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Niche Interiors Interview Herman Chan about SF Luxury Homes 

8/13/2014

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Niche Interiors sits down with Herman Chan to pick his brain the San Francisco Luxury Real Estate and Design Market! Find out the answers these pressing questions on their site! 


  • What are the biggest mistakes you see on the exterior of luxury homes on the market?
  • What are the top three things homeowners can do to make the best first impression?
  • Would you recommend the same improvements in Pacific Heights as you would in Noe Valley, Piedmont or Palo Alto? Are there regional trends sellers should pay attention to? 

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From Bikini to BBQ: Is It a Pool or Deck? Silly, It's Both!! Watch This Transformation

4/10/2014

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Herman's Secret Tips for Buyers (Love Letter!) & East/West Coast Market Comparison on Atlanta Radio!

10/23/2013

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One of the highlights of my trip to Atlanta was my radio interview on "At Home with Paisley."  Me, Paisley McDonald and co-host Krisztina Bell
 were just three Southern belles chattin' up a storm about houses and design! 
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Click here to hear the whole interview, full of sass and advice!

herman chan sf realtor with radio host paisley
herman chan design lifestyle expert  on air w/ paisley and krisztina
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My NOBE Bungalow "Before & After" Makeover on HGTV's FrontDoor

9/14/2013

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HGTV Herman Chan Front Door Realtor NOBE Oakland Bungalow
I just got some amazing press for my cute Bungalow for sale on  804-57th St, NOBE. HGTV's Front Door interviews me about how I transformed this plain jane property into a gem with just some quick and easy tips. 

I teamed up with my fabulous stager Cora Sue Anthony, Star of Real Estate Intervention to work our magic! She is the only one who has a bigger personality than me. LOL! 


Excerpt is below. Or read the full article. But you MUST check out the dramatical before and after photos! 

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For this home, he and Cora brightened the walls. "Gray is very hot now, so is off-white: it brightened the space." The previous owners had used different colors throughout, which "compartmentalized everything," says Chan. "When you have too many blocks of color, it's like a dress with horizontal stripes. It does a small space no favors."

The single, light color created a flow, "creating a unified space," says Chan. "And there are tons of windows, more than the average bungalow. So we left them naked, open, capitalized on the light coming in." Finally, they used sparse but impactful furnishings that "lets the buyer understand that with the right furniture, you can live here, too." 

Priced just under $400K, it's an affordable option in this cray-cray market. Sometimes the right staging is just what a bungalow needs. 

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herman chan cora sue anthony design decor makeover oakland SF
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Back To School Dorm Decor Advice from Herman

9/2/2013

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Parents, your college bound kid is gonna be spending a ton of time in their dorm room. They say workers are more productive in pleasant environments. I think this applies to students too! So make sure to decor up their dinky dorm room. Watch my tips & you'll thank me when they get straight A's! 
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You'll Need Dramamine To Live on This Floating San Francisco Home!

6/10/2013

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Do you ever see those floating boxes on Mission Creek by AT&T park? Those are homes! And the Decoist highlights a spectacular  one here. 
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Malibu House Made from A Jet! Perfect For The Jet Set Crowd!

5/27/2013

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Ok, it would be too perfect if the owners were the JETsons! Seriously folks, this is the ultimate upcycle project.  
From Earth911: Now up in the remote hills of Malibu, Calif., a home has just been built using an even more unconventional waste material – an old Boeing 747 aircraft – and the results are breathtaking. Aptly named “Wing House,” the home uses both of the plane’s wings for the majority of its roof, while the tail section’s two stabilizers make up the roof for the master bedroom.

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How To Get The Great Gatsby Art Deco Look by Herman Chan!

5/26/2013

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To inaugurate the release of the Great Gatsby, here is my Art Deco How-To video for my San Francisco Chronicle Series called Real Estate Real Simple. Art Deco is one of my all time eras in design, the decadence the glitz and glamour! The Great Gatsy is also one of my favorite books (the capitalist commentary, haves and the have-nots, the laissez-faire!). The newly released Great Gatsby film, starring Leo Dicaprio & Tobey Maguire,  is a visual homage to this fabulous period of art and design. Folks, I could watch the film with the sound off! I was visually  drowning in all the details, costumes, architecture. Wow! My only disappointment was that the film left out the homoeroticism between Nick Carraway and Gatsby (I recall that gay undertones too when I read it in high school...I thought it was hormones, but maybe not...at least per Salon Magazine)   
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art deco design herman chan SF

Demand Media Video -- powered by http://www.sfgate.com
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Out of the Closet, into the Living Room: Herman's Tale of Décor Upcycling for Frontiers Magazine! 

3/13/2013

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Read my HILARIOUS article for Frontiers Magazine!  I've written a lot of articles for them, and I just love that they let me be me! 

Spring is around the corner, and you are itching to redecorate your place. Problem is, you’ve got a dead-end job, your sugar daddy just cut off your AMEX or you’re just plain cheap! Decorating ain't cheap. No problem. If you’re low on cash but want a home makeover, you do what any resourceful Millennial does—you upcycle!  
    
For those of you living under a rock, upcycling is turning something old into something new. Before you Restoration Hardware snobs start dissing me, I'll have you know that upcycling is the hottest design trend now. Not only does it save you money, but it is great for Mother Nature. We need to be mindful of the stuff we consume. We are such a wasteful society, living in a throwaway culture. How many times have you bought a sequened off-the-shoulder top you just had to have, but only wore the darn thing once—and it was for a 1980sFlashdance Halloween party. I know I have! What a waste of $50! Before you toss it out like yesterday's trash, try to upcycle it! It is uncanny how many old, tattered things you own that can be repurposed for some fantabulous new home décor pieces.
    
Here is what I did recently to update my living room via upcycling. I was getting sick of my drab sofa. It needed to pop. It would be too expensive to buy a new one. (And have you seen the cost of shipping and handling recently?!) So I decided on a more affordable way to revive my sofa—pillow accents! I went into the closet and reached deep in the back trenches where I store clothes I rarely wear. I shut my eyes, grabbed some random pieces, and out popped a tube top, mu'umu'u and a knit miniskirt. (Guess I never threw away my old drag outfits. I’m such a hoarder!)
    
Being flat-chested, the tube top was too small. Not enough fabric to make a pillow/cushion cover. The mu'umu'u was too big. (Although I might save it for a mattress cover upcycling project!) That left the mini-skirt. It was perfect! I stole an extra pillow insert I had lying around the guest room closet, found a yard of double-sided sticky-back Velcro in the kitchen junk drawer and twirled into the living room to start my project. It literally took me 10 minutes. I placed the Velcro on the front and back waistline of the skirt, flipped it inside out to hide the Velcro seams, stuffed the pillow insert into the skirt, then sealed up the front and back hem with Velcro. After transforming my mini-skirt into a pillow, I thought, “Damn, Herman, this is too cute for my busted-up sofa. I’m gonna sell it on Etsy! For real!”
    
The fabulous thing about this skirt-turned-pillow is that it’s Velcro’d. You don’t need to mess up your Lee Press-Ons with any sewing! You can assemble and disassemble easily. This is especially handy when you get a last-minute date and all your clothes are dirty. All you have to do is waltz into your living room, grab the pillow, rip off the Velcro and toss it on. It’s a skirt again! Sigh, the joys of upcycling! Bottom line: Don’t be so quick to trash your junk clothes. You can always make a cute décor piece to brighten up your home.
    
Drop by my place HabitatForHermanity.com and I'll show you how to upcycle your old jockstraps into a macramé plant holder!

Herman Chan is a real estate and design expert whose blog Habitat for Hermanity offers a glimpse beyond the glitz and glam of real estate and design. (And it ain’t always pretty!) You’ve seen his trademark helpful, hilarious flair on HGTV House Hunters, Logo and Huffington Post. His new webseries, Real Estate Real Simple for theSan Francisco Chronicle, debuted this year. He was also once a Frontiers cover model.
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Herman Transforms His Mini-Skirt Into a Pillow! It's TV Gold! 

2/14/2013

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No budget for staging? No prob. Just raid your closet! Fantabulous segment on Good Day Sacramento! I show TV host Julissa Ortiz how to make a darling pillow case from a knit mini-skirt! Upcycling is the hottest design trend! All you need is 1 yard of sticky back velcro, a pillow insert & any old miniskirt (or poncho , for you  hefty girls).  (Thank you to my designer BFF Rosalia for her help. Check out her new design site Rosaliart.net) 
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Real Estate Real Simple: Herman Chan's New San Francisco Chronicle Web Series

2/5/2013

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Beyonce announced her world tour at the SuperBowl. Herman Chan announces his new web series Real Estate Real Simple for the San Francisco Chronicle...Okay, so it ain't exactly comparable, but hey, I can dream right? The series is Q&A sessions with readers from the SF Chronicle about housing and design. The webisode below is about decorating a living room with small mirrors. (I love the video introduction they made for me. Fancy!)
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Holiday Décor in a Jiffy! Herman's Tips on HuffPostHome!

12/12/2012

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The season for holiday parties is in full swing! And, if you are anything like me, your social schedule is packed with non-stop soirées, get-togethers and mixers. You get to dress up, pig out and steal a kiss under the mistletoe. It is fun, festive and fabulous... until you are the one throwing the party at the last minute. Read my article for Huffington Post Home: Holiday Décor in a Jiffy! 
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DILF-y Brad Pitt Launches Home Furnishing Line

11/5/2012

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According to Architectural Digest, Brad Pitt actually is the designer (as opposed to other celeb you just license their name out and slap it on a tag). Good for him! The pieces are sharp, masculine and modern...not unlike him! 
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Decorate Your Living Room With a Real Cloud! So Cool!

11/1/2012

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TIME Reports: "That’s not Photoshop. The Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde has developed a way to create a small, perfect white cloud in the middle of a room. It requires meticulous planning: the temperature, humidity and lighting all have to be just so. Once everything is ready, Smilde summons the cloud out of the air using a fog machine. It lasts only moments, but the effect is dramatic and strangely moving. It evokes both the surrealism of Magritte and the classical beauty of the old masters while reminding us of the ephemerality of art and nature."

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Janis Joplin Would Hurl If She Saw This Room! 

10/26/2012

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Eclectic Kids design by Los Angeles Interior Designer Tracy Murdock Allied ASID
Lavendar, teddy bear...& Janis? Designer must have been smokin' a joint!
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San Francisco Chronicle Video: Funky Design Ideas

10/21/2012

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Bring out your inner Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj with my Funky Design Tips for San Francisco Chronicle! 

Demand Media Video -- powered by http://www.sfgate.com
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SuperModel Maggie Rizer Shows Off Her Fabu East Bay Home!

10/13/2012

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Check out American Supermodel and activist Maggie Rizer's simply fabulous home as showcased by Refinery29.  A far cry from the hustle & bustle from her NYC modeling days, she now lives in San Francisco East Bay, hoity toity town of Diablo. Average income is well over $200,000/yr. Girlfriend married up! 
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San Francisco Chronicle: How to Open Up a Small Room!

10/10/2012

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As San Francisco proposes even tinier apartments via Supervisor Scott Wiener's legislation, check out my tips on opening up a small room from San Francisco Chronicle! 
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Zebra Pancake! Why is Road Kill Considered Haute Decor?!

9/27/2012

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Not a Good Example of Upcycling! Nice Try Though

9/26/2012

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Bad Design Tip for 2 Married Gay Guys. HeHe! 

9/23/2012

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 Cute idea to write wedding vows as constant reminder of your wedded bliss, but don't do this if you are 2 married gay guys! From afar, it'll reads "HeHe"!! 
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Kitchen Sink Doubles as Koi Pond! 

9/23/2012

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These Dining Rooms Are a Feast For The Eyes!

9/23/2012

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Which one is your favorite?
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Décor Expert Spotlight: Herman Chan (from Waterfront)

9/21/2012

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Waterfront Shopping Center asked me for some quick decor tips. 


If real estate décor expert Herman Chan looks familiar, you’ve probably spotted him on HGTV’s shows “My House is Worth What?” and “House Hunters.” When not helping clients find their dream homes, he’s helping them stage their space for sale. We snagged this busy realtor for a Q&A on how to design your own “Habitat for Hermanity:”

What are the most common mistakes people making when staging their home to go on the market?

Herman: Staging on their own! Some people think they have impeccable taste and will try to decorate solo, but decorating for yourself is different than staging a house to sell. I realize times are tough and not everyone can afford a stager, so instead of shelling out thousands of dollars, consider doing a one-time consultation—that way, you’ll have a guideline as to what colors to use and what furniture needs to be added/removed.

What are some easy improvements that can make a home more attractive to potential buyers?

Herman: Instead of painting all the walls, which can get costly, sometimes an accent wall is all you need for a pop of color. Also, bathroom and kitchen remodels historically have the highest return on investment. They can be expensive, so a quicker and more affordable facelift is a fresh paint job and/or new fixtures. It is amazing what a new coat of paint and some shiny knobs will do.

If you could tell your clients one important thing, it would be?

Herman: Be careful not to get too trendy. Fads come and go quickly and there is nothing worse then spending a fortune on decking out your home only for it to look dated shortly after.


 

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San Francisco Chronicle Video:  Eco-Friendly Home Decorating Ideas w/ Herman

9/20/2012

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Eco-Friendly Home Decorating Ideas w/ Herman
for San Francsico Chonicle
You better watch! After all green homes sell for 9% more than non-green homes! 
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my hair looked like a stegosaurus today!
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