Great Balls of Fire!
The month of August is a hot one, but that’s nothing compared to “Las Bolas de Fuego” (Balls of fire) celebrated in the small town of Nejapa, El Salvador every August. That’s when competing groups of young people in the village hurl flaming balls (comprised of old cloth and wire soaked in gasoline) at each other. Participants are well protected so that no one is burned during the festivities. Some say the event commemorates the eruption of El Payon volcano in 1658 forcing area residents to relocate.
Here’s What Else Is Hot…
The weather isn’t the only thing that’s hot in August. There are some pretty hot remodeling trends that you might want to look into before summer slips away.
- Livability Over Luxury: Homeowners are more interested in projects that add everyday comfort and convenience than in over-the-top opulence.
- Personalized Style: People are looking for design and décor that better suits their personal lifestyle and taste rather than blindly following fads. Homes are more customized.
- Separate Showers and Tubs: For years showers and tubs together were the norm. Today more homeowners have separate shower and bath spaces (and some homeowners opt for super-sized showers and no bath at all).
- Importance of Accessibility: As increasing numbers of Americans plan to stay in their own homes longer, they are taking steps now to ensure that their existing homes make it easier to access important areas of their home. That impacts outlets, countertops, hallways, and stairs. Making design changes now makes aging in place a much smoother transition.
- Open Design (Especially Kitchens): While the open kitchen design isn’t brand new, it’s still extremely popular – and is still a hot trend in older homes where the kitchen was isolated from other common rooms (family room, living room, dining room).
Late summer is a great time to start the remodeling process while kids are out of school and your schedule is a little less hectic. If any of the things mentioned here strike a chord with you, now is a great time to talk to us about creating a plan that will deliver the kind of result you want and help you enjoy your home even more as you head into fall.