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It seems everyone is jumping on the rustic-chic bandwagon, but what exactly is “modern farmhouse” style, and how do you discern which of its characteristics have lasting impact? Here’s the short answer: Study the classics. Incorporating the following three time-honored design elements into your home will help you achieve this popular look and ensure that your style remains desirable for years to come. Let’s take a look at the elements separately, and then see how they work together.  The Basics 1. Shiplap. Shiplap is an architectural staple that was around long before it started filling up your Houzz ideabooks. It blends into almost any aesthetic and can be incorporated into virtually any room in your home. For one of our projects (shown here), our clients wanted to take a more contemporary direction, so we kept the lines of the shiplap sharp and precise. We paired it with more streamlined furnishings as well, including a midcentury modern accent chair and a crisp white sofa. Continuing the horizontal lines straight from the walls onto the sliding door of this Charlotte, North Carolina, kitchen makes for an integrated look, proving that shiplap should not be limited to walls alone. The choice to use “barn door” hardware is also a great way to echo a farmhouse motif without going overboard. Bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms — shiplap looks great anywhere. The key is to be selective and try not to use it everywhere at the same time. In this particular setting, we love the way the window and the shiplap entice you to slow down and appreciate the surroundings. Perhaps the architect drew inspiration from an old church and then brought the exterior to the interior. Who wouldn’t want to spend an hour soaking in that tub? From the smallest reading nook to the largest living room, shiplap looks at home and adds character. It fits in equally well in a coastal cottage or a little house on the prairie. If you are renovating an older home or building a new one from scratch, don’t underestimate the power of architectural elements like shiplap to bring the charm. This entryway is automatically more interesting because of its shiplapped walls, which allow the handrail and balusters of the stairs to remain straightforward and understated.  2. Antiques. Nothing creates a space that feels cozy and collected over time quite like an antique. Whether passed down through the family for generations or found at a local flea market, that perfectly ageless piece really helps finish off any vignette. Something old creatively becomes something new again when reimagined with a different function. Relocating a chest of drawers from a bedroom to a bathroom morphs it into a vanity with tons of great storage — and lends beautiful patina. Transforming artifacts into art is a common trick of the modern farmhouse trade. For example, the lamps on these nightstands were relics that once probably held oil or water. But now, they are a lovely source of task and ambient lighting as well as a welcome textural addition in this master retreat. Antique furnishings have a distinct way of packing a visual punch as demonstrated by the gorgeous yoke-back chair in this design. Often, an antique becomes the focal point of a seating group or furniture arrangement because it doesn’t necessarily fit in with the other pieces around it. If it looks like a nostalgic memento from the American dream, or a piece of ancient history from an exotic land, don’t shy away from introducing a piece of the world’s past into your present.  3. Industrial lighting. It’s not often that the adjectives “rough” and “imperfect” are sought-after qualities. However, light fixtures with an industrial edge certainly make a good case. Nowadays, we find old-fashioned warehouse pendants being plucked straight from an actual warehouse and dropped directly above a kitchen island. Authentic farmhouse light fixtures are typically more concerned with fulfilling a function rather than making a fashionable statement. But the modern take on industrial lighting works hard and brings the wow factor. This space was designed for a teen to have plenty of room to spread out his schoolwork, but it also serves as a hip hangout for his friends. There’s an endless array of colors and finishes available on the market, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding an industrial-style light that fits your needs and budget. Choose a color that complements the other elements in your space. In this mudroom, the black shade of the ceiling light echoes the black pulls on the upper built-in cabinetry. Put It All Together Industrial lighting and antiques.Reclaimed ceiling beams and deconstructed armchairs bring the rustic charm to this scene. Balancing out those more raw features with modern sconces (and swoon-worthy steel windows) updates the look and prevents it from leaning too Shabby Chic.  Industrial lighting and shiplap.This bathroom is a great example of popular modern farmhouse style thanks to a shiplap wall and industrial sconces. Though the vanity itself does not appear to be a true antique, it does have an aged look, and the warm stain is a welcome foil to the cooler tiles found in the shower and on the floor.  Shiplap, antiques and industrial lighting. This cozy nook displays a modern farmhouse trifecta. The antique chest, pharmacy-style floor lamp and shiplapped walls converge for a space that feels both modern and carefully collected over time. Keeping the overall color palette white and bright allows the chest to steal the show. A rustic lantern, clean shiplap walls and an antique farmhouse table create an ideal setting for a relaxed meal. Top it off with hydrangeas and buffalo check pillows and it’s downright dreamy.  Finally, this kitchen sings with the harmonizing trio of modern farmhouse style. The consistent lines of the shiplapped walls act as an excellent backdrop for a collection of accessories that exude old-fashioned sophistication. The antique Oushak runner is a soft counterpoint to the angular lines of the industrial sconces above. This kitchen has classic appeal that the homeowners are sure to love for many years. By Marie Flanigan, Houzz
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Whether you’ve sold one home or ten homes, there are things that you need to know before listing your home for sale. The home selling process is one that could be as smooth as freshly poured blacktop or it could be one with twists, turns and speed bumps galore; but if you are being guided by the right real estate professional the process is vastly simplified.  Selling a home can be an inconvenient. It can create stress and anxiety as well as lead to thoughts of uncertainty. This doesn’t always have to be so; these feelings can be minimized with the right preparation and game plan from the beginning. Before you begin the home selling process, there are several things that you need to know before you begin. Here is a start: Hire a great Real Estate Professional Often the most overlooked step when selling a home is the importance of hiring a REALTOR®. They are not all the same! You should have high expectations of the individual that you hire to sell one of your biggest assets! Interview many to ensure you have the one that meshes with you and your family. Answers all of your questions properly and will satisfy your needs. A Real Estate Professional that listens to your needs is often a good one. All Information, Paperwork, and Documents on the home are crucial Your Realtor® knows what vital information should be included in the information of the house they’re selling. What does this have to do with gathering paperwork and documents? Having information on the major mechanics of the home and also any updates that have been done to the home will be extremely helpful for a buyer to make decisions. It not just about putting up a sign and waiting for it to sell. They should know how to incorporate and compelling information about your home to attract potential buyers in addition to creatively market the home. Examples may be:
Choosing your launch date wisely! Every real estate market is different. There are great times to sell and other times that may not be the most ideal. Generally speaking, the spring months are what everyone else considers the peak seasons. Real estate is situational in my opinion, meaning people don’t pick spring or summer to divorce or pass on – Life just happens. Your When selling a home, it’s important that you choose to sell your home when it’s most convenient for your individual situation. Your Real Estate Professional should have his or her finger on the pulse of the market and be able to guide you through when the best time to sell may be. They look at the market holistically as well as segmentally to determine when they can list your home to maximize what you put in your pocket. A Pre-Listing Inspection Is A Good Idea Before putting your home on the market, it can be a good idea to have a professional home inspector perform an inspection on your home. Home inspections are standard conditions of Offer to Purchase these days. By completing this pre-listing inspection, you can address the issues that the home inspector may note during the inspection. Ensure that the home inspector you hire for the pre-listing inspection will provide you with a detailed report and also pictures relating to anything they note in their report. Preparing Your Home For Sale. It’s important! Selling your home means you need to work a bit as well. The Real Estate Professional you hire should be able to identify items you may need to address during a walk-through of your home. They will identify items that may need to be corrected or repaired or may suggest painting, cleaning, de-cluttering; these are just a handful of low cost preparations that can be made, prior to selling a home. First impressions are crucial when selling a home. By not preparing your home for sale, this can often lead to a poor first impression and also can cost you thousands of dollars in the long run. It may take the extra time and effort to prepare your home, but you will totally be glad you did. Pricing The Home is Critical from the Start The most important factor to whether a home sells or doesn’t, relates directly to pricing. If you price your home too high from the start, it can actually cost you money. The price a home enters the market at will do the majority of the marketing of the home. It’s important to understand today’s buyers and know they are loaded with information and data at their fingertips. Buyers often will see many homes and understand the market, which will in turn give them an idea of where your home sits in the current market. Plus, lets face it – no one wants to pay the list price for anything. Choosing a Realtor® because they suggest the highest price or because they offer the lowest commission can be a mistake, so it’s important to educate yourself and avoid common real estate pricing mistakes. Preparing Your Home For Showings Can Be An Inconvenience When selling a home, you want to make your home appealing for potential buyers. What do you think the a potential buyer who walks through a home that has piles of dirty clothes on the bedroom floor or dirty pots and pans in the sink would think? Most buyers would be either distracted or disgusted, possibly leading to them not being interest in that home at all. Preparing your home for showings can be a job in itself and an inconvenience. Making sure the clutter is minimized, pet odors are eliminated, and that the curb appeal is attractive are just a few tips that can help prepare your home for showings. It’s possible that a home that is well prepared for showings will sell before an unprepared home just because the image that it portrays to potential buyers walking through the door.  Evaluate Whether Open Houses Are Worth It Or Not To host an open house or not to open house? Some real estate agents will swear that open houses are worth it and others will swear they are a huge waste of time. Ultimately, the decision whether they are worth it or not is yours, the homeowner. It’s true, you will most likely just be displaying your home to some nosey neighbors or people just walking by,; but it just takes the right person, perhaps the people walking by didn’t know they wanted a new home until they saw yours! Open houses is part of what I do and I have always found them to be beneficial to my clients. The above items are worth considering before selling your home. This process may result in added stress, anxiety, and unwanted uncertainty. These feelings though will be greatly reduced if the proper preparation is taken in advance. Understanding the importance of these things and how to make the proper decisions can make the difference of your home selling experience being a disaster or a success. By Carma Gramyk, Realty Times
 Chip and Joanna Gaines haven't just taken over the airwaves on their uber-popular HGTV program, Fixer Upper. They're taken over the city of Waco with their Magnolia Market at the Silos. Those of us who live in Texas within a few hours' drive of Waco can get in the car and be at Magnolia easily to shop and soak in a little of that Gaines magic. But if you're planning a trip from farther away - and so many are! - preparation is key. Knowing what to expect and heeding a few tips can help ensure your trip is a good one. Bring your patience You're going to wait in line. Just accept it on arrival so you're not disappointed to see that you might have to wait awhile to get inside the store, or the super-busy Silos Baking Co, for that matter. But, there are some ways around it. According to the store's helpdesk, Magnolia "is busiest during the hours around lunch; particularly on Saturdays, when we see thousands of people come through our doors. We suggest coming near opening or closing hours to have the most peaceful shopping experience." We got lucky on our visit, arriving in mid-afternoon and strolling right in, but these people did not. Bring your wallet If you're a fan of Chip and Joanna's French country style, you may end up with far more merchandise than you'd planned. The store is filled with bits and baubles, pillows and lanterns, decorative wall hangings, candles and containers, kitchen items like mugs and bowls, and potted stuff and floral stems and some of the metal wall hangings Joanna favors in her fixed-up homes. You'll want two of everything.  TexasHighways.com At the very least, you'll probably have orders from friends and family to buy a bunch of Magnolia t-shirts and sweatshirts. If you're thinking you can just buy everything you like online, Popsugar cleared up that, "About 40 percent of the goods in their Magnolia Market store are available in their online shop, the other 60 percent can only be purchased at the physical location." Bring your appetite, too In addition to the Silos Baking Co, there is a rotating drove of food trucks lining the lawn where you can grab everything from mac ‘n cheese to hot dogs to crepes to cold-pressed juice. After all that shopping, you'll definitely want a snack. Bonus tip: Stake your claim on one of the covered tables for some shelter from the sun. Waco is HOT in the summer. We're not above a little table stalking when necessary. It's ok to bring the kids In fact, they'll probably have a blast, playing cornhole, kicking a ball around, and swinging on the swings. In the back of the property, where Magnolia Seed + Supply, the Gaines' outdoor mecca, is located, there's even a teepee. Keep in mind, though, that the breakability factor inside the store is high. Check the calendar ahead of time Many disappointed families have arrived in Waco all set to shop, eat, and play, only to find out that Magnolia Market and the Silos Baking Co. are closed on Sunday. This may affect your trip. You'll also want to pay attention to their Facebook page, which lists upcoming events like ongoing Movie Nights at The Silos and the Silobration in October. Make "just in case" plans for the rest of the day One of the things that stood out to us is how different our expectations were from the reality of Magnolia in terms of the time we would spend there. We were done in a couple of hours, and that was with some food truck and lawn-lounging time. If you want to continue along the Fixer Upper Tour, head to Harp and Co Design. This is woodworking master Clint Harp's nearby shop, where you can browse and buy before heading to JDH Iron Designs, Fixer Upper metal art designer Jimmy Don's shop, which is about a 25-minute drive through the countryside.  HGTV.com Stay in a Fixer Upper House The Harps' home that was fixed up on the show is right next door to their shop, and is now available for rent through Airbnb - and it's not the only one. The historic Magnolia House is also on Airbnb, although it's so popular, even at $695 a night, that it's booked through 2017. Do a search for "Fixer Upper Airbnb" for more options. Get there in style While parking is easy and free at Magnolia, you can add to the fun (especially for the kids) by taking the Silos District Trolley, which runs runs every 15 –20 minutes throughout the day and will stop anywhere along the route so you can hop on or off to browse the downtown area. Document your trip You'll undoubtedly go to great lengths to do so, because social media and friends demand it! Your family may look (mostly) ridiculous, but you won't care because you got a picture in front of the Magnolia sign. The strong sun can wreak havoc with your outdoor photos, but don't leave without snapping a pic under the #MilestoMagnolia sign and uploading it to Instagram. By Jaymi Naciri, Realtytimes.com
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