20 Trends from the 1920’s to Watch in 2023

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Glamorous. Luxurious. Sophisticated.These are typically the words used to describe interior design in the 1920’s and we’re excited to say that when it comes to home design, what’s old is new again! While the roaring 20’s were fun last time, we’re in for a real treat as we welcome 2020. Here are 20 home interior trends from the 1920’s that we see making return in the coming decade. 

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20 Trends from the 1920s to Watch in the 2020s

1) Bold Colors

 The Kardashian-West clan can keep their neutrals. The last few years have been filled with ubiquitous gray-walls-with-white-trim, so expect to see some real punches of color. Think less bright and in-your-face and more rich, luxurious, and deeply toned hues.

2) Metallic Surfaces & Accents

We thought the new millenium would bring chromed-out everything, but thankfully that was just some Hollywood fortune telling. There was a brief love affair with mercury glass and galvanized, especially galvanized corrugated metal came in with the farmhouse aesthetic of the 2010s, but expect more metal in the 2020s. We’re calling classy colors like gold, black and bronze in shiny or matte, but not weathered or worn, finishes. 

3) Freestanding Bathtubs 

Freestanding baths all but disappeared from the 1970s and 2010s in favor of shower/bath combos and jetted tubs, but the clean look and unparalleled luxury of a freestanding soaking tub will make this trend return in the 2020s. Plan on this new iteration having less of a clawfoot style and more of a sleek, minimalistic look. 

4) Large Velvet Furniture

We’ve been seeing velvet on smaller items like headboards and ottomans for years, but, really, what says “roaring 20’s” more than a full velvet couch in a bold midnight blue or luxe emerald green? 

5) Worldly Prints & Touches

The 1920s saw designers and stylemakers looking to far away lands for design inspiration — which led to some ethically questionable behavior in terms of sourcing, acquisition, and more. As globalization becomes more and more the norm, expect to see more of east-meets-west look in homes — but with an eye for ethical, humanely sourced, and sustainable goods. 

6) Earthy Prints & Textures

This one, too, has been going for a while, but don’t expect to toss your banana leaf print or hemp macrame quite yet. Do expect to see these more natural and bohemian items paired with the rich colors and metals listed above for a look that is all it’s own style in 2020. 

7) Form-function-forever

 After decades of consumerism, planned obsolescence and disposable single use products, we’ll see a return to higher cost, but higher quality, long term products. Multifunctional items that are built to last with a beautiful (some may say Instagrammable) aesthetic will dominate this decade — even if they come at a higher price point.  Think companies like Le Creuset (founded in 1925) and Rubbermaid (1920), but this trend isn’t just limited to the kitchen. 

8) Dramatic Design

The 2020’s, like the 1920’s, will be an era for gender-bending style fluidity (remember it was scandalous for ladies to wear pants at that time). This time around we’ll see norm breaking in home design — think lace mixed with leather and metal, rich wood with sparkling crystal combined with marble — a slew of feminine-meets-masculine-with-androgynous touches all done with a heavy flair for the dramatic and no time for minimalism. 

9) Tortoise Shell

While we’re not really sure tortoise shell patterns ever went away, expect it to come back in force in the 2020s. The typical black-and-brown color palette means it coordinates with everything and the unique, yet classic pattern gives it an exotic, yet familiar feel. Look for touches of tortoise shell paired with metallics and matte jewel tones in unexpected, yet charming places. 

10) Rugs, Rugs, Rugs

We’ve long said “ado” to busy, patterned linoleum and “adios” to wall-to-wall shaggy and oddly colored carpets in favor laminate and hardwood flooring, but unlike the sleek minimalist look of the 2010s, we’re calling for the return of rugs. Staircases and hallways will feature striking runners while area rugs will draw the whole room together. These aren’t your mother’s put-your-shoes-by-the-door floormats, instead these are designed to be statements of their own. Feeling extra bold? Try a LARGE circular rug for enhanced drama. 

11) Sunburst designs

The art deco that defined the 1920’s shines in sunburst designs. Often found in mirrors and wall art, this fun and sunny shape will find new life in the home and looks especially fresh being incorporated into a nursery!

12) Wallpaper

Another trend we’ve seen coming back in the last few years is wallpaper, especially the heavily patterned or textured variety. Unlike the cover-all-walls method of the 1920’s, this time around wallpaper will be used as an accent wall. Unsure you’re ready to commit or still waiting to purchase your own place? These days you can get the same luxe look with far less commitment by using peel-and-stick contact paper.

13) Displayed Smoking & Vaping Paraphernalia

The 1920’s was the golden age of cigarettes in America with many women picking up the habit during World War I. Coffee tables often displayed cigarette boxes or urns, match strikes, lighters, and opera length cigarette holders. Nowadays traditional cigarette smoking is in decline, but vaping and increasing marijuana legalization means in the 2020s you’re likely to see a renaissance of sorts of this trend.

14) Art Deco

The combination of modernist styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials make this style just as relevant today as it was in the 1920s. At its inception, Art Deco was meant to represent luxury, glamour, exuberance and optimism and had an international appeal — all things that make for good design today. Forget the opulence of, well everything, in the 1980s or the over-the-top design of the Tuscan kitchens of the 2000s, Art Deco feels both fresh and vintage, new and classic. 

15) Geometric Furniture

Kneeling to the Art Deco trends that shaped the 1920s, expect to see more clean lines and interesting shapes in furniture in the 2020s. Note that the new version of this look comes in new variations (lights, bookshelves, tables, you name it!) and to get the best impact for your effort you should limit items to having a fun shape or pattern– lest you take on a Peewee’s Playhouse feel.  

16) Grown-up Glitz

No glamourous style is complete without at least a little glitz and glimmer and the 2020s will not disappoint. Taking inspiration from glitzy “flapper” style of the 1920s, you can expect beaded upholstery, mirrored accents and even crystal fireplace glass rocks to turn up the shimmer in the 2020s.

17) Large Scale Items

The bold and patterned nature of design in the 1920s means that every piece in a room is competing with the piece next to it, so embrace it.While the last few years have seen a surge in the popularity of the gallery walls, in the 2020s expect to see bigger, singular pieces of wall art.

18) Horizontal multi-panel doors

After a decade, get ready to say “goodbye” to the barn door look and “hello” to solid wood doors with more interesting panels routed into them. Unlike the traditional 6-panel door look that has two rows of three vertical panels, this version may have different designs or windows added and aren’t just reserved for the front entryway.

19) Built-in Furniture

Built-in furniture all but disappeared in the last few decades as homes and buildings were purposely designed to have the greatest appeal to the largest amount of people. Gone was the character of the 1920s built in designs, but now we’re coming full circle. These days you can achieve the built in look without the built-in hassle by using smartly designed bookshelves.

20) Statement Fireplaces

During the 2010s we saw fireplaces all but disappear, that is to say visually disappear. While the function (usually) remained, the form was often painted over in an effort to blend the fireplace into the wall that held it. This decade, expect another throwback look to emerge with bold fireplaces retaking center stage in rooms. 

RealtyHive Wrap-Up

When designing your home, remember that trends come and go, but style is forever. Choose pieces that fit your style, your life, and your budget and you’re sure to create a beautiful space you’ll love for years to come.

Ready to start creating your perfect space in 2020? Whether you’re looking for a move-in ready Spanish-style home or you’ve got your eye on a vintage commercial building RealtyHive has you covered. Have a property to sell? Check out the great options available for sellers on RealtyHive!

money-currency-crypto-cryptocurrency-bitcoin

The Future is Digital: Countries Exploring Digital and Crypto Currencies

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There’s a lot of buzz around all things crypto these days and while many people have heard about Bitcoin and Ether, there is still a lot of misunderstanding. To add to the confusion, new forms of currency, usually referred to as tokens or coins, are added almost daily. While many of these are done by private parties or organizations, some federal governments are looking to get into the mix for a variety of reasons from privacy to efficiency.

Before digging into which countries are pursuing which types of projects, it’s important to understand the difference between digital and cryptocurrency.

When a person uses a debit or credit card, they are using digital currency. These days most businesses, organizations, and individuals have little to no problem accepting digital currency as this form of payment is now widespread and normalized. When credit cards first rolled out in wide scale, the reaction was similar to the current skepticism surrounding cryptocurrencies as people were accustomed to exchanging physical objects (money) for goods and services. After seeing how mainstream digital currencies have become, and the efficiencies they afford, some governments have taken to producing their own systems. Keep in mind that not all digital currencies are cryptocurrencies (but they could be), but all cryptocurrencies are digital currencies.

Cryptocurrencies are receiving a ton of attention now, but they are a bit more complex. Instead of having a centralized, well-known company, like Visa or Mastercard, handling the transaction and verification process. Instead, the verification (aka proof that a person has the money they’re trying to spend) is done through a complex web of connected computers called a blockchain.
 


 

Countries Exploring Cryptocurrencies

Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands, a nation of volcanic islands situated in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, has done away with the U.S. dollar. A bill signed into law on March 1, 2018, changed the official currency of the nation from the USD to the “sovereign”, the country’s new, official cryptocurrency. By transitioning to digital currency as the sole form of national legal tender, the country and its population of more than 53,000, is creating an interesting scenario for banks and credit card companies who will have to use this system if they are interested in doing business in the country.

Venezuela
In early 2018, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the release of the Petro, a new digital currency back by the country’s vast oil reserves. While Mr. Maduro touted this move as a workaround to existing U.S. sanctions, however shortly after the Petro was released, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring any U.S.-based financial transactions involving the new currency. Residents of the struggling nation and interested parties throughout the world are skeptical as to what results of this new cryptocurrency deployment will yield given Venezuela’s current state of financial ruin.

Countries Exploring Digital Currencies

Ecuador
Ecuador became the first country to have a state-run electronic payments system back in 2015. The official currency of Ecuador is the U.S. dollar, but exchanging old bills for new costs the country more than $3 million each year. The new digital currency allows residents to pay for select public and private services using digital money, and while it hasn’t eliminated cash as a form of payment, it has reduced this burden and works in tandem with the previous monetary scheme.

Countries Using a Hybrid

Tunisia
In 2015, the north African country partnered with Monetas, a global contracting platform, to boost its newly-created eDinar digital currency using the blockchain. This allowed for more security and less corruption throughout the system.

Senegal
Following Tunisia’s lead, Senegal launched it’s own digital currency to be used concurrently with the country’s CFA franc and can be stored in all mobile money and e-money wallets. The currency is base on the blockchain and has been designed to be compatible with other digital currencies used throughout the African continent.

Countries to Watch
Switzerland
While the country hasn’t announced any plans to develop its own cryptocurrency, the business-friendly and innovative country is embracing all things crypto. From January to October 2017, Switzerland was second only to the United States in terms of money raised in Initial Coin Offering (ICO) fundraising, a precursor to digital and cryptocurrency launches.

Gibraltar
The small European nation has been publishing papers and giving indications that they’re open to the idea of being an ICO haven where the markets, not individual people, would be the ones to regulate the market. Nothing is official yet, but the country hopes to have its plans implemented in late 2018.

Cayman Islands
This island nation has long been a favorite of the extremely wealthy as an offshore holding site for some of their assets, but the country is looking to become a leader in ICO capital raising. Thanks to a legal definition of securities that is much narrower than in the US and a tax code that is very business friendly, Cayman Islands are definitely a country on the move.

Mauritius
The small island off Africa’s eastern coast has been allowing borrowers to use Bitcoin and Ethereum’s Ether as collateral for loans since 2018 due to a partnership with Secured Automated Lending Technology (SALT). This platform allows people with these currencies to utilize them without selling the assets, a very attractive option in the highly volatile crypto markets.

Looking Ahead
As digital and cryptocurrencies become more and more popular, more countries will begin to adopt and/or regulate these transactions more regularly. Currently, many countries have banned cryptocurrencies, while others are abstaining from releasing an official position as the technology continues to develop. One thing is certain, this technology has the potential to shape the way we transact and do business on a global scale. To learn more about getting involved with or investing in cryptocurrencies, check out this Blockgeek article.

bank building in a city

Streamlining the OREO Sales Process: 2018 Market Update

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According to information made available by BankRegData.com, the value of OREO property held by U.S. banks has been falling from $17.51 billion in Q2 2015 to $8.45 billion by the end of Q4 2017– a change of more than 50%!

While the overall market climate is changing, it is worth noting that the pace is not the same everywhere in the country. According to data provided by RealtyTrac and their parent company, ATTOM Data Solutions, foreclosure rates for the entire United States stand at 1 in every 1,776 homes, while New Jersey clocks in at the highest with 1 in 605 homes and South Dakota boasts the lowest foreclosure rate at 1 in 11,082 homes as of March 2018. This tool shows the rate for each state in the nation.

With the waning of the foreclosure tides, it’s important to make the most of these assets and simplify the process of liquidating them. In the previous months and years, it may have made sense to have a variety of people and companies handling the onslaught of properties that were consistently streaming into the pre-foreclosure phase. This is no longer true. To simplify processes and consolidate services is to see increased efficiency and reduced costs and to do this, banks need an all-in-one solution.

One of the easiest ways to consolidate is to find a real estate company with experience in OREO distribution. It’s important to partner with a company that is able to work in most or all of the states where the asset properties are located. Real estate licensing requirements vary on a state-by-state basis so partnering with a single firm that can handle all needs will eliminate the backend processing and cost associated with having multiple vendors. If a bank is looking to offer these foreclosure properties in an auction setting, choosing a real estate firm that is also licensed as an auction house can further streamline this process.

RealtyHive offers these solutions to financial institutions throughout the country. From Maine to New Mexico, the Realty Hive team has more than 30 years of experience and has helped sell everything from multi-million dollar commercial buildings to small parcels of vacant land for government financial entities to local credit unions. See more here!

graph showing inflation during tenures of us fed chairs

Jerome Powell: The New Man Controlling Your Money

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In November 2017, President Trump announced he would be naming a new Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors with the term starting on February 1, 2018. While the actions of the Federal Reserve affect the daily lives of all Americans in one way or another, not many people know the function of this agency or about its new leader. Here’s your handy guide to the Federal Reserve and it’s new leader, Jerome Powell.

What is the Fed?

The Federal Reserve, known simply as The Fed, is a governmental agency that controls the nation’s monetary policy, supervises and regulates the banking industry, and maintains the stability of the financial system. The Fed is split into three entities that all work to further the goals of the agency. The Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Each of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks has its own nine member board of directors that are chosen by member banks and the Board of Governors.

Unlike most governmental agencies, the Federal Reserve is not funded by congressional appropriations. Instead, its primary funding source is interest earned on the securities it owns. After payment of expenses and transfers to surplus (think a rainy-day fund with a $10 billion max), any net earnings are transferred to the US treasury.

What is the Board of Governors?

The Board is comprised of seven members who are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The full term for a Board member is 14 years** and members can’t be reappointed. From the Board, the President selects two members to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Board. Each serve four year terms and can be reappointed. The Fed meets eight times a year and while the general public usually doesn’t pay much attention to the bulk of their meetings, the decisions they make affect almost all Americans.

One of the ways the decisions of the Fed impact most Americans is that they set the interest rate for borrowed money. For example, say you have a variable-rate loan. When the Fed decides to raise the interest rate, your interest rate will also go up and you’ll owe more money on a debt than you would with a lower rate.

While not mandated by law, but typically upheld by tradition, the Chair of the Board of Governors also serves as the Chair of the FOMC. The FOMC is charged with overseeing “open market operations,” which affect the federal funds rate, which in turn influence overall monetary and credit conditions (as mentioned above), aggregate demand, and the entire economy as a whole.

**Because a Governor can be appointed to fill an unexpired term and then appointed to their own full-length term, the actual maximum amount of time a person could sit on the Board of Governors is just under 28 years. Alan Greenspan is the only person to serve five terms as Chair of the Board of Governors for a total of 20 years.

Who is Jerome Powell?

Powell is a 64 year old former investment banker and an Obama-era appointee to the Fed’s Board of Governors where he has served since 2012. He received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University, a law degree from Georgetown University and went on to serve as undersecretary for finance in the Treasury Department during George W. Bush’s administration. He is also a former partner at asset manager The Carlyle Group of Washington, D.C. and was a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center, focusing on federal and state fiscal issues from 2010 until he joined the Board of Governors.

Was the pick controversial?

Kind of, but not why you’d expect.

The Chair of the Fed is a politically neutral position, meaning that when presidents and congressional control shift, they typically keep their job. Alan Greenspan, for example, was Chair from 1987 to 2006 and served during the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush administrations. After Greenspan came Ben Bernanke who served for eight years during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, however Janet Yellen, the outgoing Chair has only served for four years. So this breaks from recent tradition but isn’t really that surprising.

What are predictions for his tenure?

Former Chair Ben Bernanke has called Powell a “moderate and a consensus builder” and chief economist at Deutsche Bank, Peter Hooper, has said, “We suspect that a Powell-led Fed would not be a large step away from a Yellen-led Fed and would thus represent policy continuity for markets.” Like Yellen before him, Powell holds many of the same views on monetary policy, especially in terms of a focus on maximizing employment and keeping interest rates low to stimulate spending and investment. This is encouraging to markets, which loathe the unknown and tend to flourish with stability and also to high-dollar value investors and loan holders, such as real estate developers or mortgage holders, who are aided by low interest rates.

Only time will tell the outcome of Powell’s tenure as Chair of the Board, but with the market on an eight year bullish run, the second longest in U.S.history, and no obvious signs of impending trouble he’s got a great place to start.

Sources

Goldstein, Steve. “What a Jerome Powell Fed means for investors and the economy.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 3 Nov. 2017, 11:28ET, www.marketwatch.com/story/imagining-life-under-a-jerome-powell-fed-2017-10-20.
Grossman, Richard S. “ A 22nd Amendment for the Fed? Term limit essential.” Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria Times, 27 Jan. 2014, santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/commentary/a-nd-amendment-for-the-fed-term-limit-essential/article_c1ce9e72-8710-11e3-9d28-001a4bcf887a.html.
Taube, Samuel. “What to Expect From Fed Chair Jerome Powell.” Investment U , The Oxford Club, 4 Nov. 2017, www.investmentu.com/article/detail/56838/what-to-expect-fed-chair-jerome-powell#.Wkape9-nHct.