The Denver housing market has been in the news a lot lately – especially when the average home price hit a new high of over $600,000 (CLICK HERE for the story). While the pandemic has slowed down many things…the Colorado real estate market wasn’t one of them.
That’s why some people might be surprised to know that not ALL areas of Denver real estate have seen this spike; more specifically, Denver condo sales have actually slowed, according to an article from Business Den. This slow down is due to a number of factors, but whatever the reason, Lori Greenly, found of Denver High-Rise Living, brought up a great point in the piece: “Being locked up in a five-bedroom house during COVID is not bad. But a condo owner is now forced to stay inside the place they bought for easy access to nearby amenities. So when all of that closed down, it basically made everyone rethink a few things and pause.”
I’m a condo owner myself, so I can understand what she’s talking about: Condo living has a lot to do with the amenities and the fun of urban living and much of that was put on hold during the shelter-in-place. While we’ve seen a return of some of those things, the future is still uncertain. That’s why it might be important to make the most of your interior space as we move into the winter months. Here’s what I suggest.
Learn to Love Where You Are…For Now
If selling your condo was on your to-do list this fall or winter, you might want to wait. Of course I would advise speaking with a real estate professional before making that decision, but if you’re not in a hurry it might be worth waiting to list your property. In the meantime…let’s refresh it.
- Take this opportunity to rearrange your space and don’t just limit yourself to the items in the room! For example, you could switch an end table from your bedroom into your living room. Go “shopping” in your own home and give it an update.
- Find a piece that you love – an area rug, decorative pillow, piece of art – and choose a new color from the piece to paint your room.
- Don’t want to commit to painting an entire room? How about an accent wall or your entry door and hallway like we’ve done here? In this case, we pulled a color from the rug and fabric in the living area and brought those elements into the entryway.
Establish Your Dream Space
Even if selling isn’t on your radar that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use a little refresh. I hereby give you permission to indulge yourself with some quick updates that will make you feel like you’re living in a whole new space! Here are some ideas:
- Think about replacing things like light fixtures, faucets, shower curtains, and hardware.
- If you’re really ready to dive in, let me know! Together we can create kitchen and bath space that will make you look forward to more nights at home.
- How about just replacing a backsplash or adding tile to finish a space? Here’s an example of a tile backsplash we incorporated above the granite builder backsplash.
Create a Cozy Space for the Winter Months
Again, things are pretty unpredictable right now as we all watch the rise and fall of the pandemic numbers. Knowing that cold winter months have us spending more time inside anyway (and adding to that more restrictions to what we might be able to do outside the home), this is the perfect time to “winterize” your design.
- For warmth and coziness add a luxurious throw for the sofa/lounge chair and treat yourself to some expensive slippers and pajamas.
- Add dimmers to the lighting and bring in candles. There are flameless candles that are difficult to tell from real flame candles if you don’t want to deal with finding environmentally friendly candles with wicks that won’t pollute your home.
- Bringing more plants into your home is a great way to feel a little bit of nature. Living walls are popular right now and there are companies that can create them for you. Personally, I love following Rocky Mountain Living Walls on Instagram. They can create walls that feature preserved moss for no maintenance as well as walls that contain edibles. They also have automated watering, fertilization, and lighting. Here is a stunning example of their preserved moss wall from their website:
I hope that this has given you some inspiration for creating a space you’ll love either forever or until Denver condo sales start picking up again and you’re ready to make your next move. Remember that even though social distancing in an urban area can be a challenge, it can be done. My husband and I have enjoyed trying so many downtown restaurants right in the comfort of our condo (including some amazing signature cocktails) and there are many places to enjoy just a walk outside or a picnic in the park.
As always, I’d love to help you with your condo design and help you see everything that’s possible.