So, we’re obsessed with houses – big houses, little houses, modern, old, mini, historic, minimal, maximal; you name it, if we haven’t already. We love houses sprawling to all corners of this beautiful state and while we love that they hold our people up and keep them safe and sound; there is a particular quality that really excites us and that is when the houses we have the privilege of selling are unique. Especially, when they’re uniquely paired with our amazing clients. We combed through the hundreds of homes we were lucky enough to represent this year, and thought we’d share a few of our favorites and give a shout out to the homeowners, the architects, the designers, the furniture makers, the handymen, the plumbers, the lawn care folks and the cleaning crews, for caring for and maintaining all these houses over the years. You all have made what we do at cityhome more enjoyable. When it comes to loving a home, it takes a village. Thank God we have a good one. Cheers to homes and to loving where we live!
1) SACKETT DR | PARK CITY PRIZE
2) 500 E | SHE’S A BRICK HOUSE
3) IN THE AVENUES | MMM, K
4) PANORAMA CIR | LOOKS SO GOOD
5) SHERMAN AVE | SPRING FLING
6) JUNIPER WAY | PUT DOWN ROOTS
7) 600 E | CENTERED SANCTUARY
8) GILMER PARK | COTTAGE PLEASE
9) IN THE PREMIER | POSITIVELY PEACHY
10) 1710 S | BALLPARK BEAUT
One thing I know for certain, is that people are affected by their homes, homes are affected by their neighborhoods, neighborhoods bleed into each other and each of our causes, beliefs and hopes intersect. For seventeen years this month, we at cityhome have been helping folks as best we can recognize that how, where and with whom we live, matters. The last couple of years have opened our eyes to our impact on others and others impact on us.
As we choose how to live in 2022, my sincere hope is that we can continue to realize the joy in our connections and that we can do good by those that live in this city with us, our beloved neighbors.
My hope is that we will continue to be a community hub for people who desire to live well. We have such a beautiful vantage point at cityhome. We get to see clients connecting with each other over purposeful causes and see neighborhood coalitions taking shape right in front of our eyes. We get to introduce non-profits with small businesses and participate in conversations daily that remind us that our ties to home, human and community are as interconnected as the molecules in the air we breathe.
We will continue to offer our spaces and share our wisdom and expertise with this city, but what we offer the most of, is applause. We see you. This has not been an easy couple of years, and yet here you all are, being brave and making a difference. We see you feeding the unsheltered, marching in the streets, raising your kids, loving your neighbors, speaking your truth and listening to each other.
We live in a very special place, made spectacular by the people who live here who are showing up, growing up, and lifting each other up. This next year will have its challenges for sure, but this next year will also have you in it. So whatever shelter, neighborhood, or mind space you may find yourself in, do me a favor and take a moment to remember that the greatest home you’ll ever live in, is the one you call you. Be good to yourself and know that we are here, whether your house needs a kind plumber, you need a recommendation for a house therapist, a talk therapist or a physical therapist.
We know good people and would love nothing more than to continue spending time this year connecting all of you with each other, and you with us. Because we really are, with you.
Happy New Year friends!
In a world, ever increasing with noise, intentional silence may be the best gift we can give one another this season.
Not the silent treatment or avoidance, but rather, active and engaged listening to the folks in our lives. With as many of us as there are on the planet, we might find that silence is a gift we can all agree upon and one we carry with us everywhere we go. It is always ready to share and never out of date. It expects nothing from others, is special as fuck, does not cause waste, is generative, cannot be the wrong size, and lucky for us, costs nothing.
Offering our listening ear and our time, with a curiosity to better understand what and why these special holidays are important to the people in our lives, might just be the gift our neighbors, colleagues and friends don’t have and may not even know they/we need. And of course, it is reciprocal.
As soon as we are able to get out of our own head and listen to the heart of the one in front of us, the insight and truth of the other is the gift returned. Personally, if I had to choose between getting stuff this year and getting to connect with other humans, I want connection. It seems to me that the best way to connect is to give the gift we could all use a little more of – silence and safe space.
Happy holidays and thanks for listening!
In a couple weeks, we have clients moving into our other clients’ beautiful home in Emigration Canyon. Since we love our clients, we figured we would introduce them to our other lovely clients that own the restaurant, Emigration Brewing Co., down the street. Neighbors unite! For the rest of us who don’t live up Emigration Canyon, but love good food and good design, we have some photos for your viewing/tempting pleasure. Thanks, Emigration Brewing, for keeping the neighborhood cute as hell. Sure makes our job of selling homes that much more honorable. We love where we live, because of folks like all of you. Clients or not, you’re all our neighbors, and we are all in this city together. Let’s all keep getting to know each other, one introduction at a time.
Emigration Brewing Co. | 4170 Emigration Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT
We at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE travel for a lot of reasons. We travel because we believe in cities, and in how they live and breathe. We wonder what might influence our own great city. We travel to experience art, food, and design in its many forms, from store fronts to fonts to amazing architecture. We travel to see how people live—to find new makers and new showrooms to source from (see our first “Layover List” here). We watch for unique service and new ways to see the world. We wonder how we can apply that to caring for our own clients more.
And when we land in places that we really love that also happen to be close enough to our borders for y’all to make a quick trip, then we share.
We know the world is large, but we also know that as we get to know each other as creatives, and as we continue to care about each other’s crafts, it becomes more intimate. We believe that the love of our industry at cityhome has helped us see how much we all have in common, from one city to another…how much we can all learn from one another. We don’t just love Mexico City because it actually reminds us so much of Salt Lake City (it does, though). We love Mexico City because the people there remind us of the people in Salt Lake. In anticipation of our return for Mexico City Design Week in October, I took a quick trip to find the goods, to see the architecture, to soak in the art, to eat the food, and (to be honest) to fill my cup after a year that drained it. I’ll tell you what, it runneth over…I have traveled the world, and I have never met a kinder bunch. Let this be the beginning of our creative alliance with Mexico City. Below are a few spots that inspired me on all fronts.
1. Amsterdam Avenue: Take a walk and take note of how every city could create walkways that separate pedestrians from street traffic—trees and plants and all that amazing greenery that we all want when we stroll down the neighborhoods we love. It is honestly the number one most magical magic in Mexico City, and we are sharing this with our city planners. Salt Lake we want more tree-lined walkable streets down the center of our wide-ass streets! Those pioneers made them wide to turn the teams of oxen round…let’s turn them into something more like Mexico City!
2. Lardo Restaurant: Chef Elena Reygadas cooks from a wood-burning oven, and we were told by our favorite server (we ate there three times in one week, including a birthday dinner, brunch, and a perfect lunch on a rainy day) that she is the most important chef in Latin America. I think he (thanks, Alan!) may have been right. Elena’s restaurants, service, decor, and food were absolutely perfect…with a side of easy.
3. The Frida Kahlo Museum (La Casa Azul): This place did something to me that hasn’t happened in a while. I was utterly moved to tears by not only the experience of being in Frida’s house (looking at her art, reading her quotes, and seeing the wardrobe that helped hide her body’s ailments), but by the emotions of the patrons. In a world where we are used to seeing people put a phone between their face and the Mona Lisa, I was honored to view art in such an intimate setting with people who were immersed in the life of one of our most spectacular artists. Art lovers are beautiful. And raw. Art, in and of themselves. (Oh, and to see Frida’s photos of all her badass friends was amazing. Did you know she was homies with Isamu Noguchi, Man Ray, and Pablo Neruda? I didn’t. And right now there is a collection of her “under armor” that enabled her to stay upright and mobile. Fascinating and beautiful.)
4. Patio 77: This place is the goddamn best. Bonito is the house pup. I love him, and he loves me. He is worth the visit and the booking. Ask for Elvia…she’ll get you set up. I stayed here because it is cute as hell, owned by a fella that has a badass design atelier down the street, and also happens to be the first sustainable b&b in Mexico City. Eight rooms in a heavenly mansion built in 1890. The neighborhood is on the come-up and it’s just next to a market where you can get all your produce for the week.
5. The Ignacia: I wish I would have designed this renovated house-turned-hotel. Wildly, the courtyard looks up to a bridge to the cutest room that feels a bit like the bridge I have at my own home. I had more than one or a dozen moments of serendipity in this place—it’s special. The food, the design books, and the pottery collection…all only second to the architecture and the crew that make the whole place feel like home. If home was a perfect example of a fresh design in a sophisticated restoration.
6. Rosetta: Best interior vibe of the trip, and that’s saying a lot because Mexico City is cool as hell. This place has live plants dripping from the tall ceiling with hand painted, stenciled walls and curated wardrobes that could have been on a runway (without being pretentious). The food made me want to grow a cactus garden, and the lighting and music actually lived up to my restaurant expectations, which doesn’t happen often. 10 out of 10.
7. Diego Rivera Museum (Museo Anahuacalli): Did you ever see that scene in Sense 8 with the cutest gay couple in cinematic history? Well, go watch it again, then go to this museum and cry about the freedom of love, the plight of the laborers, and the strength of the people. You’ll be in good company. These sketches (rejected by the Rockefellers in NY) are nothing less than an immersive experience that literally left me speechless, smiling, and crying…Hernando and Lito, aside.
8. Museo Jumex: If you want a museum day from both the inside and the outside (i.e. a fully immersive art and architecture experience), head here for some contemporary art…then go to the mezzanine and gaze at the Soumaya Museum, designed by David Chipperfield. I can’t say anymore. Still speechless.
9. Emilia’s Restaurant: You can tell a lot about the vibe of a restaurant by the cheer of the voices coming from inside. What a way to find this gem. As we walked by, it just sounded like the kind of spot we were looking for—people enjoying life in a dim space filled with natural materials and minimal design. Chef Lucho made us feel like regulars in this neighborhood establishment. In a city overflowing with perfect eateries, this is my #1…I choose Em’s.
10. National Museum of Anthropology: Whoa. The architecture, the mushroom fountain, the history lesson, the number of pyramids in this region. The warrior energy and evolution of our species on display here is almost haunting in the fullness of its story. Humans have been sophisticated as hell for a long-ass time.
11. Chic By Accident: This place was so damn chic. For real. A showroom filled with art, furniture, antiques, and photos…one of the most well-curated spaces I saw during my trip. We are gonna be collaborating with these folks, for sure. Stay tuned.
12. Blanco Yoga: Just in case anyone wants to keep a healthy habit while on vacation. These folks keep a warm-hearted vibe with the best teachers in Mexico City. A small space with a big heart, I made friends here that I hope will last a lifetime. If you ever wanna know what “welcome” should feel like, walk into Blanco and feel what happens.
13. Quentin Cafe: It’s some of the best coffee in town, yes…but it’s also an example of what good design can be in a small space. From the custom, jagged-marble tables on the exterior to the narrow, lit hallway that leads to the dopest little back-room den, this joint is unassuming from the front, and just how we like it in the back.
This beautiful, light, and bright spot is a shining example of just why so many are looking to call this corner of the Beehive home…
Nestled up against the Wasatch Mountains, this cozy Draper casa is surrounded by a slew of trails that are pitch-perfect for hiking, biking, walking, and running. A few of our COLLECTIVE nearest and dearest happen to call this “home,” and when they’re not enjoying the aforementioned outdoors, you can find them gathered at the heart of the space: the kitchen. We recently caught up with them here for some pre-spring hangs, but come summertime we’ll assuredly find them outside, barbecuing and enjoying the hilltop views from the back porch.
It’s a little slice of the good life, this one, and a wonderful space to spend one’s days.
A little over 10 years ago at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE, we started doing something called “love bucket.” Throughout the week, we take note when our colleagues do something helpful, something kind, or something amazing. Then in our weekly team meeting, we publicly share with our crew what we noticed privately…we acknowledge that perhaps it took some work off of our plates, or that it inspired us to some new action. I love that we do this. And in an effort to stay in the space of gratitude at the close of a (really )rough year, below are a few of my favorite stories and projects from our agents, writers, and designers at CHC. Kind of a giant love bucket to the people I work with and love.
I hope you love our content as much as I do, and I hope your own love bucket runneth over.
1. “What We Lose in the Rubble“ Because someone had to say it. I’m glad we did, and you should give it a read.
2. “Use an Agent | We Can Help!“ Because after all these years, I still believe in realtors. Especially ours. Click here.
3. “Personal Spaces in a Time of Pandemic“ Because I really love that one of our writers used the phrase “robust vigor” to describe a bookshelf (high praise for real people making real homes real homey). Full story here.
4. “Black Lives Matter“ Because they do. This was an early story and only our first steps, but the reminder is as important now as it was in June. Keep working. Click here.
5. “First Fridays | Welcoming 2021″ Because all I want forever is to be in conversation with people who want to make the world a better place by expressing their unique gifts and passions. This event is that exactly…plus some tips on how we can all do that more often. Dream come true. Hurry and read/register here!
6. “Recommended Quarantine Reads“ Because in this ongoing list of online articles, Amy Tibbals said that “awareness of your personal-happiness attributes offers a great foundation from which to turn that perennial frown upside down.” And if she wrote that once, we should probably all read it twice. Click here for the full list.
7. “Moab Modern“ Because I love our clients. I love when they sell houses with us, then decide to hire us for design. I love when we get to build something with them from the ground up. It’s a gift to have folks for repeat services over the years…makes them our repeat friends. I think the first closing was 13 years ago. This project is just SO beautiful. Good job to Monty and Kristen, and great work to our design team. Project photos here.
8. “Cabin Fervor | On the Horizon“ Because I love it when architecture is good enough to stand alone…but it’s not so precious that the people aren’t in the highlight. Story and photos here.
9. “Stay Golden“ Because we’re all still in process, and I need to remind myself of that every single day. Read the story here.
10.”This Crazy Market | A Few Tips“ Because only a cityhomeCOLLECTIVE agent (and a really kind one) can get away with offering tips like “fight dirty”. It’s true–this market is nuts. And if I were going to purchase a home right now (and I wasn’t representing myself), I’d be hiring a cityhome agent ONE THOUSAND PERCENT. Our crew is a rare balance of tough love, strong morals, precise ethics, love of the game, and loyalty to our clients. Makes me smile…our reputation has been built over the last 15 years, one client at a time, by agents like Brian Tripoli. Read his story here.
It seems that dozens of wise folks from different time periods and different regions, different faiths and varying secular groups, have all passed down from generation to generation some version of the importance of doing to other people what we would hope they would do to us…
most of us know it as the golden rule.
This year has been challenging to a lot of people in a lot of ways, and perhaps as a reaction to the adversity and injustices that so many have endured (both in recent times and in centuries past), I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about kindness: remembering to be kind to your neighbors, kind to your fellow humans, and kind to yourself as you navigate the tricky terrain that is Earth in 2020. Bernice King (yes, that King), recently said: “Kindness matters. But kindness does not = justice. Civility counts. But calling for civility is not the humane response to injustice. Justice is. Love is essential. But love is not a passive, weeping bystander. Love puts in the work.”
There’s far more work that needs doing in 2020 than simply being nice to one another. But hopefully once justice and civility are met with respect and understanding for each other we can start to dream up a future together. As we act kindly to ourselves and one another, and as we (hopefully) begin to reach out with fairness and respect to other circles we’re not a part of, it might be a good idea to expand this Golden Rule lens—to think of how we can take the time to determine the role that individuality plays. How would we like to be treated as a city, as a state, as a nation, and as a people—and can we treat everyone the way that they would like to be treated?
we are in process…
As a people and as a city, we are on our way to becoming something wonderful. Where we live isn’t always a place on a map so much as a sort of roadmap we choose to live by along the way. Let’s keep comparing notes as a community and as a nation and as people on what tips we are learning with each other as we all journey toward finding that “home” where we feel safe, happy, fulfilled, and loved. Let’s investigate what it’s like and what it has been like for folks that are different from us to live here in Salt Lake. To presume to know what’s best for another is an indication that we would rather look outside instead of doing our own difficult work inside—I think it’s human nature (and there is plenty of human nature in this town)—but it’s imperative that you know/love/respect yourself before you can really begin to know/love/respect your community. Can we do the hard and necessary task of getting out of our own commitment to being right so that we can actually hear from our neighbors who have been harmed without jumping to defend the institutions that have harmed them? Perhaps then we can begin to move toward healing and creating a community that’s actually “home” to all and not just some. What if when we saw a person that is uniquely different from us, we thought: “Well, damn…since we grew up differently, may believe differently, and likely see the world very differently, this is a perfect opportunity for me to learn from someone who probably knows a lot of things I would never think of about creating a better world.”
Perhaps we can have more of an awareness about the privilege we come with as we offer ourselves up in service toward bringing us all ever closer to a common goal. We can share and combine hopes and pain and joy and belief to create a city that’s more loving, more aware, more beautiful, more interesting and inspiring, more bold, more compassionate, more just, humble, and brave. It’s here that the counsel of the Golden Rule hopefully starts to feel a little less like a rule and a lot more like a tip from a wise friend who only wants us to do good by each other and ourselves (thanks, friend).
Here’s to all of us—without exception—living better.
“Home appreciation.”
We’ve all heard the term. But besides new plumbing and AC, what really appreciates a house? We do. And as we appreciate—as people, friends, siblings, parents—so does the value of our home. Makes sense, right? I’ve talked about the importance of creating beautiful spaces for years. Making the places in which we live beautiful is amazing, but because things—furniture, art, and even homes themselves—are, after all, temporary, it’s important to remember where the true value comes from.
In my 20-year real estate career, I’ve seen a lot, from market shifts to the ups and downs of individual client experiences. And because I work with space so much, I’ve often gotten the question of how to add value to it. Yes, there are a few quick-fixes (new paint and landscaping never hurt anyone), but my advice along the way has always been to try to start by increasing the value in our inner life, and let that value move outward…not the other way around.
It might seem backward, and it certainly isn’t easy, but the value you’ll add to your home will be tenfold. And this way, when life throws us a curveball and we need to leave the spaces we love, we won’t actually be leaving them after all. We’ll have tilled the soil within ourselves to cultivate our dream home anywhere.
Life has a way of encouraging us to forget who we are. Whether it be by our particular upbringing or by the consumer society in which we live, our clear view of who we are gets clouded pretty damn quick these days. So, in this time of 2020’s ultimate “pause button,” I’d encourage you to take a minute to see yourself. The answers to all your appreciation quandaries can be investigated by asking: “What depreciates my value? Is there a place in me that could use a little appreciation?” The rest comes pretty naturally and organically.
Our homes reflect our evolution and support us in a major way—I believe that—but the real renovation, the one that’s long-lasting and adds the most value, is the one that’s done inside. When you’re good within, you want your outsides to match.
And hey, maybe when it’s time to get those outsides to match, you might still go over-budget on your home renovation, but what you’ll have to show in the end is a lot less about the house value and a whole hell of a lot more about yours.
Before all else, we sincerely hope that you and yours are safe, healthy, and are getting the support you need to get through this undeniably challenging time. Here at cityhome HQ our usually wide-open doors have intentionally not seen as much action as usual, but our hearts, minds, and virtual hugs are wide open for business.
We believe it is our role and responsibility during this time to prioritize three things: the health and well-being of our employees and clients, being compassionate to members of our larger community, and playing a constructive role in supporting local health officials and government leaders as they work to contain the virus. Call us idealists, but we’re cautiously optimistic that we all will come out of this weird and disorienting moment with a little more clarity about our priorities and a whole lot more compassion and empathy for our fellow humans.
Abiding by the Golden Rule seems like a singular directive right now, and we’re living by that credo whenever and however we can.
A huge part of what cityhomeCOLLECTIVE does every day is help our clients find and cultivate spaces where they feel centered, recharged, and safe. And when times get tough, we double down on the sentiment that great spaces are wonderfully adept at soothing troubled minds and frayed nerves. Making housing changes in the midst of uncertain times is certainly difficult, especially when people are pushed to do so by circumstances beyond their control, but know that we’ve got you–we’re here to help and answer any and all questions.
Through thousands of client interactions and knowing this region down to our bones, we’ve learned a lot over the years. We know that while our economic crystal ball is no clearer than anyone else’s, we affirm that our Salty City – even with her quirks and faults (political and geological) – has captured and continues to maintain the sweet spot of the livability market for good reason.
We have a deep-seated belief that people are elementally good, and that Utah’s people, in particular, are phenomenal.
And we’re all at our best when we come from a place of kindness and compassion. Please, let’s be kind to each other. And stay healthy out there.
Below are a couple of links (by no means exhaustive – things are changing fast) to organizations supporting small businesses and individuals that are the hardest hit by Utah’s double-whammy of COVID-19 and that bell-ringer of an earthquake.
Click here for the U.S. Small Business Administration
Click here for Support Utah Dining (curbside and takeout options)