Habitat for Hermanity: Your Real Estate Infotainment...Where Housing Hilarity Ensues! San Francisco Bay Area Realtor Herman Chan

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

5/26/2013

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)

Demand Media Video -- powered by http://www.sfgate.com

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R.I.P. Marty of Madagascar!...This Is Real Photo of $3.4M Atlanta Mansion...Boy, This Stager Has Got ISSUES!!

4/10/2013

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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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OMG Decor Juggernaut Crate & Barrel Pimps Out Gay Men to Hock Their Goods! ("Nibble Bowl", "Spreader"...Say What?!)

1/8/2013

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JC Penney and GAP have recently launched campaigns prominently featuring the gays. But I think this is the first time a large retailer has gone so far! See below the romantical pic of 2 guys on a date "Saturday night at home, cooking together, dining together" next to 2 items called Olivewood Nibble Bowl and Spreader! LOL!! This is straight off the Crate & Barrel website, see here! Intentional or not, kudos to them for some major LGBTQ representation!

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My Dinnerware Setting Tips for USA TODAY Home Magazine

1/3/2013

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In case you missed it last month, I'm in USA Today's Home Magazine. Finally, I got my hands on the tearsheets today so I'm happy to share with you guys! Tips are about holiday settings but my tips still hold true through out the year. I dunno how to cook but I know how to make table look pretty! Happy 2013!

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Shocker! New Study Finds Couches Cause Cancer!

12/2/2012

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When shopping for that perfect couch, be careful! Try to stick to eco-friendly material...please!!

They found that 85 percent of 102 couches tested across the U.S. contained toxic or untested flame retardant chemicals -- at levels up to 11 percent the weight of the foam. The newer the couch, the more likely it was to be treated with the chemicals....[Couches] contains one of these alternative flame retardants, chlorinated Tris, now believed to be associated with health problems including cancer, hormone disruption and neurological problems.

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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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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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Is That Gaudy Mansion Really David Beckham's?!

9/13/2012

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David Beckham -- Ugly Mansion in 'NFL on Fox' Sketch Is NOT My Real House - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

That's one fugly McMansion, but it ain't David Beckham's. They just rented some big tacky home for the NFL commercial.....but it DOES belong to someone. Let's hope all that gaudy furniture was just brought in for props!

getting crow's feet but still a looker!

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San Francisco Chronicle Video: Decorating a Swinging Bachelor's Dining Table!

9/9/2012

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Furniture by Ursula!

7/2/2012

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The Little Mermaid's nemesis launches new furniture line! The Ink Squid chair is worthy of any self-respecting villainess! ....Yup, I bought 2!

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Beyonce & Jay-Z Have A SOLID GOLD THRONE . . . Installed In Their PENTHOUSE Apt!!! (They Goin' OVERBOARD)

6/27/2012

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This better be for a music video....lest these 2 are gettin' too hoity-toity for my tastes!

via mediatakeout.com

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Did Madonna's MDNA Cover Inspire This New Mirror?

5/24/2012

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MUT DESIGN's Zig Zag is a new modular mirror composed of 45 degree angle facets that offer unique reflections & views of the space it inhabits. (via mocoloco)

She's done perfume & gyms recently, so won't be long before Madonna opens a furniture line! Madonna at Levitz?!

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New Wooden Lightbulb Perfect to Set the Mood!

5/23/2012

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Ryosuke Fukusada has created a working wooden light bulb by designing an extremely thin wooden shell that wraps around an LED light bulb. Because LEDs produce little heat, the risk of fire is minimal. Instead, the light bulb produces a soft glowing effect. (via Mashable)

I see this being a hit for lofts, mid-century homes & arsonists.

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Apt2B.com Spotlight & Spring Giveaway!

4/14/2012

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When I was living in downtown LA, there were so many things to do but so little time. Let's face it. People don't move to Tinsel Town to settle down. No, they move there to make it! I focused so much on my career that I neglected my home. What a shame. It was a fabulous top floor corner studio apartment with glazed concrete floors & 180 degree skyline views of downtown LA. Why oh why didn't I decorate it?! I was too busy hustling! (Mom says my career didn't take off because I didn't feng-shui my apartment! Now she tells me!). Honestly, if I had known about Apt2B, I would have decked out my pad from the get-go and become a mega-star. Don't make the same mistake as me!

You see, thru Apt2B you can literally furnish your entire home, from floor to ceiling, without ever stepping into a big-box furniture store (clutch my pearls!). It's easy breezy cover girl. Affordable & convenient & best of all chic. Urban dweller aesthetic! (Isn't it dreadful when people visit your place and say, "Say, we have the same coffee table. IKEA clearance, right?" No more of that!)

I love how they put rooms together for you. I don't have to think, much less hire a pricey designer, fight traffic, driving to & fro different stores, yadda yadda. It's all done for me! Check out the Bachelor Pad ensemble on the right. Gorgeous! Try their Complete Room Packages! I can just click, click, click and my pad will be furnished with those pieces! God, I wish I knew about them earlier.

Apt2B is offering one lucky winner a BLACK + BLUM DO IT ON YOUR BALCONY "HOT POT" BBQ. Just in time for Spring! All you gotta do is post a comment below about what your favorite food to BBQ is.

(Not required but you might wanna like Apt2B & Hermanity on Facebook. Or follow Apt2B & Hermanity on Twitter)

One winner only, US only. Winner chosen at random. Giveaway ends Sunday April 28th at 8 p.m. PST. By entering this giveaway you agree to this site’s giveaway policy and Official Rules of Entry.

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A Glam Glimpse into Fashion Photographer Billy Winters San Francisco Home

9/29/2011

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Renowned Fashion Photographer Billy Winters gives Habitat For Hermanity an unprecendented yet candid chat about decorating his fabulous Russian Hill home! In this sweeping interview, my dear friend Billy reveals to us his tips on lighting a room, mixing & matching patterns & how the photography business has changed. He and I also take a walk down memory lane (Billy is responsible for my 1st magazine cover almost a decade ago!). Celebrities, models & politicians have hired Billy for his artistic eye. And now you get to hear first hand what this tastemaker has to say about home decor!

HERMAN:
You've shot for countless fashion magazines around the globe in the most stunning locations with the most beautiful models. It's glamour 24/7. Yet, whenever I am over at your home, it feels surprisingly down-to-earth and homey. Why did you decide on this comfy vibe for your abode?

BILLY:
People say that for some reason my home reminds them of a North African Casbah or a Parisian atelier. I guess having Oriental throw rugs throughout (on top of the neutral carpeting that came with the apartment) adds to the "warmth" and feeling. The apartment has a lot of odd nooks and crannies too, making it (I guess) suprising to many.

When I first saw this apartment, it was all white. They "sprayed" the entire place with flat white paint, even all the woodwork. I was not impressed. Without asking permission to paint (I never did) I started my journey. I had to paint all the trim, doors and windows in a semi-gloss off-white to cover a dull flat white throughout. The semi-gloss gives the rooms more dimension due to its shine, and makes the rooms look larger. Of course, it's also easier to clean!

"When I first saw this apartment, it was all white...
I was not impressed."

HERMAN:
As a photographer, you are very attuned to lighting (duh, 'photo' is Latin for light!). Tell my viewers how to light a home.

BILLY:
I have a "lamp" fetish I think. There are tons of unique lamps that create a mood in each room. It is all about the lighting. I often visit other homes and they have these horrid ceiling lights that have the ugliest hard light, making the room stark and cold. Having small lamps placed throughout a room creates a soft and romantic ambience. You can even toss a colored scarf over some of the shades and light a few candles to add to the effect. My living room is now painted a yellow with a tad of orange, similar to a 1950's poster I have on the wall from Belgium--a cigarette advertisement of an Arab man wearing the same golden yellow turban. So at night, with the seven lamps lit, the room almost "glows" and sets off the exterior view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the blue sky in an amazingly majestic way. First thing I do when I check into a hotel now is lose the bedspread and toss scarves over the lights.

"Lots of people put a big lamp or light source directly in the window --- Big mistake"

I also have tons of mirrors on the walls- some small, some large. If you go into a brassiere in France, or in most older European bars or restaurants, their walls are filled with odd mirrors that add a certain glow to the space and create lots of different light patterns. So if I can fit one mirror per wall per room, I do. It just opens up each room. I see a lot of people putting a big lamp or light source directly in the window--a big mistake. Windows themselves are "light sources" so leave them free of lamps (in most cases at least).

HERMAN:
Some people say too many fabrics & patterns are a design no-no. Yet, your place is a potpourri of patterns. What is your advice to someone who wants to achieve your look?

BILLY:
Go for it. The more the merrier but they need to flow. As long as the fabrics are in a similar family of colors, it will work, but it's tricky. Using one wrong color can destroy the whole look. In my living room I have different fabrics on the sofa, chair and tons of throw pillows all over the floor. And then the Oriental rugs. All the colors are in the reds, oranges, yellows, pinks and beiges, browns, so it all blends in together in a weirdly beautiful way. Then I have yellow satin drapes which really showcase the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I bought this old wooden chair for $35.00 and had it recovered with some leftover Art Deco from our Parisian apartment and now it's a total conversation piece. The room itself all seems pretty primary: red bridge, blue sky, yellow walls. Through out the apartment are fabrics from Thailand, India, Africa and other regions. Many of these have jewels sewn into them that picks up lots of light and adds sparkle to the rooms.

"Do whatever you want and don't listen to anyone's opinion (but mine of course!)."

HERMAN:
Your black and white images are utterly amazing. But I notice your home decor is colorful & vivid. Why did you opt for a more flavorful vibe as opposed to sleek b/w? How did you pick your color palette?

BILLY:
Gee, thanks Herman. I am known for lots of color in my home. When I was 8 yrs old I told my parents that I wanted to paint my bedroom orange, and they let me do it. That's when it all began I guess. Also I remember my older sister Triech, as a teen-ager, bought her first palette of cream eye shadows. They had these really neat vivid colors that just fascinated me for some reason...Maybe that's is why I became a makeup artist later on. I always watched my mother "draw" on her eyebrows with her Maybelline eye brow pencil in the natural window light. After the orange phase, I did a more mature bedroom in ''eighth grade'' with colonial wallpaper and red chair rails-- unusual for a pre-teen, but I guess I was odd. Color just turns me on and makes me happy and feel alive.

"There is nothing more beautiful than a black & white photograph- period. But to live in a black & white home would be awful unless it was in New York in the 1930's and I were rich."

HERMAN:
Your furniture is so eclectic; part vintage, part ethnic, part craftsman. You mix pastels & earth tones. But it all works! How do you make all these themes gel cohesively?

BILLY:
I don't know, but it just works out that way. A lot of the living and dining room is craftsman wooden pieces. Then the bedroom has antique French oak bed frame and American night stands with dressers from the late 1800's. I got an amazing beautiful gold & pink toned Indian bedspread from a shop on grant avenue in North Beach (a shop that is no longer there, much to my dismay). The color scheme might sound a tad feminine but with all the rich browns of the wooden furniture and the brown sheer drapes that hang, it looks to me totally masculine and riche.

The one piece of furniture I have is an odd pyramid-shaped chest of drawers that is almost the same color as the walls. Along the hallway I have a long shelf that is lined with old and new photographs of family and close friends in a melange of old and new frames that quirks it up. In the bathroom I placed an old wooden dresser I got in Santa Rosa for $75.00 that fits into the space with perfection. Above that there are shelves of colored glass pitchers and vases I have collected over the years that add a sense of whimsy in all the jewel tones to this small room.

"If all the colors are in the same families
& complement each other, it works.

HERMAN:
Your dad owned a furniture store, right? Did that influence your style?

BILLY:
I was raised by a father who owned his own furniture store. He specialized in "early American/English" reproductions so that is all I ever really knew. As a kid I got paid to "dust all of the furniture" in his store, then eventually moved up to delivery boy/man! I appreciate modern furniture a lot, but I just never get a cozy feeling in that type of environment. So over the years I have collected furniture and lots of antiques and it is a big mumbo jumbo that somehow works. The sofa and side chair are Chippendale style that my father actually gave to me as a college graduation gift. I recently had them re-upholstered in reds and tans. Despite their rigid distinct shape and looks, people say they are super comfy to sit (and sleep) on.

HERMAN:
Our first shoot we did ended up landing me on the cover of a magazine. Thank you! Not to date myself, but it was shot on polaroids & film. How has the photography business changed in the past 10 yrs?

BILLY:
I know a pretty face when I see one. The biggest change is that now we are wrinkled and photography is instantaneous. We immediately see our images, which is great in a way, but film was so special too. There is no comparison or substitution for a photograph printed from a negative. However, now with Photoshop there are tons of programs & tricks you can use to give the images different film effects. It was very difficult for me to make the switch to digital but I was pretty much forced to by my agent. Once I got it down, it was completely the norm. Now I fumble and stumble when I try to load a film camera! So i guess it's not the way a photograph is "made" that counts, but the eye that takes the shot. And now, thinking back to our first cover we did together, the background was vibrant orange, just like my pre-teen boudoir!

HERMAN:
What is the best place to get unique furniture, like those gorgeous lamps & pillows? Any favorite pieces?

BILLY:
If I pass an antique store, I have to go in it. Although I am at the point where there is no longer any room in the apartment to add anymore stuff. I can now go through a store in a quick fifteen minutes, while for others it will take hours. Also, never forget to look up at the ceilings in these shops. There are some good finds above.
I have an adorable postcard rack that I got in Paris--must be from the 1950's. It is bright yellow, red and blue. On the dining room table I have a Tiffany lamp (sounds so grandma) in purples and blues. It's gorgeous and illuminates that room. So lovely.

HERMAN:
I'm green with envy. You've got a million dollar view of San Francisco in your living room.

BILLY:
You know, I do. Before moving here I said that eventually we take views for granted, but this view never ceases to amaze me, especially at sundown. Best times of the years are in the fall when the sunsets are über saturated. I have a direct shot of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay and all of its surrounding areas--all from the top of Russian Hill, so it sort of looks like a view you would get when descending in an airplane. Or a super neato postcard.

HERMAN:
Like many of my artist friends who constantly re-arrange their furniture as a creative outlet, I've noticed you tweak your place often. Do you find a space gets stagnant if you don't change up the decor?

BILLY:
Yes!!!!! Unfortunately, there are only so many ways to rearrange a room. Maybe every 3 months I switch up the bedroom & living room, usually on a whim. The rooms are on the smaller side and I have so much furniture which must be meticulously placed, so it's difficult. And when you toss in a real large Christmas tree, you've got a big challenge!

HERMAN:
If you were given access to shoot in any property in the world, where would it be and why?

BILLY:
Well I have not been to too many different places in the world (yet). However, when I lived in Paris as a hair and makeup artist (pre-photographer days) I went on many "work trips" all over to do editorial shoots for fashion magazines. One of the most memorable trips was to Biarritz, a vacation town on the lower Atlantic coast of France, where all the wealthy holiday. We stayed at the ''Hotel du Palais'' and it was breathtaking to say the least. I have been to some of the best hotels in Paris and France for shoots, but this one made me feel really special-- almost like a movie star whilst lounging at the poolside overlooking the sea. The rooms, the decor, the pool and grounds were truly majestic. Even though I had to share a room with the photographer's assistant, I still felt special! The hotel was built in 1860- so you can imagine the history it holds...

Another place we would often go for shoots was the north coast of France to Deauville, where the light was incredibly soft, long and magical. We dined at local seafood restaurants and drank tons of wine. During one of my last work trips there a huge windstorm descended upon us. The models were wearing trench coats so it added to the ambiance immenesly (and the photographer was shooting really grainy film). I would love to go to these two places to make fashion photographs. It is on my "list" for sure.

Images by Billy Winters
415.407.9075

17 Comments

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

R.I.P. Marty of Madagascar!...This Is Real Photo of $3.4M Atlanta Mansion...Boy, This Stager Has Got ISSUES!!

Real Estate Real Simple: Herman Chan's New San Francisco Chronicle Web Series

OMG Decor Juggernaut Crate & Barrel Pimps Out Gay Men to Hock Their Goods! ("Nibble Bowl", "Spreader"...Say What?!)

My Dinnerware Setting Tips for USA TODAY Home Magazine

Shocker! New Study Finds Couches Cause Cancer!

DILF-y Brad Pitt Launches Home Furnishing Line

San Francisco Chronicle: How to Open Up a Small Room!

Zebra Pancake! Why is Road Kill Considered Haute Decor?!

Not a Good Example of Upcycling! Nice Try Though

Is That Gaudy Mansion Really David Beckham's?!

San Francisco Chronicle Video: Decorating a Swinging Bachelor's Dining Table!

Furniture by Ursula!

Beyonce & Jay-Z Have A SOLID GOLD THRONE . . . Installed In Their PENTHOUSE Apt!!! (They Goin' OVERBOARD)

Did Madonna's MDNA Cover Inspire This New Mirror?

New Wooden Lightbulb Perfect to Set the Mood!

Apt2B.com Spotlight & Spring Giveaway!

A Glam Glimpse into Fashion Photographer Billy Winters San Francisco Home

"When I first saw this apartment, it was all white...
I was not impressed."

"Lots of people put a big lamp or light source directly in the window --- Big mistake"

"Do whatever you want and don't listen to anyone's opinion (but mine of course!)."

"There is nothing more beautiful than a black & white photograph- period. But to live in a black & white home would be awful unless it was in New York in the 1930's and I were rich."

"If all the colors are in the same families
& complement each other, it works.

As Seen On

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"When I first saw this apartment, it was all white... I was not impressed."

"Lots of people put a big lamp or light source directly in the window --- Big mistake"

"Do whatever you want and don't listen to anyone's opinion (but mine of course!)."

"There is nothing more beautiful than a black & white photograph- period. But to live in a black & white home would be awful unless it was in New York in the 1930's and I were rich."

"If all the colors are in the same families & complement each other, it works.

As Seen On

Archives

Categories

Blogroll

"When I first saw this apartment, it was all white...
I was not impressed."

"If all the colors are in the same families
& complement each other, it works.