Do you like bling in real estate?

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I am working on a fully furnished rental.

I bought these gold sconces for over the bedside tables.
http://www.lampsplus.com/products/george-kovacs-rectangle-11-inch-high-2-light-gold-wall-sconce__w1297.html

A friend told me absolute not. Gold plated stuff is dated. But you still see it a lot in hotels and model homes. Plus Donald Trump likes gold and his condos and hotel are doing very well.

He also said I should do brushed stainless. Chrome is ghetto. (I personally prefer chrome bath and kitchen faucets).

My style is very simple mid-century/Dwell modern angular look. I don’t like moldings, archways, raised-panels doors, etc… But other people do, and I’m trying to cater to the “average normal renter” who would pay for my “luxury” unit.

I think that I will stick with some “tasteful bling”, a formula that has worked for me so far. Do I still have it right?

[applejack]

Actually, gold and brass are the new (again) cool thing. Stainless is still a safe option but is starting to get old and have less style impact.

[spdrun]

After the brass tarnishes, it will be shabby chic 🙂

[scaredyclassic]

14k gold watches are coming back in style after many years of being not cool

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=applejack]Actually, gold and brass are the new (again) cool thing. Stainless is still a safe option but is starting to get old and have less style impact.[/quote]

OK, I think that you’re right. I’ll stay with the gold.

The brown earth tone look is still very popular. But you don’t want a place that looks like a flipper special.

For flooring, instead of wood, I’m thinking metallic bronze ceramic which you see a lot in hotel, restaurants and night clubs.

https://www.google.com/search?q=metallic+bronze+ceramic+tile&espv=2&biw=1680&bih=917&tbm=isch&imgil=rWTs7uJvKu-ICM%253A%253BF342DKo-xG9OIM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftiledaily.com%25252Ftag%25252Fceramic%25252Fpage%25252F2%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=rWTs7uJvKu-ICM%253A%252CF342DKo-xG9OIM%252C_&usg=__bg0c0oPL_HqP7NLOWc_XOm7C8yk%3D#tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACStePimcBlLSIjg0G6vbOfgLq3sWhmUfbbeJfbXN5YtNb1Gi2ql9NU3aZ8_1OgxB1nbrcpHG3bFRZ5pWjxLJ2B4yMYyoSCTQbq9s5-AurEXwLzGijHdkaKhIJexaGZR9tt4kRr2Ee3ex0uJ4qEgl9tc3li01vURFVcF4Xh93tkyoSCaLaqX01TdpnEVoXIIIUzKpOKhIJz86DEHWdutwRHb2394iNKd8qEgmkcbdsVFnmlRHRbMZCV37jiCoSCaPEsnYHjIxjEd3f-2kA_1uvo&q=metallic%20bronze%20ceramic%20tile

[CA renter]

One thing to consider is location. Is this in Vegas, San Diego, or somewhere in Hawaii, etc.? That would determine the right style for a vacation rental, IMHO.

In Vegas, more bling. In SD, more contemporary, mid-century modern, or Mediterranean, etc. In Hawaii, something more tropical, though modern would probably work, too.

If you’re talking about a Vegas rental, I think your choices look good.

[gzz]

FlyerinHI, my favorite style is rustic, heavy solid wood furniture. I also like Art Deco and the supermodern W hotel style, though I lack the talent to make it work.

My two houses are both about 105 years old and made of redwood, so the rustic look makes more sense for me.

I agree with your friend that the lamp you linked to is ugly. I hate to say this after seeing you spent a couple hundred on them, but I figure you wouldn’t ask if you didn’t want the truth.

Both the style and gold color strongly remind me of the rural Holiday Inns/motel 6s from family vacations in the 1990’s. I mean really dated and common looking. I hate it as much as it is possible to hate a sconce.

In general, I think the best look for a bedroom is no wall light at all, and instead a dimmer switch and overhead light that allows some late night mood lighting.

I think the sleek simple style look a lot better too. The majority of the ones on lampsplus I like much better, but this is my favorite for near a bed after a quick browse:

http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-midtown-15-inch-high-white-glass-chrome-wall-sconce__t9724.html

This one is also really cool:

http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-design-10-inch-high-cutout-wall-sconce__72660.html

For color, I’d rank metal trim items as follows:

1. polished copper (great look but high maintenance to keep it looking nice)
2. brushed light silver metals
3. brushed dark silver metals
4. polished chrome
5. black metal
6. gold plate

I paid a fair amount of money to restore to a bright polish the exposed copper pipes in my basement ceiling, and then used Martha Stewart metallic copper paint on the iron gas pipes. I am very happy with the result. The pipes have since lost part of the polish but still look great.

[gzz]

I own this lamp:

Wow does it look great it person.

When it arrived, I tried it out in several different rooms, and everywhere I put it made the room look classier. Something about the hi-gloss wood and steel look. Reminds me of the lamps used in very high end library reading rooms.

[FlyerInHi]

Nice lamp, gzz.

Unfortunately, I don’t have enough space so I have banned table and floor lamps from my life. Only lamps on the wall or ceilings allowed so minimize clutter. I’m actually looking forward to LED taking over and the new designs inspired by LED.

Thanks for the comments. I’m trying to figure out the design elements that have maximum impact for the preponderance of people.

BTW, I did install the gold sconces. They seem to work. But I do get what you’re saying about the holiday inns of the 1990s.

This is a brand new middle of the range apartment complex in Las Vegas. The style progressively is more modern from a decade ago. Countertops are no longer bullnozed, they are square edged. Counter/bar area is now a large flat worksurface. No longer do they have a step up higher bar. I like the modern doors, no longer do they use the italianate molded fake woodgrain doors. rectangle lavatories and rectangle kitchen sinks.

Good improvements.

http://www.lyriclv.com/Gallery.aspx

[gzz]

I like the squared countertops too.

I just put in round ones and I would have gone square if I had the option. But the extra cost would have been $600+ as I was using prefabricated granite and they did not offer a choice of edges.

LEDs have become so much nicer than five years ago and I am 80% of the way to all LED. I look forward to my remaining CFLs burning out so I can go replace them.

I am set on doors, my houses had the old floor plan where the kitchen, dining, and living rooms all had doors between them. The prior owner removed the doors and most of the walls, but kept the old doors in the attic where they remain.

[gzz]

The black/dark brown and white look in the LV apartment gallary looks very sterile. Great for a vacation rental or hotel but not for a primary residence.

The other bad thing about ultra-modern is that it does not show well with any clutter. If my house looked like that I’d have to spend at least two hours cleaning before any company could see it.

Pendant lighting in the kitchen I feel looks too trendy and “trying to hard,” especially in this one:

http://capi.myleasestar.com/v2/dimg-crop/8941480/1085×724/8941480.jpg

My first apartment in SD did have three small multi-colored colored glass pendants over the kitchen bar. It looked good because they were tiny and not right in the middle of the kitchen.

[CA renter]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Nice lamp, gzz.

Unfortunately, I don’t have enough space so I have banned table and floor lamps from my life. Only lamps on the wall or ceilings allowed so minimize clutter. I’m actually looking forward to LED taking over and the new designs inspired by LED.

Thanks for the comments. I’m trying to figure out the design elements that have maximum impact for the preponderance of people.

BTW, I did install the gold sconces. They seem to work. But I do get what you’re saying about the holiday inns of the 1990s.

This is a brand new middle of the range apartment complex in Las Vegas. The style progressively is more modern from a decade ago. Countertops are no longer bullnozed, they are square edged. Counter/bar area is now a large flat worksurface. No longer do they have a step up higher bar. I like the modern doors, no longer do they use the italianate molded fake woodgrain doors. rectangle lavatories and rectangle kitchen sinks.

Good improvements.

http://www.lyriclv.com/Gallery.aspx%5B/quote%5D

Very nice, Brian.

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