Ugly House Photos

We had a powerful thunderstorm roll into the Phoenix area two weeks ago.  Hail hit several areas of town and caused damage to cars, windows, etc.  Including air vents on air conditioners as seen in this photo.  The “fins” are bent from hail.  There’s a special comb you use to straighten them out.  If it’s not fixed, it could damage the A/C system (now like sucking in air through a straw).

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Design Through the Decades - part 77

Home décor & interior design in Phoenix homes during the 2000s are best defined by the color brown.  Nearly every wall was painted some shade of brown.  Furniture and accent pieces were brown or black.

Black leather headboard and bench.  Brown toned drapery panels on hook loops.

Tropical themes were popular in the 2000s.

Metallic bed frames, headboards, lamps, and other design elements were silver or brushed nickel in the 2000s instead of brass or bronze from the 1990s.

Accent walls of a different color were used in many homes in the 2000s.

Sleigh beds.  Black furniture and decorations.  Sheer fabrics in windows.

Bathrooms had warm brown colors.

Family rooms also had brown paint colors, contrasted with white outlet covers and white floor boards.

Large sectional furniture continued in the 2000s, a carry-over from the 1990s due to great rooms and large family rooms.

For the rare 2000s home with white walls, brown furniture was still used.

Patios and outdoor spaces were made to resemble resorts with privacy panels, sisal rugs, and indoor furniture.

What can we expect with home décor & interior design in the 2010s?  Here are a few predictions from experts.
Color:  Colors based on nature will be used, such as warm, rock-colored grays, taupes, and beiges.  Floor boards that used to be painted white to make the wall color “pop” will instead be painted the same as the walls in the 2010s.
Furnishings:  Smaller furniture will be in; furniture with skirts or overstuffed couches are out.  Large sectional sofas are out.  Armoires for TVs and entertainment are out.  Flat-screen TVs will be showcased, sometimes framed to resemble artwork.
Flooring:  Dark is in.  Wood floors will be stained black or a deep charcoal gray.  Lighter colored area rugs will create excitement against the dark floors.
Window Treatments:  Less is in.  Thinner materials are in.  Sometimes nothing.  Roll-up window treatments (Roman shades) will be popular too.
Lighting:  Cylindrical lampshades will replace pleated or conical lampshades.  Pendant lighting will still be popular.
Accessories:  Overstuffed china hutches are out, if used at all.  Baskets and fake plants & vines on top of kitchen cabinets are out; they collect too much dust.

What do you think will be home décor trends in the 2010s?

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Design Through the Decades - part 67

Phoenix roof designs in the 1990s and 2000s.

The 1990s - Roofs:

Roofs in the 1990s in Phoenix were all about tile, tile, tile. 

Pink clay tile was often used on Phoenix homes in the 1990s.

Blue clay tile showed up in small pockets around the Phoenix metropolitan area in the 1990s, mostly at condominiums.  This is a 1994 Tempe, Arizona condo.

Asphalt shingles were still used by homebuilders in the 1990s.  Here’s a Phoenix home with a double cross gable roof design.

The 2000s - Roofs:

Roof design finally became exciting (for roofing, that is) in the 2000s.  Certainly more complex in design than just A-frame trusses and a plywood base.  Hip style roofs replaced gable style roofs in the 2000s.  Hip style roofs have four sides that slant toward the middle of the house; gable style roofs are two sides (like a tent) with vertical sides.  Here’s a modified hip style roof from the 2000s with clay tile.

Clay tile was the most common roof material on new homes built in the 2000s.  Red tile or pink tile from the 1980s and 1990s was pushed aside for grays and tans and browns.  Here’s another hip style roof.

This Phoenix home’s roof has at least seven different design elements on its roof.

Clay tile is usually arched.  But in the 2000s, flat clay tile gained favor with many homeowners.  Flat tiles were made of clay or concrete.

Homebuilders in the 2000s opted for tile roofs on their new homes.  However, owners of homes from the 1950s to 1990s with asphalt shingles began using dimensional asphalt shingles in the 2000s when replacing their roofs.  Dimensional shingles are supposed to last 30 years and 40 years versus 15-20 for asphalt shingles.  However, the life expectancy of dimensional shingles is 25 years and of asphalt shingles is 12-16 years in Phoenix due to the intense sun and heat.

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Design Through the Decades - part 64

Homes in the 1990s and 2000s in Phoenix underwent changes in parking design:  garages increased in size, garages were used for other reasons beyond protecting cars, and garages became part of the architecture.

The 1990s - Parking:

The standard 2-car garage in Phoenix homes continued in the 1990s.  And garages continued to dominate the overall architecture of the home: they were the first and often the only thing you saw upon arrival.

Since lot sizes were smaller in the 1990s, driveways were sometimes sacrificed.

Homeowners began to demand more storage space in their homes, so homebuilders took action.  Three-car garages emerged in the 1990s and became standard in Phoenix by the late 1990s.  Most Phoenicians then used the third parking bay for storage.

In a few neighborhoods with the smallest of lots, a shared driveway to 3, 4, 5, or 6 homes was created.  Homeowners’ Association rules prohibited anyone from parking on the driveway so that all neighbors could enter/exit their driveways easily.

The 2000s - Parking:

A problem emerged in the 1990s with parking:  vehicles were getting larger and longer.  The standard 18-foot-deep garage was not deep enough or tall enough for SUVs and trucks.  So in the 2000s, many cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area changed the building code to require 21-foot-deep garages.  Problem solved.

Also, front-loaded garages disappeared from many 2000s homes.  The garage was not the dominant feature at the curb.  Homes stretched from left to right rather than front to back.

Three-car garages were standard in most Phoenix homes in the 2000s.  Homeowners wanted the third parking bay for storage.

Sometimes the 3-car garage was broken up into a two-car garage and a separate one-car garage.  The one-car garage could be used for boats, ATVs, ski jets, storage, or for a regular car.

As interest rates dropped and home financing became looser in the mid-2000s, builders threw in all the extras they could and buyers responded.  Four-car garages became very desirable in the 2000s.

By the mid-2000s, garages and garage doors underwent a design change: they became part of the architecture of the house.  Designer garage doors appeared as seen at this 2007 Phoenix home.

Designer garage doors and custom driveway at a luxury home in Scottsdale.

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Design Through the Decades - part 61

Landscaping of Phoenix homes in the 2000s changed in two major ways.  First, the big trees of the 1950s through the 1980s and the limited landscaping choices from homebuilders in the 1990s were changed to a broader variety of smaller plants.  Almost like micro-landscaping.  Second, homeowners had busy schedules in the 2000s and placed less priority toward weekend yard work.  Keep the yard maintenance to a minimum but make it look nice and pretty was the mantra of the 2000s.

Here’s a typical landscape design from a 2007 Phoenix home.  Note the variety of plants and colors.

A little of everything at this 2004 home.

Another 2004 Phoenix home.

Mixing cacti with flowering shrubs was a popular landscaping design plan.

Cacti and desert plants could be used to create personality in landscapes as seen at this 2004 home.  Homeowners’ Associations began to loosen their strict landscaping policies, which allowed homeowners to add plants to their yards.

Boulders could be added to yards for a dramatic effect.  Here we see desert spoon, sage, and ruellia plants.

Tecoma orange jubilee (tall bush along house) and the purple flowers of Texas sage accent this 2004 Phoenix home.

Gravel was pink in the 1980s and tan in the 1990s.  By the 2000s, homeowners had their choice of gravel color and the trend was toward darker colors.

Many homeowners in the 2000s wanted a small patch of grass in the front.

Out back, a simple grass lawn with minimal landscaping in the planters was common in the 2000s.

Another home with grass and a few trees in back.

Popular landscaping trees in Phoenix in the 2000s were palo verde, mesquite, ficus nitida, ash, and Chinese elm.  Other trees found in landscaping projects were lysiloma (aka fern of the desert), mimosa, sissoo, tipu, acacia anuera (aka mulga), acacia saligna, and Texas ebony.

Popular landscaping shrubs in Phoenix in the 2000s were Arizona yellow bells, Tecoma “orange jubilee“, bougainvillea “torch glow“, cassia, red yucca (aka hesperaloe), lantana, verbena, and penstemon.  Other shrubs found in landscaping projects were deer grass, elephant’s food, and red fairy duster.

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Design Through the Decades - part 55

Swimming pools and spas in Phoenix homes in the 2000s allowed for a lot of variety and upgrades since interest rates were considerably low.  It was easy for homebuyers to add a pool plus upgrades when signing the papers.  Thus, swimming pools in the 2000s became fancier.

The defining swimming pool style in Phoenix homes in the 2000s was the large boulder waterfall.

For a few more dollars, you could add a slide to the waterfall.  It was also fun to swim under the waterfall.

Another waterfall with slide.

Adding boulders in and on your swimming pool was considered fashionable in the 2000s.

Horizontal waterfalls like this 2002 Phoenix home’s were trendy.

Scuppers were also very trendy as seen at this 2005 Phoenix home.

If you wanted to splurge, you could add laminar jets to your pool.  This is a 2007 Scottsdale home.

If your budget was unlimited, negative edge pools were the ultimate in swimming pool design in the 2000s.

Another negative edge pool.

As back yards became places of entertainment (with built-in BBQs and built-in fireplaces), spas became larger.  The decked out back yard became the destination of choice in the 2000s.

Here’s a 2005 Phoenix home with a spa and seating area.  This pool features a finish known a Pebble-Tec, which is basically small aquarium pebbles glued to the walls.  The appeal (since it costs more to install) is that it has a lifetime warranty; replastering is not needed.  However, many homeowners chose the darker Pebble-Tec finish which resulted in higher pool temperatures.

Swimming pools in the early 2010s are likely to become more rare and/or smaller and more simple until the real estate slowdown ends.  Financing swimming pools with upgrades will be more costly and more difficult to obtain.  However, home builders might include “free” pools as an incentive to sell their inventory, but don’t expect these pools to have all the bells and whistles.  Pebble-Tec finish will disappear as people watch their budgets and opt for the standard white plaster walls.

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Design Through the Decades - part 50

Lighting in the 1990s wasn’t that exciting with its brass and glass.  By the 2000s, Phoenix homes got rid of see-through glass lighting and welcomed new styles.  The defining style of lighting in the 2000s was the bronze finish iron chandelier with uplighting.

It seemed that every home built in the 2000s had this type of light.

You could have 4 lights, 5 lights, or 6 lights.  From a 2003 Phoenix home.

Silver finish was also popular.  From a 2007 Phoenix home.

Light shades were also used on these iron chandeliers.

In bathrooms, down lighting or up lighting in this style was very common in either brushed steel, nickel finish, satin steel, bronze finish, or copper finish.

Recessed lighting continued its popularity from the late 1990s well into the late 2000s.

Pendant lighting (last used in the 1950s) made a comeback in the 2000s.  Glass shades in a variety of colors brought personality to Phoenix kitchens.

Some pendant lights had metal shades, as seen in this 2007 Phoenix home.

Halogen light bulbs were used in most Phoenix homes in the late 1990s and the 2000s.  As conservation became more widespread, low energy compact fluorescent bulbs came into Phoenix homes.  In the 2010s, LED light bulbs will increase in popularity once prices come down.

Coming Up:  Phoenix swimming pools from the 1950s to the 2000s

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Design Through the Decades - part 44

Flooring in Phoenix homes over the decades was kept fairly simple: pretty much carpet and tile (vinyl or ceramic).  In the 2000s, Phoenix homes had a wide variety of flooring materials and styles.

Ceramic tile was the favorite floor material in the 2000s.  The 8″ tile of the 1980s and the 12″ tile of the 1990s were too small.  16″ tile was the minimum in the 2000s, with some homes going to 24″ tile.

Grout lines were more narrow in the 2000s.  And grout was lighter in color.  The effect was that you could squint your eyes, and the floor would appear as one large tile.

Another Phoenix home with large ceramic tile.

Placing the ceramic tile on a diagonal costs more money to install, but creates a more dramatic look.

Diagonal tile can make narrow areas look wider.

Travertine tile carried over from the late 1990s into the 2000s.

Travertine tile is beautiful, but it is a porous tile and requires sealant.

If you wanted to go the extra step, travertine or ceramic tile was laid in a Versailles pattern.

Here’s a 2005 Scottsdale home with a Versailles pattern tile floor.

For those homeowners with extra money to spend, mosaic inlaid tile patterns added a “wow” factor to flooring in the 2000s.

Another example of inlaid tile.

Slate tile continued its popularity from the late 1990s into the early 2000s as seen in this 2000 Phoenix home.

The biggest change to flooring was the emergence and popularity of wood floors in the 2000s.  Phoenix’s weather and concrete foundations do not lend themselves to real wood plank floors, so laminate wood flooring was used as seen in this 2004 home.

All varieties of shade and wood type were available.

Wood laminate flooring could be found in all rooms of Phoenix homes.

Different sheens were available too.

Bamboo wood flooring was very trendy in the 2000s and lauded for being “eco-friendly.”  This is a 2002 Phoenix home.

Bamboo flooring was still being used in 2008 and will likely continue into the 2010s.

Floor tiles made of cork was used in the 1950s and made a reappearance in the 2000s.  This is a Scottsdale home built in 2000.  Cork flooring was found in kitchens and bathrooms too.

Of course, carpeting never goes out of style.  Plush carpeting was popular in the 2000s.  Carpet color trended toward darker tans and browns in the 2000s.

Flooring Trends For the 2010s:  terrazzo floors and carpet tiles.  Terrazzo counter tops already showed up in Phoenix kitchens in the 2000s.  Terrazzo flooring, already found in commercial buildings and retail stores today (and many decades ago), will likely appear in Phoenix homes in the 2010s.

Carpet tiles (usually 24″) have gained in popularity in commercial buildings and in hotels.  They are usually peel-and-stick or placed down with an adhesive.  If there is a spill, the affected tile square can be unpeeled, cleaned, and returned.  Expect to see carpet tile take off in popularity in the 2010s in Phoenix homes.  A few examples.

There are hundreds of carpet tile patterns & textures to choose from.  From plush carpet shown above to a more flat industrial style seen in this modern kitchen.

If home design in the 2000s has copied design elements from the 1950s, will homes in the 2010s take note of 1960s designs?  Will flooring in the 2010s move away from the darker tans & browns of the 2000s and include brighter colors instead?

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Design Through the Decades - Part 38

Windows in Phoenix homes in the 2000s were indeed different from windows from the 1990s in that the main theme was “different windows.”  Phoenix homebuilders in the 2000s did not just order ten windows of the exact same size for one house.  Instead, there were different sized windows for one house.  Variety was the main appeal.

Here’s a Phoenix home built in 2008 with windows of different sizes.

Built in 2006 with a variety of window sizes.  Outlining the top and bottom of the window with a darker paint color (as seen here and above) was popular.

Sometimes the windows were framed with lighter paint colors such as this 2005 home, again with different window shapes.

The name of the game in the 2000s was lots of windows.  This is a 2006 home.

Another 2006 Phoenix home with many windows.  As you can see here, eaves are minimal, so windows are fully exposed to the sun.  Low-E dual-pane windows were used in most of the Phoenix homes built in the 2000s in order to reduce heat penetration.

Another way to protect windows from the sun was to add exterior shades.

Decorative shutters made a comeback in the 2000s as seen on this 2005 home, another example of 2000 home design borrowing from the 1950s.

Just like the windows of the 2000s came in a variety of sizes and shapes, the window coverings of the 2000s were equally varied.  Drapes were used to create elegance, yet not overwhelm the room with heaviness.

Curtains with rich colors create warmth in this 2002 Chandler, Arizona home.

If you did not like heavier drapery material, you could use sheer fabrics in the 2000s.

Oak wood blinds were very common in homes of the 2000s as seen in this 2005 home.

White 2″ plastic blinds were also common in homes.

Plantation shutters never seem to go out of style.  They’ve been popular now for over 20 years.

Plantation shutters are clean and timeless.

Coming Up:  Flooring in the 1950s through the 2000s

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Design Through the Decades - Part 32

Phoenix homes built in the 1990s could have cared less about fireplaces.  But with the surge in the use of natural “green” building materials (e.g., natural stone) in the 2000s, suddenly fireplaces came back in vogue.  The fireplaces of the 2000s became works of art.

Natural stone was a very trendy choice in fireplace design in the 1950s and then again in the 2000s, this time with darker stone.  Because of the stacked stone, homeowners were able to showcase their fireplaces.

This 2002 Phoenix home’s fireplace looks similar to fireplaces from the 1950s.

You could use large stones as seen in this 2002 Phoenix home.

The size of the fireplace was toned down in this 2008 Phoenix home, but stacked stone remained a popular design element.

Another trendy fireplace design of the 2000s was to have other natural materials such as canterra stone, marble, travertine, or concrete that resembles these previous materials.  This carved concrete fireplace is from 2007.

Canterra stone fireplace in Glendale, Arizona.

Marble-like concrete fireplace in a Peoria, Arizona home.  We actually saw mantels return in the 2000s.  And the mantel to hearth ratio was usually 1:1.

A more economical fireplace was one surrounded by large ceramic tile as seen in this 2008 Phoenix home.

When mortgage interest rates were low and creative financing was readily available, many homebuyers in the 2000s added as many upgrades as they could.  Such as having a fireplace in the master bathroom.

It was very chic in the 2000s to have a front courtyard with a fireplace.

Another outdoor fireplace.

The beehive fireplace from the 1980s made a rare return in this 2002 Chandler, Arizona home.

What will fireplaces be like in Phoenix in the 2010s?  Probably minimalistic, smaller, and not that common.  With the real estate market in decline and new home construction at a standstill, it will be several years before new home sales pick up again.  Add to that tighter lending restrictions and slightly higher mortgage interest rates plus a new trend toward smaller (ie., more affordable) homes, and we’ll probably see homebuyers opting out of fireplaces and/or not willing to pay for fancy fireplace upgrades.  Unless homebuilders are desperate for sales and throw in the fireplaces for free.

Homeowners of older homes will probably remodel their existing fireplaces in the 2010s with stacked natural stone, since the price of stone is not budget-busting.

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