the last year. In a word, improvement can be characterized as being “mild” as the State’s economy continues to feel the aftershocks of one of the worst economic downturns dating back to WWII,” stated Peter Gioia, Vice President and Economist at CBIA.

According to the fourth quarter CT COMpREhensive survey results, the Farmington Bank/ O’Connor Davies Munns & Dobbins LLP Commercial Real Estate Index recorded mild improvement, climbing to an index level of 11.8, up almost four index points from the previous quarterly reading of 8.3. The latest data reflects a market which is still facing challenges in the form of cautious consumer spending, slow job expansion, and possible shifts in buying patterns as consumers felt more comfortable with Internet purchases during the holiday shopping season. The Current Conditions Index component recorded at 9.8, up from 7.5 last quarter, while the Future Expectations Index component, measuring expectations for the commercial marketplace three months from now, rose from 9.1 last quarter to 13.7 in the October-December timeframe.

“Results from our second quarterly survey are encouraging. We’re clearly moving in the right direction given commercial real estate fundamentals, but progress thus far has been slow. Hopefully, we’ll build on these numbers as domestic economic recovery becomes more tangible,” said Don Klepper-Smith, Chief Economist and Director of Research at DataCore Partners.

Farmington Bank/ODMD Commercial Real Estate Index History:

- Current Conditions Index

7.5 (3Q10)/9.8 (4Q10)

- Future Expectations Index

9.3 (3Q10)/13.7 (4Q10)

- Total Commercial Real Estate Index

8.3 (3Q10)/11.8 (4Q10)

Other findings include:

• Respondents continued to be somewhat pessimistic about the outlook for the Connecticut economy over the next three months. Only 8% thought the State’s economy would be “excellent” or “good.”  Local economists have stated that the levels of consumer and business confidence, as well as job growth, will be instrumental in bolstering economic activity in the first half of 2011.

• Connecticut’s Office Market is now starting to benefit from modest new employment growth, but demand for labor remains sluggish as the overall pace of economic growth has been slow relative to prior economic recoveries.  Many area employers seem to be adopting a “wait and see” approach to permanent future hires. Only 7% polled characterized current conditions as “good” or “excellent,” while 52% stated that conditions were “fair.”

• Connecticut’s Industrial Real Estate Market is starting to benefit from increased demand for Connecticut exports, which rose abruptly in the second quarter.  Only 10% characterized current conditions as “good” or “excellent,” while 47% stated that conditions were “fair.”

• Connecticut’s Retail Real Estate Market is hopeful that this last holiday shopping season was better than last year as U.S. retailers are anticipating a gain of about 3%, but retailers face continued challenges in declines of consumer spending power and sluggish job growth.  Only 7% characterized current retail conditions as “good” or “excellent,” while 48% stated that conditions were “fair.”

• Connecticut’s Investment Real Estate environment appears to be improving based on prospects for new growth and cheaper capital, despite the sluggish economy.  About 16% characterized current investment real estate conditions as “good” or “excellent,” while 46% stated that conditions were “fair.”

• The fundamentals around Connecticut’s Residential Real Estate continue to improve as median sales prices are firming and sales volumes are posting double-digit gains relative to one year ago.  About 12% characterized current residential real estate conditions as “good” or “excellent,” while 53% stated that conditions were “fair.”

“The good news is that many local economists now believe that the Connecticut economy is poised to build on economic recovery heading into 2011 as the State has added 8,300 new jobs dating back to last December,” commented John Patrick, Chairman, President & CEO of Farmington Bank.

Alissa DeJonge, Director of Research at CERC, also noted, “The expectation is that gradual improvement in the State’s economy is likely to result in tangible job growth in coming months, leading to improved gains in incomes, greater levels of consumer spending, and healthier levels of export activity.”

“Barring an unforeseen exogenous shock within the domestic economy, the hope is that Connecticut commercial real estate conditions are apt to improve in coming quarters,” added Bruce Blasnik, Partner at ODMD.

The survey was conducted during the fall of 2010 and polled real estate professionals in all eight Connecticut counties, asking for opinions and perspective regarding local real estate conditions in both the residential and commercial markets. A total of 177 respondents participated in the fourth quarter 2010 survey, including real estate brokers, real estate developers, bankers, appraisers, and economic development officials from around the State.

The executive summary of this quarter’s CT COMpREhensive and Farmington Bank/ODMD Index is available at www.cerc.com and www.cbia.com.

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House of the Day: Golfer&apos;s Paradise Makes Big Claims Unverified By Scorecard

Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, December 15, 2010, by Rob

Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.

Location: Pebble Beach, Calif.
Price: $19,500,000
The Skinny: There's nothing quite like a good dose of brokerbabble, and this one is no different. "Probably the best views on earth," crows the listing. Whoa. That's one big claim, but it seems every house pushing $20M needs one. At least the views aren't the only thing going for this seaside sprawler. The estate is located adjacent to the Cypress Point Golf Club, but if the new buyer is a die-hard homebody, there's always the par-3 chip-and-putt course on the front lawn. There are a few disappointments, including the beige-on-beige kitchen and living room, the cheap electric stove, and ceiling fans-cum-lamps, but for the right superrich golfer, this just might be the place to work on finally lowering that handicap.
· Fan Shell Greens [Sotheby's]

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