How to Bring Restaurant Design to your Dining Room

Remember the feeling of walking into your favorite restaurant and looking forward to a nice meal in a great atmosphere? With the shutdown of indoor dining around the country, social media has been flooded with beautiful pictures of homemade food. Now it’s time to bring that same enthusiasm to your dining room décor and complete the transition to a true restaurant-quality experience.
• Add Texture – Looking for a bistro feel? Add some fuzzy pillows and a cozy (preferably washable) floor rug to draw attention to the space.
• Change Up the Seating – Have you noticed that more and more restaurants are using non-conventional furniture in their dining rooms? Adding some armchairs, stools, or benches to the dining room will have a big impact.
• Gild the Room – One of the easiest ways to bring elegance to your dining room is to add a gilded mirror. Keep an eye out for these and other special touches at garage sales and some décor stores.
• Mix and Match – Take an eclectic approach to your dining room. No need to use matching chairs or place settings.
• Add Ambience – Keep an interesting vase full of fresh flowers on your table, add soft lighting or candles, and play ambient music over speakers to remind you of your favorite restaurant or bar.
Offer those delicious meals a special place to be enjoyed by adding a few simple touches to your dining room. Even with more time at home, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy a “dining out” sense of elegance.

Can an Expensive Home Still be Affordable?
Real estate prices across the country have increased dramatically in the past year. With increases in the 10-12% range, many potential homebuyers have given up and decided that homes are just too expensive to consider. While homes have become more expensive, it does not mean they are unaffordable.
Would you believe that we are experiencing a historically favorable market for buyers when it comes to affordability? Why? This is because affordability involves more than just the purchase price of the home. When considering whether you can afford a home, you must include wage growth and interest rates.
Interest rates are among the lowest we’ve seen in decades. In addition, wages are increasing at a staggering 7% rate year-over-year. For example, a median household income of $68,000/year with a 7% wage growth, will see an extra $400/month.
The median home price is about $325,000. If we add a 10% growth factor to this, that same home would sell for $357,500. At a 3.5% interest rate, the monthly payment would increase from $1313/month to $1444/month, an increase of only $131/month. In terms of affordability, today’s market offers homebuyers more for their money.
Many homebuyers indeed have sticker shock; homes are getting more expensive. But for many homebuyers, other economic factors combine to make homes more affordable than ever before.