Cooling temperatures offer the perfect excuse to cozy up indoors, so why not take the opportunity to turn your abode into a sanctuary? Inside this issue of Good to Be Home, you'll find essential insights into home equity, ways to change up your kitchen backsplash, delicious and easy pizza recipes for relaxing nights in, and tips for creating a peaceful interior design.
Your home is not just a dwelling but also a significant financial asset thanks to the equity it provides. The enclosed article delves into the fundamentals of this tool, offering a clear explanation of what it is and how to calculate it along with practical strategies for boosting it to enhance your fiscal well-being.
Does your kitchen feel like it needs a little TLC? Maybe it’s time to rethink your backsplash. Inside, discover five gorgeous and on-trend options that go beyond mere functionality. From warm and welcoming stone to avant-garde paint, you're sure to find inspiration to elevate the style of the whole room.
During chilly evenings, there’s nothing better than a warm, hearty meal—especially when it's pizza. This issue includes two fresh takes from the Pizza Night cookbook that are both easy to make and bursting with flavor: a sweet-and-savory pie featuring four different cheeses and a barbecue chicken one loaded with jalapenos and topped with cool ranch.
If you’re seeking a way to transform your home into a calm, beautiful sanctuary, look no further than Japandi, a unique decorating style that blends the elegance of Japanese design with the comfort of Scandinavian aesthetics. Get the ins and outs of how to emphasize natural materials, muted tones, and minimalist principles to cultivate a harmonious and inviting atmosphere.
Here's to a fun and relaxing October! As always, it’s a pleasure to send you this magazine.
A home is more than a place to live—it’s a valuable asset that has tremendous potential to affect the financial opportunities available to you, shape your future decisions, and help you build wealth over time. Naturally, then, identifying where you stand can provide a clear snapshot of your family’s monetary health. Check out the basics of home equity, and learn how you can better sow value that you could reap down the road.
In a nutshell, home equity is the difference between the market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage. Each payment you make reduces the principal balance of your loan, thereby increasing your held value in the property. So if it is currently worth $400,000 and you owe $250,000 on your mortgage, your equity is $150,000. This figure represents the portion of your home that you truly own.
As you can see, the equation for assessing your home equity is simple, but determining the relevant numbers may take some legwork. You’ll first need to identify what your home is worth. For a simple and easy solution, you can utilize a value estimator—such as realtor.com’s RealValue™ tool—and then compare that to your mortgage balance on your latest statement. This will give you a rough idea of your equity, which you can use to gauge how you may be able to tap into it or weigh the benefits of selling soon.
That said, you should acquire a more accurate number before making major financial decisions based on this asset, such as taking out an equity-based loan or retiring. This requires determining your home’s fair market value. Doing so is more of an art than a science since it depends on both objective qualities, like your home’s square footage and number of bathrooms, and subjective ones, like how desirable your neighborhood is. Specialists of this art form include home appraisers and real estate agents, who can run a comparative market analysis (CMA) to estimate your property’s worth based on recent sales in the area.
However, building equity doesn’t simply equate to paying down your mortgage. After all, your home’s value is not a fixed figure but a continuously fluid one. It may go up, for example, due to household improvements or limited available properties in your zip code. Conversely, it may diminish because of increased traffic noise or serious damage like roof leaks. This makes it wise to calculate your equity periodically to stay in tune with your financial situation, even if you aren’t presently preparing to sell.
Because your home equity depends on two figures—your mortgage balance and the property’s fair market value—the key to enhancing it is taking steps to both decrease the former and increase the latter. Here are the two major approaches to accelerating your equity growth.
Making extra mortgage payments
Paying more than your minimum amount due or making additional lump-sum payments can cut down your principal at a quicker pace. You could also refinance to a shorter-term mortgage, such as by switching from a thirty-year term to a fifteen-year term. This will generally result in higher monthly payments, but it will slash your total interest paid over time and may ultimately expedite your route to 100 percent equity. Talk to your mortgage broker or a financial advisor for personalized guidance.
Investing in enhancements
While many factors affecting your home’s worth may be out of your control, you can still make a significant difference by investing in certain improvements. According to Zonda’s 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, some of the greatest ROI investments include installing a new garage or entryway door, upgrading to manufactured stone siding, and undergoing a moderate kitchen remodel. Consider discussing your options with a real estate agent to ensure that you make appealing choices that augment your home’s desirability. Additionally, stay on top of regular maintenance and conduct timely repairs to preserve your home and prevent value depreciation.
As a major financial asset, your home equity can be accessed and leveraged in numerous ways. For one, when you sell your home, it will translate into profit, which you can apply toward your next residence. Many retirees also choose to downsize and put the leftover dollars into other investments.
But you don’t have to wait to sell to take advantage of your equity. For example, if you’re in need of cash, you can borrow against it through a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC). The resulting funds can be used for any expense you like, such as home improvements or education. Just be sure to avoid overborrowing to safeguard your property.
As a homeowner, nurturing and managing your home equity is an essential component of financial planning. Whether you’re considering selling your home, planning renovations, or simply exploring your investment opportunities, having a clear understanding of this asset can empower you to make wise decisions.
When it comes to stylish kitchen design, minor touches can offer the greatest impact. Take your backsplash, for example. Beyond serving the purpose its name indicates—protecting your walls from splattered spaghetti sauce, wayward vegetable juice, and other messes—this feature adds significant texture, color, and sheen to its surroundings. The right backsplash can even tie separate visual elements of the space together for a cohesive, well-curated appearance. If you’re curious about how to fill this blank canvas in a new kitchen or thinking of upgrading your current materials, look no further than these five gorgeous options.
The trend of continuing the countertop into the backsplash shows no sign of leaving. This approach creates a clean, consistent visual motif, minimizing the total number of materials that comprise your kitchen. But we could be seeing less of certain types of stone, including sterile gray-and-white Carrara marble and monochromatic quartz. Rather than selecting a stark surface, opt for a warm-hued one with notes of sunny yellow or blush pink, such as Rosa Portugal marble. Such a colorful option will pair nicely with naturally finished wooden cabinetry and flooring as well as bronze or gold fixtures, bringing out their warm tones for a cozy, entertaining-friendly ambience.
For even more dramatic results, consider going dark, cool-toned, and intense with your stone backsplash, carrying an opulent material like blue sodalite marble across your work surfaces and walls. While dark kitchens were once scoffed at as too bold or moody, they’re now appreciated for their mature sophistication. However, be sure to design around deep tones wisely: choose high-gloss paint finishes and fixtures wherever possible to catch more light, then use softer neutrals elsewhere for contrast—think white oak flooring or pure-white wall paint. The resulting visual balance will heighten the effect of your stone backsplash, showcasing it as a stunning focal point.
Painting your backsplash could be one of the most unique ways to imbue your kitchen with enviable style. It will break from the expected, add intrigue to a potentially simplistic design, and exhibit an appealing work of art right at eye level. But don’t limit yourself to solid-colored paint. Rather, let your imagination run wild by freehand painting or stenciling geometric patterns, floral designs in tropical shades, or other avant-garde elements.
If you’re seeking inspiration, look to your favorite artists or social media muses for wonderfully wild ideas. And to work without fear of your results being permanent, apply peel-and-stick wallpaper you can simply paint over. This will also save you the trouble of priming and applying multiple layers in the future—especially should you intend to sell your home.
Of course, if you’d prefer to just slap on backsplash tile and call it a day, you have plenty of suitable options, including classic ceramic. This veritable staple of ’80s and ’90s kitchens is making a comeback with a modern twist: painted tiles in a solid natural color alongside satisfyingly thick grout. You can opt for a neutral tone like russet for soothing visual balance or draw attention with forest green or sea blue.
For an even more current touch, use the color-blocking technique, installing two or three stripes of harmonious colors across your backsplash. And, naturally, you should ensure that your grout is complementary; refer to an online color palette guide like this one to find a good fit. However, keep in mind that a darker hue will show fewer food stains and be generally lower maintenance than lighter alternatives.
If ceramic isn’t your taste, venture beyond the ordinary by going for metal instead. After all, this material is likely already present in your kitchen’s faucets, large appliances, cabinet hardware, and light fixtures. Plus, leaning into a metallic concept can subvert the expectations of a typical kitchen, lending this central room of the home surprising, cutting-edge characteristics.
For example, timeless tin ceiling tiles make for a stunning backsplash, while eye-catching penny tiles in a copper finish give walls a wonderful texture. To balance the effect, add some soft decorative touches to the room, including potted herbs and colorful canisters. Such decor will provide a warm contrast to these cold metal surfaces without concealing their bold facades.
Perhaps more than any other room, the kitchen requires thoughtful design choices to balance its everyday use with an elegant style that lasts. The best backsplash for you will ultimately depend on your lifestyle, budget, and overall home architecture, but these five ideas can offer an excellent jumping-off point. Approach the project with careful thought, and you can transform this feature from a merely practical element into an eye-catching, memorable centerpiece.
A steaming-hot pizza hits the spot anytime, especially as the temperatures dip. However, getting one usually entails popping a frozen option in the oven or ordering takeout, often with a typical topping like pepperoni. Elevate your pies to new heights instead with these recipes from the Pizza Night cookbook, which are as easy to make as they are delicious.
This simple pie features four cheeses, salt and pepper, and honey, giving it a tasty combination of sweet and salty.
A zesty mix of barbecue sauce, onions, and jalapenos is offset by a cool ranch dressing, providing ample flavor in every bite.
Recipes excerpted from Pizza Night by Deborah Kaloper. © Smith Street Books 2023. Photography by Emily Weaving.
Makes one 9½ in. pizza
Makes one 9½ in. pizza
For those seeking a serene home enriched with lush greenery, natural accents, and global influences, the Japandi decorating style offers a perfect solution. By combining the elegance of Japanese sensibility with the coziness of Scandinavian design, you may discover just what you need to create an effortlessly harmonious and beautiful space.
Japandi design first emerged hundreds of years ago when Scandinavian designers traveled to Japan and became drawn to the culture’s emphasis on simplicity, natural materials, and wabi-sabi—a philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection and impermanence. This concept resonated with the Scandinavian one of hygge, which embodies a sense of comfort and contentment through minimalist design. Married together to create Japandi, these East and West influences remain at the heart of the style’s aesthetic, emphasizing handcrafted, antique, thrifted, or repurposed pieces alongside natural textures. The result? A well-balanced and inviting atmosphere that’s rooted in both serenity and warmth.
Perhaps the best part of this decorating approach is how easy it is to incorporate into your own living spaces. Just follow these three key principles for an ideal Japandi environment.
Remain mostly neutral
While both Scandinavian and Japanese designs embrace muted color palettes, they do so in somewhat opposite directions: the former favors lighter tones such as white and cream and the latter darker, earthy ones such as charcoal gray and olive. Japandi interiors tend to lean more Japanese in this area for a sophisticated feel, but don’t be afraid to mix hues—doing so can create a complementary look for maximum effect.
For instance, you could paint three of your living room walls a soft white and the fourth a smoky black to create a striking accent wall. Or if you’d prefer to avoid painting, focus on your decor; hanging a floating white oak shelf and adorning it with a cast-iron teapot and matching black teacups would be the perfect way to craft a stunning focal point without it being too visually dominating.
Go natural
Another avenue is to bring the outdoors in, which can not only infuse your spaces with vibrant color but also encourage an affinity with nature—essential to both halves of Japandi design. Begin by introducing a few carefully chosen houseplants, such as a delicate fern and bamboo palm. Besides a touch of style, research shows that greenery can help reduce stress, boost mood, and even improve air quality. Feel free to go as big or as small as you like, placing a tall plant next to your couch to draw the eye upward or a small one in the middle of your dining table as a centerpiece. And be mindful of your pots as well! Follow the previous principle, opting for a neutral look like sleek black ceramic to let your plants pop.
To further cultivate a respect for the natural world, seek locally sourced items that bring a sense of authenticity and support sustainable practices. Whether you add a landscape painting or a handwoven basket from an artisan near you, such a piece will further elevate the aesthetic you’re aiming for while helping to reduce your carbon footprint.
Adopt minimalism
Spaciousness and order are key aspects of Japandi design, so look for opportunities to simplify your spaces and incorporate clean lines. Furniture is a great way to achieve this. You could acquire, for instance, a low-profile sofa for your living room or a basic pine bed frame with a cotton duvet for your bedroom. Or switch out your lamps or light fixtures for ones with a geometric flair, such as an inexpensive frosted-glass pendant light ensconced in an oak circular frame. A linen lampshade with a wooden tripod for a base is also a good option to add a bit of diffused light to any room.
While the thoughtful placement of a few well-chosen items can help develop the ambience you seek, you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy something new. Simply cutting back your decor can be equally effective, furthering an environment that’s free from visual distractions. And if you have a lot of clutter, acquire an understated cloth bin to keep it hidden away for a tidier vibe.
As you incorporate Japandi into your home, consider how it can bring elegance and a sense of calm into your life. By choosing mindful materials and embracing imperfection, you can create spaces that uplift your spirit all while looking amazing.
