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Friday, November 18, 2022 • B3
THE GARDEN ISLAND
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Julie Black, Principal Broker & Owner (808) 652-6174 with daughter Kela Caspillo, Realtor Sales Person (808) 652-6173 kauaidreams.com
The delight is in the details BRANDPOINT Whether you’re a DIYer wanting to transform your home or a professional designer, each decision you make about the quality of finishes impacts the overall look of a room. From thoughtfully selected color palettes to carefully curated textures, each finish decision you make can bring a room from ordinary to extraordinary — so it’s worth the effort to be intentional about these design choices. The good news is, there are modern design collections available today that are specially created to work together for maximum visual impact, making it easier to find options that make sense both separately and together to turn the rooms of your home into elegant, sophisticated spaces. Mid-century modern meets Scandinavian design Certain design aesthetics go very well together, and that’s certainly the case with midcentury modern and Scandinavian design. You may have heard that less is more, and that’s certainly the case with these design aesthetics, which both favor clean, simple lines, preferring curves over straight edges, along with a tendency toward visual minimalism. One difference between the two? While Scandinavian design usually incorporates more natural materials like wood, mid-century modern embraces the use of metals and glass.
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates tumble to 6.61% ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate tumbled by nearly a half-point this week, but will likely remain a significant barrier for potential homebuyers as Federal Reserve officials have all but promised more rate hikes in the coming months. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the key 30-year rate fell to 6.61 percent from 7.08 percent last week. A year ago the average rate was 3.1 percent. The rate for a 15-year mortgage, popular with those refinancing their homes, fell to 5.98 percent from 6.38 percent last week. It was 2.39 percent one year ago. Late last month, the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate breached 7 percent for the first time since 2002. Two weeks ago, the Fed raised its short-term lending rate by another 0.75 percentage points, three times its usual margin, for a fourth time this year as part of its inflation-fighting strategy. Its key rate now stands in a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent. There had been some hope that the Fed would begin to dial the rate increases down as more evidence comes in that prices may have peaked. However, recent comments by Fed officials have turned knocked down that optimism. James Bullard, who leads the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said Thursday the Fed may have to raise its benchmark interest rate much higher than it has previously projected to get inflation under control.
Combining these complementary aesthetics together and bringing them into the contemporary era, Kohler Lighting’s Tone Collection draws inspiration from designers such as Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen — who used natural elegance and sculped simplicity — together with bold visual statements and use of glass and metals for a fresh take on midcentury modern style. Within the collection, you can find a variety of
stylish and refined lighting options including chandeliers, pendants and ceiling mount designs to illuminate and enhance any room in your home. Blending minimalism, warmth and thoughtful functionality, these lighting fixtures are versatile enough to improve the visual appeal of any space in your home. Even better, these contemporary pieces were created to complement the Kohler Tone faucet collection for a cohesive
How to make elevated design choices
curved backplate supports a sleek T-arm topped by a flared finial and suspends a stylized tulip clear glass shade, its exaggerated size contrasted by an overall minimalist design. This sconce is available in Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Brushed Moderne Brass, Matte Black, Matte Black and Polished Chrome, or Matte Black and Brushed Moderne Brass. You can also choose the versatile, solution-driven design of a Tone Two-Light Sconce, with unique creativity that adds to its overall elegance and charm. A single rounded backplate raises slightly from the wall, extending a sleek T-style metal arm support upon which two individual metal and stylized tulip glass shades are suspended, each topped with a flared finial, completing the design. This sconce is available in Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Brushed Moderne Brass, Matte Black, Matte Black and Polished Chrome, or Matte Black and Brushed Moderne Brass. BRANDPOINT / CONTRIBUTED Another benefit of choosing from this collection is that each overall home design. light fixture is quality tested to The beauty of mixed metals ensure that it will remain beautiful To add depth to a space as well for years to come. The fixtures as more visual interest and also offer easy installation, with sophistication, today’s designers color-matched finishes and draw on techniques such as diffusers for soft, ambient light combining mixed-metal finishes to that will suit almost any lifestyle provide pleasing contrasts and a and room design. sense of varied textures. Before you begin your next For example, the Tone One-Light home design project, explore the Sconce is a beautiful example of exciting new possibilities for the collection’s interplay of lighting at Kohler.com. materials and finish: Their softly