You can try, but the city doesn’t have street addresses.

For more than a century, the small coastal town has gotten by with using unique house names or directional addresses to identify locations. Yet the tradition may not survive the test of time – or Amazon – much longer. To keep up with shifting community needs, the city is starting to explore the possibility of adding street addresses. The push came from the Carmel City Council last week, which directed staff at its Oct. 4 meeting to research the idea further and come back to council with more information at a later date.

Though introducing some means of GPS recognition for Carmel-by-the-Sea residents, renters and business owners are on the City Council’s list of priority projects for the 2022-23 fiscal year, the concept is decades-old – as is the city’s reasoning for abstaining from the practice.

The reluctance is wrapped up in ideals of city character. According to an agenda report for last week’s council meeting, “tradition and preservation of the city’s charm, unique look, and culture have been at the forefront of its governing body and residents’ preference in the past to reject implementing a street addressing system.”

In 1929, for example, the city passed a zoning law that stated “business development should forever be subordinate to the residential character of the community.” That notion of championing the city’s personality over development has long been the impetus for Carmel keeping residential streets free of sidewalks, street lights, neon signs, mailboxes and addresses, initial staff research from last week’s agenda notes.

Of course, the tradition hasn’t stopped people from trying. In 1926, City trustees passed an ordinance for house numbering of Carmel-by-the-Sea properties. The ordinance made it unlawful for the owner of any real property in the City to “maintain any house, building, or structure…without posting securely…visible to passerby…a number plate showing in legible figures the number of said premises,” according to staff research. The ordinance was passed by a unanimous vote but the city did not implement or enforce the posting of house numbers. Without any enforcement, the measure was eventually repealed in 1940.

Years later, in 1953, the city even threatened to secede from California when the state considered making it mandatory to have house numbers.

Modern qualms with lacking a street address, however, have brought the issue back on the table. And this time, with better reception.

Concerns voiced by community members vary from struggling to provide proof of residence to watching paramedics and fire trucks respond to the wrong house. Without the often expectation of having a street address, residents have expressed difficulties in opening or maintaining financial accounts, securing loans, activating or changing basic utilities like wireless internet, having packages delivered to the correct house or being “findable” in an emergency as a matter of public safety.

Workarounds to the problem, such as asking neighbors to be on the lookout for each other’s packages or offering descriptions akin to “it’s the third house on the left,” have helped patch some confusion. But community members turned out at last week’s council meeting to explain that complications are common and increasingly frustrating.

“We need to move forward into the 21st century with having our actual addresses,” one speaker argued.

Council members echoed points made in public comment, expressing their own troubles with the system, and ultimately directed staff to pursue a change in course.

Meanwhile, there is one tradition the city will be hard-pressed to let go even with the addition of street addresses – daily trips to the town post office. Staff has assured that topics of implementing street addresses and at-home paper mail delivery are two separate issues, with their intention exclusively going toward pursuing the former.

Staff maintains that the city’s post office has a long local history as being a place where residents regularly visit to not only check their PO boxes but also make idle conversation. Determined to keep the social hub up and running, staff priorities while researching a street address program include protecting Carmel’s post office and refusing to implement at-home mail delivery service. With these goals in mind, staff is in communication with Carmel’s Postmaster to see whether establishing street addresses would compel the United States Postal Service to require mail delivery, regardless of city interests, explained Carmel administrative analyst Emily Gray.

Once staff have a better understanding of what a street address program entails and would look like, they will return to advise the City Council on next steps, Gray said, adding that staff will likely not come back with more details until a new council is seated after the November election.

“It’s unbelievable — and they’re all so nice. They’re very, very thoughtful and kind,” Migeulgorry said of the dozens of volunteers who helped, adding that he initially joked with the project organizers that it would take that many folks to complete the work his house needed before they assured him that’s exactly how many people would show up.

Migeulgorry, 79, grew up in the house in the 800 block of Sixth Street, which is now valued above $1 million. He said his parents moved in to the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house shortly after it was built in 1939 and that generations of Migeulgorry have lived in it since at least the late 1940s. He joined the Army in 1967, served in Vietnam in ’68 and returned home the following year.

“I’m at a loss for words. This is probably the best day of my life and the repairs that were made are more than I could ever imagine,” Miguelgorry said.

The work on Migeulgorry’s home was one of three renovations the organizations agreed to complete for veterans across Santa Clara County on Tuesday — one more in San Jose and another in Morgan Hill. For Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, which has assisted county residents with no-cost home repairs since 1991, this is one of about 300 similar renovations the nonprofit will complete this year.

To Deanne Everton, executive director at Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, the work is about more than transforming Migeulgorry’s home into an asset for the community.

“Having a safe home is a right for everyone and being able to preserve that for a vulnerable group within our community is so important,” Everton said. “For John today, seeing the joy on his face and one of his quotes was, ‘I think this might be the best day of my life.’ So, not a bad day at work.”

The repairs completed Tuesday would have cost an estimated $90,000, but the labor and materials were donated by Lowe’s. They included exterior vinyl board and skirt replacements and landscaping, such as laying bark near plants to beautify Migeulgorry’s yard.

The three home renovations for Santa Clara County veterans are part of a national initiative by Lowe’s to support vets and their families this fall. The home improvement retailer donated $3.3 million to that effort, which funded the renovation of 79 homes nationwide.

Sitting in their Brentwood home studio on Tuesday before recording their final segment, the widely recognized home building and renovation experts reminisced about their days in radio and TV. They recently sold their media franchise to Danny Lipford of “Today’s Homeowner Radio,” who will incorporate their work into his programs beginning Jan. 1.

Lipford, who hosts the two-hour weekly “Today’s Homeowner” radio program and podcast, will take over the Careys’ website (onthehouse.com), digital content, social channels and subscribers with the aim of creating a robust resource for people seeking home improvement advice.

“They are legends in the business and will be missed. I am glad they’ve enjoyed such a successful run, and grateful that I’m able to carry on their media tradition and legacy,” Lipford said.

Morris Carey called his radio/TV run “amazing” and reflected on 35 years in radio and shorter stints starring with his brother in local and national home improvement TV shows airing in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere.

“I talked with Burt Reynolds for a half of an hour on the phone,” the 75-year-old Carey said. “I danced with Phyllis Diller. I listened to the comedy of so many great people and had such good experiences, I’m so thankful for that.”

“We performed with everyone From Kenny Rogers to Captain & Tennille to Jack Palance to Arnold Schwarzenegger,” James Morris, 63, added. “The list goes on.”

But the Careys say they are even more grateful for the opportunity to give tips about home building and renovations to such a large audience. They’re giving up the media work to concentrate on their home remodeling/design business, they said.

“I am very thankful for having been able to share my knowledge with people all over the country, all over the world, and I hope that I was a help while I was doing it,” Morris Carey said.

That included offering weekly homespun recipes, like how to rid mildew (a third of a cup powdered laundry detergent, a quart of liquid chlorine bleach and three quarts of warm water) and a tip of the day.

James Carey said his fondest memory was in being able to become a resource for those who needed help making informed decisions and making their homes safer.

“I think that nothing could have been better than that,” the younger Carey said. “And to know that I could have so much fun and live my dream as a frustrated entertainer and do things to help people. I’m grateful.”

The Careys’ foray into the media industry while running a successful contracting business was not a part of their initial business plan, which Morris Carey launched in Pittsburg in 1981. His brother joined it three years later.

But the elder Carey’s early use of computers led to an invitation in 1985 to write a monthly computer column in “Remodeling Contractor” magazine. And, after he received some 1,500 letters a month, his brother decided to pursue writing his own newspaper column. But with no journalism experience, he didn’t initially go far with that. Not one to give up easily, he set his sights on radio and asked his then-reluctant older brother to join him.

The Careys launched their radio show on Jan. 2, 1987, at the Bay Area’s KCBS Radio. Four years later they moved to KNBR, where they later syndicated nationally until the station switched to an all-sports format. After that the Careys rented a studio at KQED but soon decided to cut their San Francisco commute by building their own studio at their offices in their hometown of Pittsburg before relocating it to Brentwood, where both had moved.

At its peak, the Careys’ “On the House” program aired on more than 300 affiliates. To date, it includes more than 1,800 weekly radio shows with some 5,000 hours of programming and more than 50,000 call-ins from listeners.

With their success in radio, the Careys scored an “On the House” newspaper column, starting at the Contra Costa Times – now the East Bay Times – in 1998, which later was picked up by the Associated Press and ran for two decades in 750 newspapers across the country. They also wrote countless other magazine and newspaper articles as well as popular “For Dummies” books on home improvement.

On top of all that, they made regular appearances on network TV shows such as the “Hallmark Home and Family Show” and both CBS and ABC network morning shows and more for 25 years.

Over the decades, the Careys also made live personal appearances and remote broadcasts from major industry trade shows, local consumer events and even one from the White House – and almost all of it in their signature, matching brightly colored bib overalls.

They have also recorded nearly 2,500 entertaining and informative daily tips for homeowners that currently air on hundreds of radio stations nationwide. The last tip of the day is set to air on Dec. 31 and they plan to donate their radio equipment to the Pittsburg Historical Society for educational purposes.

But even with the media work behind them, the Careys won’t be any less busy, James Carey said, noting he is now managing the booming construction company.

“We’re putting one 100% of our energy into our design/build/remodeling firm, Carey Brothers Remodeling,” he said. “It’s a joy to make home improvement dreams come true for people in our area.”

Kindred Sparks’ 12-year-old son was sheltered at home because of COVID-19 as his science camp class trip was canceled. Then, his fifth-grade graduation was canceled. Finally, the sports team he trained to try out for was canceled.

Instead of becoming frustrated, the elder Sparks boy came up with an idea — a treehouse for he and his younger brother to play in and create new, happy experiences. Sparks said that because of her son’s learning style he was homeschooled during the Zoom era; through his research, he found a cool school project.

“The boys have always wanted a treehouse and then with the pandemic, we started with just a little fort around the tree. In late winter … he drew up blueprints and watched Youtube videos online,” Sparks said. “We had the opportunity to turn that into a learning experience.”

The treehouse was finished by the end of May and the Sparks kids were ecstatic. Dozens of neighbors cheered him on and complimented the 12-year-old boy’s work, Sparks added in her post about the situation on the community forum Nextdoor. Before school was back in session, he had his best friend over for a sleepover.

“These kids have had everything taken away from them, these houses are small. We are blessed to have a yard because there are lots of kids who didn’t during the pandemic,” Sparks said. “But to have a little private fort in the front that’s his own … that sleepover was like a movie.”

Signed, anonymous

However, this week, Sparks opened her mailbox and found a letter from the Santa Cruz Department of Planning and Community Development. A neighbor had complained about the treehouse and it was not up to code, staff wrote. After going back and forth with two different employees, the family is still unsure of how the treehouse was even monitored by city code or what fines they might be charged for being out of compliance.

“They dated it for Aug. 4 but we didn’t receive notice until three days ago … It’s hard because it’s always, ‘Leave a message and we’ll get back to you.’ It’s a slow process, and we were told that all costs incurred by the city relative to our case can be billed to us,” the mom said.

Sparks intends on fighting the complaint and has been told by city staff that she can get an extension of the deadline to comply if she proves she is working on a solution to the issue. But it’s hard to find a solution when she isn’t sure what made the neighbor complain, Sparks said.

“The (staff member) said as long as no one complains, they aren’t proactive about shutting them down … I have no ill intention because I know they’re trying their best over there,” Sparks said. “I don’t like any kind of conflict and confrontation … if it wasn’t for the fact that this is my son’s project I probably would just (defer) but as a mother, just with everything these kids have been through this past year and a half, I owe it to him to fight for him.”

Additionally, she isn’t sure that the city code even applies to treehouses.

“The main issue is not about the code but the setback and about the treehouse being too close to the front,” Sparks said. “The (staffer) said they want consistency in the front yard … but it doesn’t seem as though my street is as consistent. People park trailers, boats and things in their front yard so that, to me, doesn’t really seem like a valid argument. The tree is already there, it’s just a structure within the tree.”

As she dug in deep to how her boys may be affected by local laws, the city notified Sparks she would need to take the policy to the Santa Cruz City Council for discussion. Privately, another city staff member messaged her and encouraged her to pursue the effort.

“With my youngest, I’m not really sure he knows it could be taken down,” she said of her kids. “But the older one who built it is super bummed. He really doesn’t understand why.”

Considering city codes

The treehouse has been a learning lesson — a lesson in democracy.

“It’s all about having real, individual conversations. That’s the reason why we have a smaller government. Large-scale laws don’t always work for everyone in town,” she said. “This should be considered a special case because it is our youth. This area is supposed to be a forward-thinking and progressive area. We should be rallying around these kids.”

Sparks will show up to meetings and tell her kids about making the system better despite a failed attempt at policy change in a similar situation last year in Capitola.

“I’m not giving up,” she said.

Katie Bramlett, a mother to two girls who also helped build a treehouse in the front yard during the pandemic, spoke with KSBW last year about how a neighbor went to the city, too, before first approaching them.

“You know, I get it! Two or three people don’t like it, let’s talk but (for) one person to cause all of this (is) such a waste of city resources,” Bramlett said to the TV station at the time.

Then-mayor Kristen Petersen said this week that, from her recollection, the family chose to take it down altogether rather than rebuild the treehouse to code.

Bramlett could not be reached prior to print publication.

“I’m not sure I see it that way,” he says, laughing.

So maybe his job isn’t always a trip to the ice cream parlor, but who hasn’t fantasized about buying a decrepit old house for a song, fixing it up — a patch here, new fixtures there and a fresh coat of paint — and selling it for a tidy sum?

In my many imagined house renovations, I tear out walls, raise ceilings, replace fixtures, change flooring, put up moldings and — poof! — take the place from dump to dreamhouse. Never in my daydreams do I run into dry rot, black mold, ruptured pipes or snake dens.

But the risk of those very real possibilities is why I — and probably you — remain armchair flippers, and live vicariously through folks like Lavinder.

Since starting his company in 2008 in Bristol, Tenn., Lavinder has flipped more than 300 houses locally. Two years ago, he harnessed that experience into a franchise for others who want to use his fix-and-flip formula. New Again Houses now has 21 franchises in 11 states.

“We provide capital, technology, training and an ecosystem to allow franchise owners to flip one house a month in their area,” he says.

About half the franchises completing their first full year are on track to hit that number. Because money is often a limiting factor for flippers, working with a franchise helps them achieve scale they otherwise couldn’t.

Lavinder’s numbers-driven model starts with buying houses in probate, often taking them off the hands of heirs who have a house they don’t know what to do with.

“We don’t buy anything on the market,” he says.

He also has a type: “We like bread-and-butter houses, not big custom projects that are high risk, but workforce housing,” he says. The typical fixer is a ranch style, built in the ’70s and around 1,300 square feet, with no owner updates and lots of deferred maintenance. Not to be confused with “affordable housing” (code for government subsidized), workforce houses are for blue-collar, working-class families. “That to me is big,” he says.

The average sales price for one of his remodeled homes is $170,000. From that, he aims to make at least $25,000 on a flip.

The process starts by assessing the scope of work, then using company software to “turn the flip into a math problem,” Lavinder says. “The process is very data driven. We take the emotion out of the analysis.”

That emotion part is why I would be terrible at this.

Though every flip is different, the method used to turn a humble house into something today’s buyer wants is the same. Here are 10 steps Lavinder and his project manager, Annie Elliott, say every flipper should follow:

1. Pick the right house. Lavinder will walk away from properties that are poorly built or “under engineered.” For example, a house where the joists are 24 inches apart rather than 18 inches tells you the builder took shortcuts. Underground water issues and wet foundations are another red flag. “We spend a lot of time in crawlspaces looking for unfixable problems.” They also avoid homes in bad neighborhoods, another problem they can’t overcome.

2. Start with the unseen. Assess the systems: electrical, plumbing, heating and roofing. Determine what needs to be repaired or replaced, and what those big-ticket items will cost. Then work backwards to nail down your budget starting with a realistic end sales price, which can’t be more than the neighborhood will support.

3. Plan it 100 percent. “Too often, people make 80 percent of the decisions for what they will and won’t do, and figure they will decide the rest on the fly,” Lavinder says. Instead, spend more time at the beginning to get it planned to 100 percent. Then don’t change your mind.

4. Get good estimates. Having a specific plan will help you get accurate prices from workers. Do the legwork to secure and validate costs.

5. Salvage what you can. Part of this is instinct, Elliot says. “Often, you just know what must stay and what must go. If it’s gross, doesn’t work or is water damaged, it goes.” The decision gets harder when something is in good shape, but you just don’t like it.

6. Set your contractor up for success. Be sure to have a complete project design and don’t change it during construction.

7. Do floors, for sure: While some decisions are line calls, some aren’t. For sure, refinish wood floors and remove old carpet and bathroom tile. “It just feels cleaner to not move in on that,” Elliot says. Always paint and landscape.

8. Get the biggest bang for the buck: Beyond painting in light neutrals throughout and landscaping, other moves that yield big results include moving or widening doorways to improve flow. Bring in light by swapping out old light fixtures and adding new ones. And add decks, porches and patios to expand usable living space. Outdoor shutters are also an easy, low-cost way to add character and curb appeal.

9. Beware of social media. “HGTV and Pinterest have in some ways made our job harder,” Elliot says. “Buyers come in with these expectations and wonder why they can’t have a navy-blue island with a quartz countertop. I’d love to make every house Pinterest worthy, but that’s not practical.”

10. Know how the pandemic has impacted the market. Today’s buyers value square footage more than they did a year ago, Lavinder says. Where in the past we would have hesitated to finish a basement, now that’s an easier decision. “We are not risk takers. For us, it is all about the math.”

But for Julie Good, her new garage doors are a triumph, a piece de resistance, a tour de force. Less hyperbolic, they improve her house’s curb appeal.

“I’m very sad at the prospect of having to remove them,” Good, 62, said.

When she bought the North Tustin house a decade ago, it featured a long garage with three narrow egresses. Good kept banging up her car getting in and out.

“I lost two mirrors and scraped a side panel,” Good said. Last year, after one repair bill too many, she decided a garage remodel was well past due.

Completed in mid-January, the face lift merged two of the garage doors into one larger entrance for easier maneuvering.

Aside from the pragmatics, Good is thrilled with the aesthetics – Southwestern-style metal doors bearing a weathered, patina look. “They’re even more gorgeous than I had imagined.”

But that feeling isn’t universal. Soon after the grand unveiling, Good learned that her homeowners association is not so impressed. Retroactively, the board denied approval.

“Needless to say, I was shocked,” Good recalled. “It’s mind-boggling.”

A bank executive, who also holds a masters degree in architecture, Good has a head for business and an eye for beauty. She could not fathom replacing old generic doors with new generic doors. After all, the garage consumes almost the entire front of her split-level, most of which is stacked behind on a hillside.

For advice, Good turned to Ray Hare – a prominent photo-realism artist who consults her about home decor.

“Those doors are all you see from the street,” said Hare, who lives in Anaheim. “There’s a lot riding on them.”

Hare told Good about the striking metal doors he’d spotted in Palm Desert. Internet research led her to Dave Koch, an Arizona artisan who specializes in patina metal doors.

Good flew to Tucson to meet with Koch and tour houses exhibiting his creations. Enamored with the natural “tarnished” look, she hired him for the job.

Then Good received a puzzling a notice from Charter Point Community Association. The HOA oversees 54 houses in Cowan Heights – an affluent nook of Santa Ana that borders Tustin.

“This work needs to be approved by the architectural committee,” the unsigned email read.

Good quickly submitted the requested forms, albeit after-the-fact. In response, the HOA asked her to “remove/replace/repaint or modify the garage doors …. to conform to the design of the neighborhood.”

“A solid color would be more in keeping with the style of the community,” another email stated, referring to the doors’ various rusty brown hues.

“If you don’t comply you will be subject to fines and legal remedies,” the missive concluded.

Pointing out the rather eclectic array of houses surrounding her, Good inquired, “Just so I’m clear, what is the definition of a design conforming to the neighborhood?” No answer arrived.

Members of the HOA board did not return calls requesting comment for this article.

Hare argues that painting the mottled brown metal would destroy its reason to exist – a raw, natural appearance. Besides, he added, the paint soon would peel off.

“Let’s get real here – there is nothing offensive about these doors,” Hare said.”It’s not like they’re painted in geometrical patterns and polka dots.They are organic and pleasing to the eye.”

Good said the HOA has never questioned her about other changes she has made, such as repainting the exterior and re-landscaping the front yard with succulents.

“We only pay the HOA  $125 a month,” Good said. “Its main function is to maintain the hillsides.”

Former HOA board member Elinor Silverstein agreed with that assessment, describing the neighborhood association as “easygoing.”

“Honestly, the association doesn’t nitpick,” Silverstein said. “Our houses don’t all look alike. We’re not Irvine.”

Emphasizing that she does not speak for the board, the longtime resident said she has no idea why Good encountered pitfalls. “I think those doors are the coolest,” she said. “But (Good) must have skipped an important step. There’s a process you go through.”

Good said her case likely will end up in mediation so, at minimum, she has a few weeks to enjoy her $23,000 makeover before the next battle.

“I joke that I will cover my doors in cheap plastic tablecloths so they’ll be a solid color,” Good said.

Hare bristles over the controversy about something he helped fashion. “I feel like I have to defend Julie,” he said. “It’s almost harassment. Her doors are spectacular. What is the big deal?

“At the end of the day,” he said, “we are just talking about garage doors.”

On Sept. 27, there will likely be the usual participants in 1800s attire (costumes are optional), this year strolling Pacific Avenue to view homes in the neighborhood near Lincoln Avenue and Sherman Street. Organizers note that the tour is offered as an outdoor activity and that all county health and safety measures are to be observed, including wearing masks and not congregating with those outside one’s own household or social bubble to walk the tour.

“We wanted to make sure we still had our event, the home tour, and to make it safe and accessible to everybody, so the idea of having an outdoor walking tour with the expertise of Woody Minor as our host would give us what we were looking for,” said Alameda Legacy Home Tour chair Conchita Perales. “People could still look at the houses, learn about their history and have a day out with family.”

This year’s tour actually offers several viewing options — the downloaded app can be also be enjoyed from home, as there is a PDF with a written copy and a keepsake color booklet available for the first time, including house write-ups, good-quality photos and a history of the area. Regardless of viewing method, the star of the day is Bay Station Heritage Area, chosen for this year’s tour for two important reasons. First, Woody Minor had already chosen and researched the area for his “Woody Walk,” canceled when the pandemic hit, and second, a significant reason is that Pacific Avenue is one of Alameda’s “Slow Streets” that are now closed to most vehicle traffic.

“That makes it a perfect street to have groups of people walking around, keeping their distance and not worrying about traffic. So it was a good coincidence that both of those things happened and we were able to take advantage of that situation,” Perales said. “We’ll also have costumed, masked docents walking around (on Sept. 27) to set the ambience and answer questions.”

The firm of Marcuse & Remmel was the most prolific of Alameda’s many homebuilders, and the dozens of high-basement cottages in Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style in the Bay Station Heritage Area built in the 1890s have the distinction of being the single largest concentration of Marcuse & Remmel homes. The earliest homes, simple cottages, were built in 1891 and 1892, and the later homes, elaborate Queen Annes and Colonial Revivals, were built from 1898 to 1900.

“This area speaks to the development of Marcuse & Remmel as a firm of builders as they evolved from the first to the last houses. A very intense period in Alameda’s architectural history, an evolution, it shows how they moved and changed with the times,” Perales said. “This is also very important to AAPS because we want to bring attention and awareness to poorer neighborhoods in Alameda that are historic.”

The tour begins with a thorough introduction by Woody Minor to the area, its history and how it got developed, in a manner that transports the listener to another time and sets the tour’s tone. Alameda historian Judith Lynch describes each house in general detail, followed by Minor’s loose, off-the-cuff comments about different features.

“He’s not reading official copy, it’s more like you’re listening in to a conversation of someone making comments about each house,” Lynch said. “It’s fun, and we encourage people to do the tour in person so that as you stand in front of the house you can see what he’s talking about.”

Along with the walking tour, two activities for all ages will run throughout the month, an architectural scavenger hunt and an art game that requests viewers to draw whatever inspires them from the tour. Submissions will be posted on the AAPS website and are eligible for prizes.

This year’s tour is also meant as a reminder to Alamedans of the importance of preserving historic neighborhoods and protecting them from overdevelopment. The AAPS opposes this fall’s ballot Measure Z that would eliminate the city’s 1973 prohibition on multifamily housing construction because they say Measure Z would incentivize demolition of the city’s classic houses for development. Measure Z’s supporters say the city’s 1980 historical preservation ordinance helps address that concern.

“This is an important election; we’re very interested in people looking at our neighborhoods and realizing they are important areas, neighborhoods and homes, that need to be preserved and restored for the future of Alameda,” Perales said. “It doesn’t matter what shape they’re in; it’s about preserving our history and our architectural heritage and encouraging people to restore their homes.”

Proceeds from the tour will go toward funding AAPS lectures, printing the newsletter, preservation awards to homeowners and businesses that have restored their facades and toward future projects. The society plans on continuing with a digital format as a way to preserve and provide access to past tours. Perales encourages people to participate in touring the Bay Station Heritage Area, which doesn’t normally get highlighted.

“Just like the Gold Coast with all the big houses, this is another of our heritage areas, and we’re thankful to bring attention to it,” she said. “We want people to realize there are other historic areas in Alameda that need preservation and awareness and for people to vote ‘no’ on Measure Z.”

Marta Yamamoto is a freelance writer, longtime Bay Area resident and outdoor enthusiast. Contact her at martayam@gmail.com.

FYI

Bay Station Heritage Area Tour: Sept. 27 to Oct. 26. Tickets and printed guidebook information are available at alameda-legacy-home-tour.org.
Alameda Architectural Preservation Society: alameda-preservation.org

My husband, DC, wants to know as he writes one more check in an endless stream for our outdoor landscaping project. We love how the project is turning out, but the flow of outbound checks, which he is now signing in blood, less so.

I hated to break it to him.

The initial five-figure quote from our landscape designer for our backyard project seemed comprehensive. It covered demolition, grading, travertine for the patio, beach rock, plant materials, mulch, the irrigation system, labor and oversight. Not included, however, were the non-optional “extras.”

In addition to the base price, we shelled out for large tree removal, fence reconfiguration, a wall fountain, fire bowls, gas-line installation, patio furniture, Adirondack lawn chairs, outdoor ceiling fans, decorative pots and outdoor cushions, which altogether almost doubled the cost. (Thank goodness we decided against the pool, or costs would have gone the way of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.)

“What’s left?” he asked in a what-organ-do-I-need-to-sell tone.

“Lighting,” I said.

“How much?” he asked.

“I’ll find out.”

And this is why so many homes are dark after sunset.

“You see these homeowners who put tens of thousands into their landscaping and skip the lighting,” said Matt Tralka, head of sales for Florida’s Southern Outdoor Lighting.

“They get almost to the goal line, then drop the ball,” added David Martin, design team leader for Vermont’s Hubbardton Forge, a lighting manufacturer.

They’re right, of course. Ending a design project — whether inside or out — and not illuminating it is like wrapping a gift and leaving off the bow. In design, lighting is the olive in the martini, the perfume on the bride. But it also often falls outside the depleted budget.

“Fortunately,” Martin added, before we got too depressed, “since people have started staying home more, interest in outdoor lighting is up. They’re bored inside, so are making the most of their outdoor spaces.”

As they do, they are finding how much better outdoor lights have gotten over the past few years. “A lot of homes still have halogen outdoor lights and need to update to LEDs,” Tralka said. Halogen lights use 10 times more power than LEDs and burn out 10 times faster.

But better bulbs aren’t the only reason to brighten your landscape. Do it for the drama. When you’re ready to lay on the lights, here’s what these experts say to consider.

Remember the dark side: “Look at the outdoors like a theater,” Martin said. “The secret is to selectively light. We need darkness to create drama and contrast. Anyone can fill a yard with boring light, but the darkness is as important as the light.”

Be intentional: A good lighting design considers safety, security, aesthetics and the neighbors. Select the features you want to highlight, such as the home’s entrance where light can draw you in as you make an approach, as well as significant trees and other features like pools or fountains. Then consider softly lighting a path for way finding, especially by steps. Light areas, such as other entrances, to add security. Don’t outshine your neighbors, but rather respectfully blend.

Softer is better: Many homeowners mistakenly believe they need outside lights to be brighter to compensate for the darkness, but the opposite is true, Martin said. “Eyes adjust to the dark, so a little light in the darkness goes a long way. Lights that are too bright detract.”

Beam it up: Generally, landscapes and structures look better lit with up lights from below. Downlights can create unwelcome shadows and a less-appealing result, Martin said. That said, neighborhoods that want to tamp down on light pollution, which can interfere with the beauty of the dark sky, may only allow downlights or occasional post lights. Consider your neighbors.

Focus on the light not the fixture: Unlike indoor light fixtures, which are often sculptural décor features, outdoor landscape lights are usually best unseen. “Aim for invisibly gorgeous,” Martin said. That also means hiding the wires, added Tralka. “Visible wires are a DIY giveaway.”

Keep it white: Save the colored lights for Christmas. “While colored lights are more common in commercial settings, 99 percent of the residential lights we install are white,” Tralka said. Keep light temperatures consistent, too. For my house, I opted for not just white, but warm white (2700 Kelvins), which resembles the color of candle flame. Those who prefer a crisper white may opt for 3000K.

Watch your hot spots: Misplaced light beams are another common mistake. For instance, the beauty of a tree is typically its canopy, but you often see lights that highlight the tree trunk and miss the main event, Tralka said. The solution: back the light up and adjust the beam spread, so it hits the pretty part.

Plan to invest: Outdoor lights take a weather beating, so avoid inexpensive plastic fixtures, which won’t last. Choose metal ones that resist rust and that have gasket seals to block moisture. For good quality LED fixtures, expect to pay around $200 per fixture installed, Tralka said. A typical residential project with a lighted façade and eight or so up-lit trees will cost between $2,000 and $2,500, he said, including the transformer and digital timer.

The estimate from the company we selected fell in that range. The lights will go in next week.

“Then will we be done?” DC asked.

“Does a martini have olives?”

Wouldn’t that be a fitting end? “Home columnist beheaded by her own ceiling fan!”

While I duck for cover, he calmly turns the fan off. “Time for a new fan,” he says.

Until now, I’d never paid much attention to our ceiling fans, indoors or out. They were givens. They came along with the house, like doors and sinks. But now that decapitation was imminent, I’m noticing that the two, once-white outdoor fans had become rickety and yellow with age.

The next minute, my husband is on his laptop shopping for ceiling fans. Now we’re in real trouble. He is out of his depth.

“Look at this one,” he points to one with oversized palm fronds as blades.

“Uh, no, this isn’t a Tommy Bahama store,” I say.

“Oh, this one is cool!”

“It looks like a helicopter propeller.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“A fan that doesn’t say look at me — like we have now, but newer.”

To nip this fast, I call Darby Serra, the national sales director for Dan’s Fan City, where he’s worked for 30 years. The company sells fans online and through 50 stores in a handful of states.

“Many people don’t appreciate the comfort and cost savings ceiling fans provide,” said Serra, sounding well-scripted. “By evening out the temperature in a room, ceiling fans make air conditioners work less. Fans blow air down into a room like a cone, pushing the air at the base of the cone up the wall and back into the fan, to circulate.”

But what I really want to talk about is how to pick a fan before my husband hits the buy-now button. Happy to oblige, Serra offered the following fan-picking tips:

Style: Fans come in dozens of styles: rustic, traditional, tropical, industrial, modern and more. Many are beautiful and yet would be wrong for your house. Consider your home’s architecture and look for a fan that suits it.

Size: The biggest mistake homeowners make is putting in a fan that’s too small. The result looks wrong and doesn’t work. In rooms that measure 10-feet square up to 16-feet square, go for a fan that’s at least 52 inches. In larger rooms, go bigger.

Height: Rod length from ceiling also matters. For eight-foot ceilings, fan blades need eight inches between the blades and ceiling for proper circulation. On higher ceilings, fan blades should sit between eight and 11 feet from the floor.

Color: Do you want a fan you notice or one that blends? “You don’t get tired of white,” Serra said. “It goes up, does its job and matches the ceiling.” Usually, designers don’t want a fan to upstage the décor, or the view out your window. But if you do want a statement fan, choose a color and style that ties into the décor or the hardware.

Overall, Serra said, 60 percent of the indoor fans his company sells are white. If a designer is picking, that number jumps to 80 percent. The rest are mostly tan, brown, silver or black. Outside the reverse is true: 60 percent of outdoor fans are dark. Dark finishes, mostly oil-rubbed bronze, are more popular outdoors because they don’t show dirt. They’ll look good for years.

Control: Wall switches now come with fan-speed adjusters that work to power fans on and off and control their speed, eliminating the not-always-convenient chain and easy-to-lose remote.

Run them: Keeping fans running will extend their life, said Serra, who runs his 24/7, which he says costs only $1 a month. A fan can last 50 years or more.

The spin: Most fans have a switch that reverses their direction. In warm weather, when the air conditioning is on, ceiling fans should move counterclockwise. In cool weather when the heat is on, they should rotate clockwise. I always found the opposite to be true until Serra straightened me out. I’d been determining the clock-face direction by looking up at the fan. The orientation should be as if you’re looking down on it from the ceiling. (I’m sorry, but who does that?) So, yes, counterclockwise in warm weather, and clockwise in cold weather — if you’re lying on the ceiling.

Cost: Fans range from $99 to $1,000. The average homeowner spends $350 to $400 on a fan, plus installation.

Indoor vs. outdoor: Any outdoor fan will work inside, but not vice versa. Outdoor fans are designed to resist moisture and rust, and are rated to use in wet locations. Outdoor fans will also have weather-resistant blades and stronger finishes.

In a recent survey for the top outdoor furnishings association, a resounding 88% of respondents said they were dissatisfied in some way with their outdoor space, citing a lack of style, function or comfort most often. Overall, the survey found that 56% planned to buy at least one new piece of outdoor furniture this spring.

Home furnishings makers are up to the challenge as they create more pieces with an indoor look and feel, thanks in large part to significant advancements in weather-resistant materials.

“It’s really been evolving as each season passes, this seamless transition from indoors to outdoors,” said Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance and executive director of its outdoor division, the International Casual Furnishings Association, for which the survey was conducted. 

“With everything that’s available now, all the touches and details, it really cements the idea that people want to have the same kind of comforts as the living room in their outdoor living spaces.”

We’ve come a long way from the plastic-weave, fold-up aluminum chairs and the stiff, uncomfortable fabric cushions of the past. Innovations have led to quality performance fabrics on outdoor upholstered pieces that are stylish, soft and durable.

“Fabrics are a lot better now,” says Deborah Gliksman, owner and chief designer at Los Angeles-based Urban Oasis Landscape Design. 

For the “living room look,” outdoor-ready, fully upholstered pieces and deep-seating chairs and sofas can be found at retailers such as Room and Board, Pottery Barn, West Elm, CB2, the design portfolio and job site Coroflot said in its Outdoor Furniture Trends and Market Glance for 2020. 

OW Lee, a longtime manufacturer of high-end outdoor furniture, fire pits and accessories based in Ontario, is known for its quality, indoor-type pieces for outdoor spaces. A look at the manufacturer’s wish lists in the International Casual Furnishings Association’s survey also reveals a generational gap of sorts: Millennials are more than two times more likely than boomers to have a sofa or a sectional on their OW Lee shopping lists, and favor décor pieces such as rugs or throw pillows over boomers as well.

Hirschhaut notes that overall, people are combining different materials and styles for a more eclectic look. 

“Just as few consumers these days purchase indoor furniture in sets, people are mixing their styles outdoors as well, and manufacturers are stepping up their game with combinations that might include teak, wicker and vinyl, all in the same space for a more layered vibe,” she said.

A new kind of ‘hangout’

So while upholstery elements are getting their due, natural and faux-natural woven materials are still a standard on patios and porches. “As consumers seek to appeal to all their senses outdoors, texture is the name of the game,” Hirschhaut said. 

A fun way to mix in a textured woven piece is with a hanging or swing chair, which are popping up in abundance among many of the outdoor furniture makers’ spring offerings. 

Bohemian, contemporary or modern, these seats usually feature natural or resin rattan, wicker or bamboo most often in the pod shape of the timeless Egg chairs. Some hang from a beam or other steady structural element; others are sold with their own stands. 

Wayfair has more than 100 options, from simple designs to seats for two. As Hayneedle points out in their Trend Watch, the hanging furniture can find a home “on the patio, porch, and, yes, even your living room.”  

An added bonus: The swaying motion of suspended chairs can have a calming effect and improve your mood; they have been used for years in sensory therapy settings.

The eye-catching statement piece that will have people clamoring to claim the “good seat” on your patio.

Attracted to the flames

Beyond seating and accessories, fire pits and stylish outdoor lighting are the most sought-after items of those who plan outdoor space improvements, according to the International Casual Furnishings Association survey.

Available in an incredible array of styles, sizes and material types, fire pits are on many homeowners’ must-have lists. Hirschhaut said of their allure: “Once you sit at one, you’re going to want one in your own space. … They are a real focal point, you circle around it, roasting marshmallows, enjoying time together.”

Fire pits “extend the season and our desire to spend time outdoors,” she said.

For Gliksman, the type of fire pit, size and materials used all depend on the clients’ style and tastes. 

“They are among the most requested items I get,” Gliksman said. “A lot of people want something special, tied into the rest of the design.”

Let there be light

Gliksman says lighting serves three purposes in outdoor spaces: safety, functionality and ambiance. It’s the last one she enjoys the most: “Lights make everything very magical at night.” 

While Gliksman uses path lights for safety and, more often lately, café lights for design reasons in certain settings, “most of the rest of the lighting I do is invisible.”

The latest in “invisible lighting” are LED strip lights, which use newer and still-evolving technology to illuminate key elements in the yard or home. These lights are bendable with adhesive backing and come in cool, natural or warm white, as well as most colors. Besides illuminating walkways for safety, you can use the lights to line patios and awnings, or put them on the underside of tables and chairs, under the counters of built-in outdoor kitchens and grills or along or under stairs and railings. Because they are waterproof, they also can be used as landscape trim and around pools.

“They are a very modern touch,” Gliksman said. “If you use them right, you can get a really cool effect, like of a bench or other object floating.”

When it comes to lighting trends, the Mom’s Design Build blog puts it simply: “Sleek, minimalist, linear lighting will be all the rage in 2020.”

Outside work

Making your patio or porch more inviting now has another upside. Remember those days in school when the teacher would say, “It’s so nice, why don’t we have class outside?” You’re working from home, you have wireless and a laptop — why don’t you work outside? 

It would be easy to convert your outdoor dining table or built-in kitchen and counters into a usable work command center, outdoor materials maker Belgard points out in a blog post on 2020 trends. With any outdoor work setup, you’ll want to ensure you have the proper lighting and charging outlets; Wi-Fi extenders in the home also are an option to improve your reach to the backyard.

“The main thing you’ll need is some kind of shade to see the computer screen and so you aren’t sitting in the sun all day,” Gliksman said.

As for the trend, “I’ve already seen it,” Hirschhaut says. “As we spend more time inside, we will be looking for ways to be outside.”