Original Article – https://manofmany.com/tech/uber-robotic-delivery-units

She’s only been in the role a few months, but Sydney is already one of Uber’s most prolific workers. Each morning, she clocks in, loads up her run sheet and with a wink and smile, sets off for her daily drops. However, despite her happy-go-lucky nature, Sydney isn’t exactly the kind of employee most businesses are ready for. In fact, she isn’t even an employee at all. Like something ripped straight from the pages of a Westworld fan fiction, Sydney is a fully autonomous robotic delivery unit, tasked with keeping the residents of West Hollywood fed. Well, for the next 18 hours at least. Welcome to the future of food tech.

Image: Uber

It’s a bizarre sight for the uninitiated, but over the past few months, it has become fairly commonplace to see the delivery bots making their way through Greater Los Angeles. They nod, wink, smile and drive, seemingly with a personality that is entirely unique to each unit, and that doesn’t come by accident. The culmination of 12 months’ worth of hard work, Uber’s fleet of autonomous delivery vehicles is helping shape the next wave of innovative technology and at its helm stands a proud Aussie.

Dean Apostolopoulos is the man behind the new delivery bots, working to coordinate two live pilots that will bring autonomous food delivery to the Uber Eats platform in the US. The 31-year-old Victorian has spent the last 12 months getting the project off the ground, with the last six months serving as an initial trial phase. Now, he’s finally ready to take the technology to the world.

“As an Aussie, I’m very proud. I came through an engineering background, so I’ve always been in software engineering. All through my life I’ve had technology at my fingertips, like a lot of us now, and this was an area that I was passionate about,” he says. “I was part of a very small founding team that changed Uber’s vision and went down this path. We were a very small team, we’ve grown substantially over the last 12 months (to) a big team of engineers and business side people as well, putting all these pilots on the road and building some pretty awesome, magical stuff in the background.”

Dean Apostolopoulos | Image: Uber

For years, it has seemed like autonomous driving vehicles have been right around the corner, however, countless setbacks and apprehension surrounding Tesla’s Autopilot Mode have seen the future fail to reach fruition. Remarkably, despite being the pipedream of philosophers and futurologists for decades, autonomous transport has fallen down the pecking order, particular in recent years. In corporate enterprise, artificial intelligence has emerged as a fundamental driver of growth, an after-shock of the global pandemic. In fact, the sector’s widespread adoption of AI has led to a rapid rise in what is quietly being referred to as robotic process automation (RPA).

A recent report from Deloitte found that nearly 8 in 10 corporate executives said they had implemented some form of RPA, while a further 16 per cent revealed that they planned to do so within the next three years. Digitalisation has spread across the white-collar landscape with apparent ease, transforming customer and supply-chain interactions significantly and the tide doesn’t appear to be turning. For Apostolopoulos and Uber, however, the growth opportunity exists more in the service solution side of the equation, rather than as a people-moving transport application.

Speaking at the Los Angeles workshop, the product manager, Autonomous Mobility & Delivery for Uber revealed that live trials with partners Serve Robotics and Motional have helped demonstrate the viability of robotics in the food ordering and hospitality sector. Rather than waiting to find a delivery driver in a peak time period, or worrying about small-scale trips, the introduction of a robot helper opens the door for greater adoption and patronage. In West Hollywood, for example, customers can order through the Uber Eats app, receive a notification that their food is being delivered by a robot and track its journey in real-time. When it arrives, a notification is sent and they simply meet the robot on the street, enter a pre-messaged code and unlock the cooler to receive their food.

Robots like Sydney will be able to travel all day on a single charge and while they are designed to navigate real-world, urban environments, there is a safety net. All Serve’s vehicles are actively monitored by human operators, meaning that should any unit run into trouble, a pilot can take over controls and readjust the trip. Importantly, Apostolopoulos claims that the introduction of delivery robots is designed to complement the existing driver network, rather than replace it.

“We’re operating what we call a hybrid marketplace, so you may be matched with an AV or a human,” he explains. “But certainly, we’re working with merchants to bring the tech and learn the tech with them as well. There is a learning curve with any new advancements and new innovations, however, we’re certainly encouraged with consumer response and merchant response to all of it as well.”

“The way you want to look at it is demand is continually growing, and this will only supplement that demand,” he continued. “There’s going to always be a need for drivers on the roads and we actually firmly believe that there will be more drivers in 10 years on the roads than there are today.”

Image: Uber

In addition to working with Serve Robotics, Uber has also outlined partnerships with Motional in Santa Monica, which utilises autonomous vehicles that drive on roads with a safety driver, alongside announcing a new ten-year partnership with grocery delivery-focused enterprise Nuro, set to take effect in Mountain View, California and Houston, Texas. For a company like Uber, driven by innovation and built on a platform of industry-leading technology, it seems like a natural progression, but it’s not always as simple as ‘build it and they will come’. Apostolopoulos admits that there are difficulties in user adoption, with new different cultures, regions and environments more resistant to technology evolution.

“Our strategy is not just looking at what the next year looks like but how this changes what work looks like in the next 10 years,” he explains. “With all change things are gradual but then they happen. We’re seeing glimpses of how technology improves our lives back home and how our cities look are changing. I don’t know about you, but through the pandemic, I got used to food just showing up at my door and being there. Obviously going out to these robots is a different experience for people and something that they will adapt and learn with over time, that’s part of the challenge…I don’t want my kids to get a licence at all, to tell you the truth, they’re four years old, so hopefully within the next 10 years.”

Image: Uber

The other challenge Uber is hoping the robotics trend will address is that of climate action. Serve robots are powered by all-day batteries and can be charged by any available electricity source, producing zero carbon emissions. While it marks a critical step in the company’s 2040 mission of a fully electrified fleet, Apostolopoulos revealed that the form factors for each unit also serve Uber’s sustainable future, which is surging ahead at a rate of knots.

Farfetched as it may seem, the timeline checks out. For all its growth and success Down Under, Uber – the platform has only just celebrated its tenth birthday in Australia. A long way since the vigilante-esque ride-sharing days of old, the transport company is stretching far beyond simply getting people from A to B, setting sights on a global logistics, freight and of course, food delivery empire. Sure, Apostolopoulos‘ dream of a licence-less world for his kids might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it matters less. The future is arriving faster than you think and this time, there’s no one in the driver’s seat.

Original Post -https://wehotimes.com/city-of-west-hollywood-is-proposing-installation-of-neon-dog-at-william-s-hart-park-dog-park/

The City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission Regular Meeting (was) scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 1:3p p.m., the City of West Hollywood is proposing the Neon Dog project for installation at William S. Hart Park & Off Leash Dog Park, a property leased by the City of West Hollywood, owned by the City of Los Angeles. The proposed cost is $100,000.

The Neon Dog is a reconditioned, electrically rotating neon sign in the shape of a dog (10’6” high, 10’9” at its widest), and part of the City of West Hollywood’s Urban Art collection. The proposed project includes the installation of the Neon Dog atop a 12’-tall vertical support pole (with corresponding structural foundation and electrical connections) at the Park’s Sunset Boulevard entrance located between North Kings Road and North Sweetzer Avenue.

The famous Collar & Leash neon dog sign was originally located at 8555, Santa Monica Boulevard. A crane removed it from the Collar & Leash parking lot on Tuesday, June 24, 2020. It was deinstalled and carefully placed in the back of a truck and was taken to Ontario California for much needed repairs in preparation to become a permanent art installation in West Hollywood.

On January 21, 2020, the City Council accepted a gift of the Collar & Leash neon dog sign from Joseph Chan and Charles Chan Massey. The neon sign was sited at the city and there are plans to conserve it very much like the Rocky & Bullwinkle sculpture that is now on display on Sunset Boulevard. The Neon dog sign will return it to a new location in the city.

William S. Hart Park & Off Leash Dog Park is a fenced-in park between Sunset Boulevard and De Longpre that allows dogs to play off-leash in a tree-lined space with mulch on the ground, located at 8341 De Longpre Ave, West Hollywood.

Original Article – https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-09-23/how-the-southern-california-starter-home-is-shrinking

For decades, the single-family home has been Southern California’s ultimate lure — a chance to live a life of sun and sand from the comfort of your very own property.

Most buyers’ ticket into that life is the starter home. Something modest but not minuscule. Two bedrooms, maybe three. A picket fence in front and a yard out back for the kids and dog to play.

But the starter home has changed. As home prices have soared and higher mortgage interest rates have made everything less affordable, wish lists have become more and more wishful, and buyers have been forced to find something smaller and less practical.

Want two bedrooms? How about one, plus an office that might fit a twin-size bed. Want a backyard? How about a space shared with the rest of the condo complex. Want to paint the exterior of your townhouse? The homeowner association won’t allow it, but feel free to spruce up the inside.

Making compromises has always been a part of house hunting, but in a market where some two-bedroom homes are selling for $1 million or more — often for hundreds of thousands over the asking price — middle-class buyers are forced to take whatever they can get.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” said Zach Zyskowski, a TV producer who bought his first home last summer.

His search started with two-bedroom homes in West Hollywood and Mid-City, but he quickly realized that everything was out of his price range.

“Anything under $1 million was hard to find,” he said. “There was nothing that was both nice and unique, and I wanted something that wasn’t cookie-cutter.”

Zyskowski decided to switch strategies. He stopped searching for homes on the market and got creative, asking friends if anyone was planning to sell in their respective condo complexes. He ended up buying a one-bedroom condo directly from a seller in an off-market deal.

In the end, he sacrificed space for character. His new home is in El Cabrillo, a Spanish-style courtyard complex built by movie mogul Cecil B. DeMille in the 1920s.

It’s a bit small at 800 square feet, and he uses a pull-out sofa in the living room to host guests. But the stylish building, which has been featured in shows such as “Hollywood” and “Chuck” and enjoys a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, more than makes up for it.

“Would I have loved something bigger? Yes, there’s always more you can want,” he said. “But I’d rather have something smaller and nicer than bigger and boring. I was just amazed I could buy a place at all.”

For Elena Amador-French, smaller wasn’t an option. A planetary scientist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she grew tired of working on the Mars Rover from her dining room table during the pandemic. The newborn baby didn’t help.

She and her husband started house hunting last year and set their sights on Altadena, a community tucked into the San Gabriel Mountains filled with charming Craftsman, English Tudor and Colonial Revival-style homes.

With a budget of $800,000, they wanted a house with character — as long as it had two bedrooms. But their search played out like many others: putting in an offer, watching dozens of other buyers drive up the asking price, and seeing the house sell for hundreds of thousands more than they could afford.

“You just have to laugh at a certain point. We couldn’t get upset because we couldn’t even compete,” she said.

They switched strategies and aimed for a duplex, which didn’t have the appeal of the single-family lifestyle but also didn’t have dozens of buyers swarming every open house.

In the end, they paid $970,000 for an 1,800-square-foot duplex with three bedrooms and three bathrooms in an east Pasadena complex.

“There’s still a piece of me that wants a single-family home that I can truly make my own.”

— Elena Amador-French

It didn’t have the charm of a single-family home, and it didn’t quite check off all the boxes; they couldn’t fit a swing set for their daughter into the outdoor space, and they weren’t able to add any personal touches to the exterior because of HOA regulations that require all houses to be painted the same color.

But it was an easier process that ended with more space for less money.

“There’s still a piece of me that wants a single-family home that I can truly make my own,” she said. “But this was so much less of a battle.”

In today’s market, it makes sense to settle. Homes that check all the boxes — hip neighborhood, plenty of space, interesting architecture — are still attracting plenty of offers and often selling for over the asking price. But for buyers willing to let go of the dream of single-family housing and redefine what a starter home can be, there are plenty of options.

Condos are regularly on the market in L.A. in the $300,000 range, a fraction of what some single-family homes are commanding. Other buyers are opting for tenancy-in-common units, arrangements in which residents share ownership of a building.

As more buyers choose alternatives, condo price increases are outpacing single-family home price increases. In August, the median sale price for L.A. condos was $675,000, a 7.1% jump year over year, according to Redfin. During that same stretch, single-family homes increased 0.4%.

The same is true for townhouse prices, which have increased 6.7% year over year for a median of $700,000.

For many Southern Californians, single-family homes are simply out of reach. The Times has published a “What Money Buys” series for the last five years that highlights homes on the market at certain price points in different neighborhoods. Now, those stories read like a time capsule.

For example, a 2019 piece featured homes on the market for $800,000 in a handful of L.A. neighborhoods including Jefferson Park and Cypress Park. Both areas had a five-bedroom home listed for around $800,000.

The Jefferson Park home ended up selling for $850,000 in 2019. Now, Redfin estimates that the home is worth $1.28 million. The Cypress Park home grew even more valuable, selling for $800,000 in 2019 and now worth an estimated $1.45 million.

Those prices have become standard. In Jefferson Park, there are no five-bedroom single-family homes on the market for less than $1.2 million. The $800,000 price point now buys a two-bedroom home — or a three-bedroom fixer-upper.

The change becomes even more pronounced at lower price points. A 2017 entry in the series explored what $500,000 buys in the L.A. neighborhoods of Van Nuys, Leimert Park and Boyle Heights. Every single home on the list had at least 1,000 square feet, and most had three bedrooms. One had four.

Five years later, Redfin values all the properties on that list at $750,000 or more, with a few valued north of $850,000.

A look at the options currently on the market in those three communities finds no three-bedroom homes for $500,000 or less. The closest thing is a three-bedroom townhouse in Van Nuys asking $550,000 — cash offers only.

For comparison, a 2022 story exploring homes at $500,000 highlighted much smaller options including a 648-square-foot bungalow in East L.A. listed at $485,000 and a one-bedroom condo in downtown L.A. asking $509,000 (plus $813 in monthly HOA dues.)

Spoiler alert: Both homes sold shortly after the article ran, and the East L.A. bungalow sold for $10,000 more than the asking price.

More buyers are settling for two-bedroom homes as a starter, and it’s driving up prices.

In L.A., the median two-bedroom home — the typical size for starter homes — sold for $765,700 in August, a 10.1% increase year over year, according to Rocket Homes. That outpaces one-bedroom homes, which increased 8.8% year over year, and three-bedroom homes, which increased 9.1% year over year.

Earlier this year, Compass agent Allie Altschuler sold a two-bedroom home in the hills of Eagle Rock for $1.442 million — or $293,000 more than the asking price. What it lacked in bedroom count, it made up for with unique features such as a breakfast nook with a built-in booth and a separate structure in the backyard that can be used as an office or studio.

“Younger buyers are OK with buying smaller homes because they know they won’t be in it forever,” she said. “Buying a house and living in it for 30 or 40 years isn’t the case anymore.”

Update your home without breaking the bank

https://www.loveproperty.com/gallerylist/70122/easy-style-freshenups-to-transform-a-home-on-a-tight-budget

Norsu Interiors

Has it been a while since you decorated? Perhaps your home is looking a bit tired and needs a revamp or maybe you’ve just moved into a new place and you’re desperate to make your mark on it. Here are some relatively cheap and simple mini-makeover ideas that should reinvigorate your home without blowing the budget.

Paint the radiators

Soak.com

Painting radiators to blend seamlessly into their background is currently hot on the interiors circuit. It’s a perfect way to create a chic and finished look when giving your room a mini makeover. Be sure to pick the correct specialist paint and follow a tutorial. 

Create new dining spaces

Dunelm

Short on dining space at home? Give a room a new dimension by finding genius places to eat. Placing two stylish bar stools at the end of a kitchen peninsula will turn it into a mini breakfast bar for light meals.  

Give a corner new meaning

@dreaming_of_a_sea_view / Instagram

If you don’t have time to update a whole room focus on a corner. This living room alcove by @dreaming_of_a_sea_view is working extra hard as an innovative, tiny home office. The small desk slots in perfectly next to a narrow ladder shelf.

Have fun with lighting

Sofology

Give the living room a new nightly glow by being creative with lighting. LED strip lighting to the back of the TV will transform it for movie nights. Or, horizontal pipe lighting above wall panels can give a feature wall new meaning.

Change the shower curtain

Argos

Sometimes, one simple change can transform a space entirely. If you have a neutral bathroom why not inject colour and pattern with a new shower curtain? Being a relatively cheap bathroom furnishing means you can afford to own a few and change them up with the seasons.

Repaint kitchen units

Topps Tiles

An alternative idea to update a tired kitchen without touching the layout is to paint existing kitchen units a fresh new colour. It’s quick, budget-friendly and easy with the correct preparation and paint.

Install a barn door

Carpetright

Swap out boring regular doors for something more fun. Sliding barn doors look authentic in country style room schemes. With the right amount of wall space to slide along they offer more floor space to work with. Most doors come with sliding hinges to make installation simple. 

Divide an open-plan room

IKEA

A smart room divider will give a large open-plan room new meaning. Privacy and peace are always important aspects of our home, so a divider can offer partial concealment when needed.

Spruce up your outdoors

Cuprinol

Take the small renovation revolution outside by giving your outdoor space a tidy up. Book a slot at the local recycling centre and set to work clearing clutter, trimming back overgrown foliage, and cutting any lawned areas. Freshen up your patio with a colourful lick of fence paint and create an outdoor oasis with garden furniture and weatherproof furnishings. 

Cosy up with texture

Nordic House

Layering texture in a room is the easiest and cosiest way to give a room a new character. Panelled walls, soft rugs and tactile cushions will inject a restful and inviting personality Nordic style. 

Throw a cloth over the kitchen table

The Wisteria Tree

Bold, bright and beautiful, this vibrant tablecloth is a simple way of injecting colour and pattern into a plain kitchen that needs a spruce up. Whether you choose to match it to the colours already in the room or fancy introducing a whole new aesthetic altogether, this striking hand block printed cotton tablecloth is the perfect way to do so.

Invest in a new sofa

Loaf

A cushy sofa with relaxed pleats and deep buttons is a classic sofa design. But, throw in sumptuous velvet in a striking mustard tone and the living room will feature a wow factor focal point everyone will want to snuggle on. 

Change the atmosphere with curtains

johnlewis.com

Make sure your mini bedroom makeover goes from bland to beautiful with full-length curtains. There are so many options to choose from, from off the peg to more luxurious made-to-measure. The drapes don’t have to stick to the windows either. Add hotel-style by creating a dressing area or suspending them from a frame at the end of the bed. 

Style with storage

Garden Trading

We love a storage hack or two. Turn your belongings into gorgeous ‘shelfies’ by decanting everyday items into attractive storage boxes and jars. This works particularly well in kitchens with open shelves and on leaning ladders in bathrooms. 

Update small appliances

Swan

Swapping out old and well-used small kitchen appliances for sparkling new ones will instantly update a tired kitchen. Look for colour coordinated versions or a tone that will pick out the hues of a splash back or statement floor. Be sure to look after your appliances too!

Change or add handles

IKEA

Here’s a super simple action that updates furniture. We love how these mainstream IKEA IVAR cabinets have been transformed into unique sideboards with dark and dramatic paint. Leather handles have been easily added to offer contrast and warmth. 

Fashion a feature wall

Woodchip and Magnolia

If you don’t have time to paint an effect or wallpaper a whole room why not mount a border instead? Teamed with a simple strip panel section this chunky wallpaper frieze is up-to-date. 

Add pattern to floors

Dunelm

Make a statement on your floors without ripping up the existing one. Peel and stick floor stickers create little mess and require no group or specialist tools so will bring the illusion of real floor tiles at a fraction of the price. Alternatively, floor paint is a practical and more permanent option.

Maximise natural light

Carpetright

The more natural light you can draw into your home the brighter and fresher it will look. There are a few simple steps you can take to increase the light in your home: strategically place mirrors opposite windows, opt for reflective surfaces on kitchen units, door handles and taps and switch solid internal doors for glazed doors to bring light into dark areas such as hallways. You will be amazed at the difference these small changes will make.

Get wall painting

Crown Paints

It’s not difficult to learn how to paint a wall with a professional finish. Prep well, try out some samples, choose your colour and spend a weekend to giving one room in your home a fresh lick of paint. Chances are you will love the result and go on to paint subsequent rooms. If you want to be really daring, add a paint decorating effect. Use two or three paints and go for blocks of different colours for a real style statement. 

Roll out the wallpaper

Graham & Brown

A bold and beautiful wallpaper design can really give a room the ‘wow factor’. Pick out your favourite pattern and use it to create a feature wall in your lounge or bedroom or really go for it and cover all four walls. If your budget is tight or you don’t quite have the guts to do a whole large room, start off in a smaller area such as an entrance hallway, cloakroom or snug.

Change your bed

Next

Change your bed, literally. If your mattress is in perfectly good condition, go for a whole new bed frame or just opt for a new headboard. You can transform a bedroom just by changing the style and shape of the bed. 

Refresh the bedlinen

Dunelm

A new coloured or patterned duvet cover, or perhaps the addition of a bedspread, throw, and a few scatter cushions can radically alter how your bedroom looks. Plus there’s nothing like climbing into crisp new bedclothes for the first time.

Tidy up with tiles

Walls and Floors

Whether it’s just retiling a splashback in the kitchen or bathroom or going the whole hog and tiling all the walls (and maybe even the floor), it’s incredible how those little porcelain or stone shapes can alter a room. Patterned tiles are particularly spectacular. Insider tip: larger tiles are generally cheaper to install, because they are less fiddly to cut and don’t require so much grouting. 

Swap out bathroom towels

Dyckhoff

Treat yourself and your bathroom to a set of new towels. If your bathroom is all white or neutral, a new set of patterned or colourful towels can completely change the scheme. Perhaps go for some on-trend leopard print towels to inject a tropical edge.

Replace cushions

Furniture Village

If your scatter cushions on the beds, armchairs and sofa are starting to look a bit tired and dated, take off their covers and get new ones. Maybe cheer the room up with some bright pops of colour or go for a serene scene with a mix of muted pastels and texture. If the cushions themselves seem to have lost their stuffing replace those too with lovely plump new ones that you can sink right into.

Bring in blinds

247Blinds

Turn your windows into a focal point with colourful blinds that compliment or contrast a decorating scheme. Super easy to install: they are cleaner and fresher than traditional curtains as well as space-saving in smaller rooms 

Paint the front door

The Painted Hive

Your front door is the first and last thing that visitors to your home see. To improve that first impression why not replace it? You could go for something modern to create a contrast or opt for one that complements the period of your home. If you don’t want to go to the trouble and expense of replacing your front door, give the original door a new coat of paint or varnish. You’ll be shocked at the difference it makes. @thepaintedhive has lifted her white entrance with a refreshing lick of duck egg-toned paint.

Lay a rug

Carmine & Teal

A brightly coloured rug can really lift a room, but those colours do fade over time. If it’s been a few years since you bought some of your rugs they may have has lost their vibrancy, or perhaps been worn down by heavy traffic or stained by spills. Replace them with lovely new ones, not only will they look great, you will enjoy sinking your toes into them too.

Welcome house plants to every room

Dobbies

Do you dream of your home looking like it’s been pulled from the pages of an interior magazine or film set? One thing that you will notice about beautiful interior shoots is that they are always full of stunning houseplants and vases of beautiful flowers. Bring the outside in by adding grouped plants to your window sill or place an larger one in striking pot on the floor. 

Introduce new light shades

Anna Jacobs

Light shades, whether they be on bedside lights, office desk lamps or pendant lights take seconds to change. There are some hugely expensive shades on the market, but there are also plenty of good value ones, too. Just by replacing your lights shades you can dramatically change the look and feel of a room. 

Clear the clutter

Cox and Cox

A new year means a new start so it’s definitely a great time to declutter your home. Invest in attractive box files for paperwork and in-trays for post and keep these on your desk or hall table, choose some cool boxes for keeping toys in the playroom and kids bedrooms and select some funky baskets to store toiletries in in the bathroom. Choose storage with a lid for those less attractive items. 

Fake an effect

@crack_the_shutters / Instagram

Exposed walls look incredible but can be timely and costly to achieve. However, it’s easy to fake the look with a wood or brick effect wallpaper. Or, Here, @crack_the_shutters has copied a concrete look in her bathroom using Craig & Rose Artisan Concrete Effect paint. A matt sealant protects the paint in this high-humidity room.

Warm up with a stove

Contura

When it comes to heating, stoves are far more effective than traditional fireplaces. They look cottagecore cute, too, and are relatively easy to install. Not only do they work in the lounge, they will also throw a cosy glow over a kitchen diner or even bathroom. If you don’t want the hassle involved in burning fuel, electric and gas fired stoves are realistic looking alternatives.

Get arty with old furniture

Rothley /@the_shoestring_home

Why not have a go at giving one of your old jaded pieces of furniture a new lease of life by painting it? Chalk paints give a vintage feel and brighter shades help you to achieve a more contemporary look. Interiors influencer Rachel Verney of @the_shoestring_home stamped her own style on this upcycled dresser with perky pink and teal paint. Change the knobs too and your wardrobe, chest of drawers or sideboard will be completely transformed.

Invest in a professional clean

IKEA

It might be that you don’t need to replace your carpets, curtains or upholstery, they just need an intense clean. However hard you scrub at those stains, sometimes only a professional with a heavy-duty carpet and upholstery cleaning machine can remove them. You won’t believe how much newer everything looks after a deep clean. A dry-cleaner might be able to help with removable upholstery such as sofa covers, curtains and cushions.

Move artwork

Norsu Interiors

Just moving the painting you have in your bedroom into your lounge and the photos that adorn your hallway into the dining room can change the way your rooms look. If you have some spare cash you could also purchase a few new pieces. Charity shops are a good place to find great frames fit for an up cycling project.

Get sticking

Urban Walls

Wall stickers, or decals as they are often called to distinguish them from the glittery shapes that toddlers play with, come in all shapes, sizes and designs. They are reasonably priced, really easy to apply, and when you’re ready for another change they should peel off without leaving a mark. 

Put up panelling

Sofa.com

The addition of wall panels infuses a refined feel and they are super popular right now. You wont scroll down an interiors social media feed for long before a DIY version pops up so it’s easy to find a tutorial. Use them to elevate a cosy living room or liven up a bedroom design.

Rearrange wardbrobes

IKEA

If your wardrobes consist of hangers laden down with multiple clothes and shelves that are stuffed full of a jumble of clothes, it’s time to organise it. If you have the space, put up a partition wall and give yourself the luxury of a walk-in wardrobe. If this isn’t an option, refit the inside of your existing wardrobes with glazed drawers, pull-down hanging space and shoe racks so that you can seen where everything is instantly.

Update the stair treads

Lifestyle Floors

Stairs take a real pounding and over the years all that footfall starts to make its mark. Carpet gets thread bare, painted stair treads get scratched and polished wood becomes worn. You could re-carpet, perhaps with a fashionable stair runner; or strip off the old carpet and paint or varnish the bare wood. You can also create a striking feature by going for made to measure stickers on the stair risers.

Inject some scent

Swoon Worthy Scents

If your home is smelling a bit stale and musty, all you need to do to get it sweet smelling again is to open a few windows and light some scented candles. Choose candles that look pretty as well as smell great, so that they look attractive when sitting on the coffee table or mantlepiece when not in use. 

Tidy up the hallway

IKEA

The hallway is all too often a dumping ground. Shoes are kicked off and left in a pile by the door, coats are thrown on the banisters and handbags and school gear are left pooled by the stairs. By adding a basket or rack for shoe storage and bags and hooks for coats, dog leads, hats and scarves this small area instantly becomes a much more functional and attractive space. 

Paint the tiles

Wilko

Tile paint is one of those secrets that few people outside of the decorating trade know about. It’s available in a rainbow of colours and will cover your inherited dated tiles in a matter of hours. You can also get tile stickers that can cover each tile with a new design, just make sure you choose a sticker that matches the size of your tiles exactly. 

Get technical

REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock

You can probably halve all the wires snaking around your home connecting speakers, sound systems, burglar alarms and printers just by moving over to smart wireless technology. You can control all the lights in your home, check in on your home when you’re away from it, turn on music and even close the curtains or blinds, for example, all from your phone or tablet. Not only will it clean up the wires, it will make your whole home function more efficiently too.

Crockery update

House of Fraser

Has your original twelve piece crockery set gradually been diminished by breakages, meaning that when people come around you’re forced to bring out odds and ends? Why not spoil yourself and buy a whole new set? Maybe something completely different with a bit of colour or a fabulous pattern on this time around.  

Turn the taps

Meir Australia Pty Ltd

If your taps are a few years old, chances are that a few are starting to drip or the handles are looking worn. If this is the case, think of replacing them. You can completely alter the style of your kitchen or bathroom just by renewing the taps. To be at the height of style go for rose gold, copper or bronze taps. The latest models distribute water much more efficiently too, saving you money and reducing your water usage in the longterm.

Change your unit fronts

Photographee.eu / Shutterstock

Are your kitchen units starting to show signs of wear and tear? Maybe the drawers and doors are not shutting properly, they are scuffed and marked. You don’t need to replace the entire kitchen, chances are the carcasses are still in pretty good shape. Just replace the unit fronts, there are many companies that specialise in just doors and drawers. Your kitchen can switch from traditional in style to contemporary or vice versa within a day. 

Ditch the kettle

KUPRYNENKO ANDRII / Shutterstock

Make more room on your worktops and dump the kettle for a boiling water tap incorporated into your kitchen sink. This handy little gadget will mean you can make a cup of tea or coffee in seconds and have pans of boiling water ready for cooking almost instantly, plus it’s relatively cheap and easy to install too.

Hang gallery walls

Furniture and Choice

These days no modern home is complete without a gallery wall featured in at least one room. Research online for a simple layout to follow and get filling that plain wall with artwork and photography to die for. It works especially well for filling wall space like this as you head upstairs.

Original Article – https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/the-hancock-park-peninsula/

Today’s newsletter listing for  a condominium at Hancock Park Terrace on Wilcox Avenue inspired us to take a closer look at this neighborhood, known to locals as the Hancock Park Peninsula. We first heard that term a number years ago, referring to the section of Hancock Park that lies east of the Wilshire Country Club golf course, which segments the neighborhood. The peninsula is bounded by Melrose Avenue to the north, Rossmore Avenue to the east, Rosewood Avenue to the south and the golf course to the west.

In 1919, a handful of leading businessmen approached G. Allan Hancock, one of the city’s wealthiest individuals, to secure a parcel of land in the developing Wilshire District that could rival the Los Angeles Country Club’s course.  Hancock was quite willing to lease the land to a group of men at a very modest rental amount and to include an option to purchase it, according to the club’s history.

Among those backing the project was C. E. Toberman, a real state developer who had already acquired some of the Hancock land in the neighborhood. A parcel of that land was site of the Black-Foxe Military Institute, which operated until 1968. The institute was named after two of its original administrators, majors Harry L. Black and Earle A. Foxe. Foxe served as the school’s first president, while Black was its first commandant of cadets.

The school was founded by “highly respected Hollywood financier” Charles E. Toberman, who acquired the property that had once been the home of the Urban Military Academy after the previous tenant defaulted on its mortgage, wrote Patrick O’Donnell, Class of 1949, in his history of the school  “Hollywood Cadets.”

“He had never intended to own a prep school, but once he found himself in the position of owning one, he wanted it to measure up to those in the East,” O’Donnell wrote.

Once Black-Foxe closed, the school buildings were demolished and the Hancock Park Terrace condominiums were built on the land.  But the nearby Los Angeles Tennis Club, also founded in the 1920s remains in continuous use.

Thomas C. Bundy, an avid sportsman who helped organize the Wilshire Country Club,  was also a founder of the Los Angeles Tennis Club and was elected the Club’s first president. His wife, May Sutton, was the first American to win the Wimbledon Singles title at the age of 17.  According to the club’s history, the first ten courts were constructed in 1924 by combining 70 pounds of Irish potatoes with concrete to ensure a smooth, hard surface with a “velvety” finish. With the addition of seven more courts in 1927, LATC became the largest hard-court tennis club in the world. While LATC can no longer claim that title, the club remains as the north anchor of the Hancock Park Peninsula with Wilshire Country Club on the south.