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Was $383M Remodel for San Francisco Airport Worth Every Penny!? Yes Ma'am!

6/29/2013

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CNN counts down the best luxury airports in the world. And SFO makes the list twice!
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

A $383 million renovation in 2008 turned this airport (most notably, Terminal 2) into an all-in-one luxury destination for shoppers, foodies and art aficionados.Travelers, tourists and locals flock to the SFO Museum. Opened 1980, it was the first museum of its kind located in an international airport and it has only grown since then, having spread throughout all four terminals.

From modern photography to Pan-Asian ceramics, a rotating array of exhibitions is designed to intrigue a cross-section of visitors. For those with a tot in tow, there's also a children's museum, complete with art classes and even an aquarium (Terminal 1).

SFO Herman Chan's fav airport
san francisco airport & herman chan
I shot this last image from my Instagram! Follow me if you aren't yet! I'll rock your world!
SFO Shot by Herman Chan: www.instagram.com/herman
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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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PROMO CLIP: Can You Spot Mr. Herman Chan on HGTV's Pilot 'Power Brokers'?

3/5/2013

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I got my fabulous buyers a free renovation on a new HGTV show called Power Brokers. It stars Mike Aubrey (Real Estate Intervention) & Juan Barbieri (The Bachelorette). I have a small appearance too in the pilot, so stay tuned for more details! 
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House Remodels Bust Up More Marriages Than You Think! 

6/2/2012

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Oh no! The marriage between wrestler John Cena & his high school sweetheart is crumbling. TMZ reports "the house they were remodeling was sending them to the poor house and the courthouse." A contractor has now put a $110k lien on the property. Yikes!

Compromising on taste and balancing budgets, renovating a house can put any relationship to the test! Before you remodel with your boo, be sure you 2 are on the same page about design AND money! 

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Modernizing Old Home is Hottest Trend, But Beware!

1/11/2012

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Check to see if your house is landmarked
Ever since the collapse of the market, McMansions have fallen out of style. Buyer tastes have veered towards old homes with character. Revamped Victorians, Edwardians, bungalows are hot! Sellers who  modernized their 100 yr old homes up to 2012 amenities and upgrades while maintaining the old world charm and architectural integrity command huge prices. 

However, before you start chopping up your old house, check with the city to make sure it is not designated as an historic landmark. Otherwise you may be violating historic preservation ordinances!  This family in Palo Alto ,CA is fighting the city to get their house (in photo) removed from the city history inventory. What is considered historic is up to debate. Apparently, this Council Member agrees with this family: "With all due respect to the Historic Resources Board, they're not composed of experts." Snap! 

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Holy Herman! It's Batman's Budoir

9/16/2011

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If you're anything like me, you have had the recurring fantasy where Batman rescues you & whisks you away (kinda NSFW) to his BatCave Budoir. Thanks to a hotel in Taiwan, you can live out this fantasy! Check out the unbelievable bat decor in these pix. 

Take note, this is a themed hotel room, so they are exonerated. But for normal home sales, always keep re-sale value in mind when remodeling. Anything over indulgent will hurt its marketability.

In other words, save your vanity projects for your plastic surgery!

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Real Estate Decor Q&A: Are Granite Countertops in or out?

7/5/2011

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LogoTV Question: We're re-doing our kitchen. How do you feel about granite countertops?
Hermanity Answer: (Yawn)  Been there, done that.  They are SO over did. Give concrete or recycled glass a try. More eco & budget friendly!

Watch me enumerate with my trademark sass & sagacity  the reasons why this viewer should skip granite counter tops!
  1. Bad for mother earth
  2. Requires too many Benjamins
  3. Honey, that ship has sailed. Next!

What do you think? Are granite counter tops here to stay? Or have you discovered some great alternatives? Please share!
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Real Estate Expert: ‘Should I convert my garage into a workout room?’

6/8/2011

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It never ceases to amaze me how myopic some people are about their remodel choices. Making a home too customized to your own needs & tastes can often backfire. What adds value in your mind may in fact detract value!...as this LogoOnline (aka 365Gay) viewer finds out from me here.

What is the worst thing you've seen a garage converted into?  I'd love to hear!
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LogoTV showing Hermanity some love again! Thx!

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2 Homes for the price of 1...but ummm it is the same house!

5/27/2011

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What a deal!  Not only do you get a dated brown shingle home on the outside, but  wow you also get a white post-modern curvy condo inside. (giggle)

My initial theories on this listing:
1. Must be a Mixed Marriage: Exterior by Berkeley Hippie & Interior by SOMA Yuppie
2. The house (& probably owner) is schizophrenic
3. The person who designed the inside has something against right angles.
4. It's not just mental cognizant dissonance , it's rental cognizant dissonance
What are your theories for how this dubious design came about?

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, please match outside architecture with inside decor. (If you missed the memo, revisit my webcast here!)
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