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Here’s South Carolina’s Top Outdoor Attraction… And You’ll Definitely Want To Do It
If you’ve ever visited Brookgreen Gardens just south of Murrell’s Inlet, then you know why it’s South Carolina’s top outdoor attraction. You also know you can never spend too much time in this tranquil paradise. From one visit, to 50 and beyond, every visit to Brookgreen Gardens makes its mark on your soul.
This wonderful piece of paradise was created in 1932 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Originally, the Huntingtons came down from Connecticut looking for some beachfront property to build a house.
But after touring four adjoining plantations comprising 9,100 acres in 1929, Anna fell in love with the idea of creating a garden showcase for her sculptures. They bought all four former rice plantations and got to work building her dream.
Brookgreen Gardens sits entirely on one single plantation that was part of the bundle of four. Tours to two of the other plantations are offered by way of water and over land. On these "special tours," you get a glimpse at the life on Laurel Hill Plantation and get to visit the Alston family cemetery on the Oaks Plantation.
The old Brookgreen Plantation (now Brookgreen Gardens) gets many visitors each year who frequent it not only for the tree-lined walkways that adjoin each of the more than 1,400 works of art displayed here, but also for the eco tours and a zoo. The Native Wildlife Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens is the only accredited zoo on the coast of the Carolinas.
Brookgreen has a 45-foot pontoon that will take you through the backwaters of the old plantations that today make up Brookgreen. This summer, through August 5th, Thursday nights are family night and this creek tour transforms into "A Pirate's Journey Along The Creeks."
Brookgreen Gardens is more than just a sculpture garden. It's one woman's dedication to showcasing American artists in the beautiful and historic Lowcountry of South Carolina. It's a place where art and nature are one. It's a place to find your inner peace.
Have you been to Brookgreen Gardens? You can upload photos over in the comments on Facebook. We’d love to see them and hear your comments!
7 Clever Hacks for Handling Common Household Concerns
If you have any length of history as a homeowner, you understand that making repairs comes with the territory. Keeping up with broken items can bring on a range of emotions, from fear to frustration, and once successfully completed, even little jobs can be downright satisfying. Here are some clever hacks for common household concerns so you can skip over the fear and frustration and go straight to feeling good about your accomplishments.
Tackling a Toilet Handle
If your toilet handle has slipped off or is loose, there is a trick to tightening it into its place: the nut turns in the opposite direction of what you might expect. In other words, instead of “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey,” turn left (counterclockwise) to tighten it and right (clockwise) to loosen it. If you need to replace it, shut off the water to the toilet and flush two times before you disconnect the chain. Then, loosen the nut with pliers and remove the mechanism. You can look at a diagram to see what you’re getting into. Consider taking the part with you to the hardware store to ensure you buy the correct replacement, then reverse the process for installation.
Unclog a Toilet
Often embarrassing but not at all uncommon, all homeowners eventually must contend with a clogged toilet. Thankfully, with a couple of convenient ingredients pulled from your pantry, you can be back in business in no time. For a minor clog, scoop one cup each of vinegar and baking soda into the toilet simultaneously. For more severe clogs, parcel it out with a quarter to half cup of baking soda first, then add the vinegar. Follow with hot water, and repeat as needed.
Unclog the Garbage Disposal
Whether there is a stray peach pit or your child dropped a fork, pulling something out of your garbage disposal can be intimidating. After all, you know it chops things up into tiny pieces, so the last thing you want is to reach your fingers in there at the moment it starts spinning again. With that in mind, shut off power to the unit first by either flipping the circuit breaker or unplugging the machine under the sink. Allow the unit to cool for 15 minutes, then examine the jam with a flashlight and dislodge the object with a wooden spoon or dowel. Wait another 15 minutes, then reset the unit and power it back up.
Clean a Stinky Disposal
If your garbage disposal is working fine but has an unpleasant odor, the Spruce suggests cleaning it by pouring in a half cup of baking soda and following that with a half cup of vinegar. Flush it with hot water when it finishes fizzing.
Clean Baseboards
Baseboards are often overlooked, but being close to our feet they can accumulate a lot of crud. To clean yours, Bob Vila suggests vacuuming with a brush attachment, then wipe with either vinegar-water or a diluted mix of dish soap.
Repair Damaged Molding
With the comings and goings of life, trim molding can get cracked any number of ways. Thankfully, repairs are a breeze. Even the surface with sandpaper, apply wood filler, and allow it to dry. Then, sand smooth and paint to match the rest of your trim.
Tighten Stripped Knobs
A wobbling or spinning drawer knob can rankle many homeowners, but there is an easy fix for stripped screw holes. Remove the annoying knob, then dip some toothpicks in wood glue and insert as many as necessary to plug the hole. Cut the toothpicks flush with the frame and wipe away excess glue. Then, put your knob back into place and drive the screw through the repair.
As a homeowner, chances are you’ll be making some or all of these repairs at some point in the future. When these little jobs pop up, you can face them without fear. Keep these clever hacks in mind so you can enjoy satisfying results.
Bolder color schemes and more usage of brass were among some of the latest home design trends—which focused particularly on the kitchen and bathroom—featured on the expo floor at last week’s 2019 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.Hosted jointly by the National Association of Home Builders and the Kitchen & Bath Association, the trade show brought together more than 80,000 builders and architects who offered forecasts for the new-home construction, remodeling, and home design industries. Here’s a look at some of the hottest design trends that were on display.
Bolder hues were gracing kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, walls, and even sinks. Kohler delivered a colorful punch with a bathroom design that included a purple sink, purple claw-foot bathtub, blue sinks, and a black toilet.
Homeowners are starting to branch away from neutral grays, and wider color choices are expected to dress up interiors in 2019 and 2020, says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin Williams. That’s why the company chose Cavern Clay as its 2019 Color of the Year, a terra-cotta color and nod to the popularity of the American Southwest aesthetic. Clay can serve as a neutral color but with a pop, Wadden says.
“I think as we near 2020 and the start to a whole new decade, consumers are getting excited to get back to more color, especially in the kitchen,” Wadden says. Indeed, bold kitchen colors were a dominant force at IBS 2019, with cabinets in greens, blues, and reds.
Five years ago, espresso-stained cabinetry was the top kitchen trend. Now, the top choices are paint colors: white, gray, black, and navy, which is quickly becoming a rising star, Wadden says.
Brass hardware, lighting, and faucets made appearances in many kitchen and bathroom spaces on the expo floor. This is not the same shiny brass from the 1980s; it’s less polished. It’s also being placed alongside other metals, such as chrome or brushed nickel, matted black, or bronze.
CAFÉ, part of the GE Appliances brand, introduced customized hardware options in various metals, such as brushed bronze, brushed stainless, or brushed black. Homeowners can dress up appliance handles with the different finishes to their stainless steel, matted white, or matted black refrigerator or stove. For example, soft brushed copper hardware handles can be added to a matted white refrigerator for a more contemporary vibe.
Particularly when it comes to lighting fixtures, geometric shapes are another star in home design trends. Square and circular fixtures that expose Edison bulbs—which are becoming focal points in a kitchen space—make for artistic pendants over a kitchen island. “We’re seeing a lot of mid-century modern and geographic shapes,” says designer Julianna Dykstra of Distinctive Bathroom & Kitchen Inc., in Ottawa. “We’re seeing the Edison bulbs along with mixed metals in faucets and hardware. It’s adding a little more bling in the kitchen.” Geometric shapes are also showing up in tiles on bathroom shower walls and kitchen backsplashes.
Homeowners recently have traded bathtubs for large, luxurious showers. But while that's still on trend, Todd Hallett, president of TK Design and Associates, says bathtubs are reclaiming their place in the bathroom and becoming the new focal point. “When you walk in, you look directly ahead to see the tub and the shower behind it,” Hallett says. “It becomes a dramatic space.” Showrooms on the expo floor at IBS 2019 featured standalone bathtubs as the centerpiece of the bathroom, accented with a chandelier above and overlooking a fireplace.
Extending the living space to the outdoors has been a hot home trend for the last few years, but all-glass sliding wall panels and pocket doors are making the transition from the inside to outside more seamless. These doors disappear inside walls, hiding away to expose the outdoors. This eases the transition into an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, pool, or lounging space.
Surveys conducted by home design website Houzz show that opening indoor space to the outdoors is a home remodeling trend that is growing in popularity. “Folding doors or sliding doors that open the kitchen to the outdoors has mostly been in the luxury segment,” says Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. But she says other price points are starting to makeover their spaces, such as replacing a single door to the backyard with double doors or replacing double doors with triple doors.
Pocket windows, which were featured in the 2019 New American Home, slid away entire sections of windows to expose an outdoor wet bar area to the indoor kitchen. Innovations in sliding wall panels have made them more energy efficient so, when closed, they better retain the indoor heating and cooling. Also at IBS 2019, companies showed off innovations in the shape and size of the glass, including rounded sliding wall panels.
Like other decorating trends, wallpaper has seen its star rise and fall. It’s now shining bright once more as homeowners turn to it for accents and textures.
Wallpaper made its debut centuries ago as a less costly alternative to tapestries used by affluent homeowners for decorating. In stark contrast, wallpaper today represents a luxury decorating tool. While the medium continues to cycle in and out of style, the pendulum has now swung in favor of wallpaper as more homeowners are eager for hues and patterns beyond the white, beige, and gray neutrals that have recently dominated interior palettes, says Chicago-based designer Tom Segal, principal of Kaufman Segal Design.
But these aren’t the dainty floral or striped patterns of the past. Manufacturers such as Brooklyn, N.Y.–based Flavor Paper have introduced modern, sometimes funky patterns that include Andy Warhol floral prints and nature motifs. “[Wallpaper] lets my client start and end the day in a joyful way,” says interior designer Phillip Thomas. One of the reasons for the uptick in interest, he says, is because so many artisans now design papers that resemble exquisite works of art. “It gives homeowners an opportunity to create interest in certain rooms and differentiate spaces.”
Lexington Homes, a developer of townhomes and single-family homes in Chicago, uses wallpaper to woo buyers to its upscale townhome communities. “We have never worried about turning off buyers with wallpaper,” says principal Jeff Benach. But as Chicago designer Jessica Lagrange points out, wallpaper is an expensive, highly individual decorative treatment. There’s a chance that the choice may not be a good fit for every buyer. If a resale is in a homeowner’s immediate future, they should have a game plan for its potential removal, she says.
To help buyers or sellers who are curious about using wallpaper to complement an interior without making it look dated, here are some tips on products, trends, and techniques from design experts.
Most design professionals agree that wallpaper can be an exciting alternative to spice up a few rooms—in moderation. “Too much wallpaper makes a house dizzying just as painting each room a very different, dramatic hue can,” Segal says. Most often, wallpaper is used best in entryways, powder rooms, dining rooms, and master bedrooms, says Rebecca Pogonitz of GOGO Design Group outside Chicago.
New York–based designer Jody Sokol prefers to limit paper to two rooms on the main floor of a two-story home. In a one-story house or apartment, she thinks it fine to paper a few more areas as long as adjoining rooms flow together with the same paint color, eliminating choppiness.
Because of its typically small square footage, the powder room is hands down the most popular room to paper, Segal says. For dining rooms, he suggests going with a dressy paper to make it look special. Choose a calming pattern and color for a master bedroom, where the goal is to unwind and sleep. Los Angeles–based designer John McClain says the decision to use it in any space depends on both the room and pattern. “You love a jungle print but you may not want to lie in your bed and stare at it,” he says.
The room where wallpaper seems least desirable is the kitchen, particularly when it’s filled with attractive cabinetry, appliances, and tile. It’s also used less in bathrooms due to potential damage from steam and water, though certain vinyl and commercial papers may hold up.
Placement.
While it’s still common for designers and homeowners to apply wallpaper on all four walls of a room, using it on a single accent wall is a growing trend. This is commonly seen behind a bed, atop a ceiling, or around a fireplace to create drama, Pogonitz says.
Kristin Barnett, a Nashville-based designer, stager, and color expert known as “the Decorologist,” also applies wallpaper to the back of bookcases. But she avoids using it below chair rails or as a room border, which she says dates the look.
Thomas suggests giving wallpaper a new twist by using it in ways it wasn’t necessarily intended. “I like to think outside the box and install a stripe vertically or horizontally, cut it into squares or triangles, create unique patterns, or use it on furniture,” he says.
Many removable peel-and-stick wallpapers are now available in more patterns and colors and often at a lower price than traditional papers. They can work well for those who are DIY enthusiasts but don’t plan on staying in their homes or apartments over the long term.
No single color seems to have taken hold, according to Segal, but there is a growing preference for a rainbow of saturated hues rather than pale neutrals. Pogonitz agrees but stresses limiting bold color choices to a single room or two. Though they may be losing favorite now, neutrals still have their place, especially when patterns are small or paired with a texture, Segal says. And when the exact desired color can’t be found, many manufacturers will make custom color papers.
Oversized, bold geometrics and florals remain among the most popular newcomers overshadowing diminutive, sweet prints. Yet, a bold look requires some discretion. Barnett warns against using such patterns behind a television or on a wall that homeowners spend a lot of time facing directly.
Another popular trend is the use of natural motifs and landscape murals, especially in dining rooms. In a similar vein, digital printing of supersized images and simulations of natural materials—from wood grains to striated stones—has gained traction, says Angel Georgiou, senior marketing specialist for imaging supplies with Canon Solutions America in the Chicago area. “Home owners now can buy standard images off the shelf or turn their own high-quality photos into wall coverings,” says Georgiou, whose company manufactures equipment and distributes wide-format graphic printing supplies. “It makes it easier for consumers to order online and install products themselves without wallpaper paste. Then, later, they can more easily take them down.”
McClain loves it when someone wants to walk up and touch walls he’s designed. Papers today are made with a variety of textures, such as grass cloth, leather, vinyl, silk, linen, suede, and even mother of pearl, creating excitement and countering the flatness of most paint finishes. Some textures are woven onto metallic paper so there’s a glint of sheen in the background.
Sustainability.
New breathable wall coverings aim to enhance indoor air quality, and many companies offer environmental sourcing information. “I think we will see more of these, though it’s still a very niche market,” McClain says.
South Carolina’s Easternmost State Park Has So Much More To Explore Than You May Remember
Myrtle Beach State Park turns 83 this year and it’s hard to believe how far it’s come since the historic day in 1936 when it became the first park in the system to open. Decades have passed and while some things may have changed at this timeless park, other things remain the same. Take a look at what you’ve been missing if you haven’t visit this infinitely fun state park in a while.
In an otherwise developed county, Myrtle Beach State Park maintains one full mile of untouched beachfront. From your relatively uncrowded spot on the sand, you can look in either direction and see development — and then bask in the glow of how special it is to be removed from all of the hullabaloo to the north and south of your beach chair.
What fun is it to have a picnic at the beach if you can't see the beach? This state park has seven larger group shelters right on the beach and as many (smaller) family shelters, too.
Accommodations, or a place to bring your own camper or tent.
With six cabins located just 200 yards from the beach, you're all set for a perfect old-fashioned summer va-cay with the kids. Or, if you prefer camping over cabins, the park has 278 sites. A whopping 138 of them have full-hookups of water, electricity and sewer. The campground is also steps away from the beach and even has designated beach access boardwalks that make it a straight shot to the beach.
A scenic pond located along a maritime forest trail. (For when you need a break from looking at the enormous pond known as the Atlantic Ocean.)
Two maritime forest trails totaling nearly a mile of green hiking are available for a different sort of beach activity. And the pond, well, it's an amazing sight.
The pier is perfectly situated for hours of gazing up at the underbelly — or better yet, hours of fun on TOP of the pier fishing, crabbing, and enjoying the ocean breeze. There is also a gift shop on the pier. Access to the pier is always free once you've paid admission into the park.
In 1955, Myrtle Beach State Park hosted an impressive 50,000 campers. The cost to rent a space? One dollar per night. If you are among the many who spent part of their youth each summer at Myrtle Beach State Park, you may be surprised when you reconnect with this awesome piece of history just how amazing it still is.
Myrtle Beach State Park is located at 4401 S Kings Hwy., Myrtle Beach, SC 29575. It’s open year-round. Day use hours vary by season. Day use admission to the park is: $5 adults; $3.25 SC seniors (age 65 & older); $3/ child age 6-15; free for children 5 and younger. Learn more at this link on the official website for South Carolina Parks.
You’ll Love A Trip To South Carolina’s Longest Pier That Stretches Infinitely Into The Sea
The longest wooden pier on the East Coast is located right here in our own front yard and you’ll love a visit to this massive wooden platform that extends 1,206 feet from end-to-end. It’s no surprise the pier is in Myrtle Beach either. One of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country, Myrtle Beach hosts 14 million visitors annually. But that shouldn’t stop us natives from enjoying all that the Apache Pier has to offer! (And we do have a bit of an advantage that allows up to know when times aren’t quite as busy on the Grand Strand, right?)
Apache Pier is open year-round and has a variety of activities available. There is practically something for everyone at the pier.
Sunrise is always a favorite among visitors and locals alike. There is something oddly romantic about capturing the underbelly of this mega pier with a gorgeous sunrise to the East.
Apache Family Campground, located adjacent to this colossal pier, is a good place to rest your weary bones if you're traveling from out town — it also makes it MUCH easier to rise and shine and get out to the pier for that underbelly sunrise photo for your collection.
Up top, the pier has a multitude of things to do. A shelter located midway provides some shade during the day along with tables for resting and eating.
Not only can you order fresh fish on the pier at Croakers, but you can also catch fresh fish too. On any given weekend, you'll find a bevy of fishermen and their gear all the way out at the end of the pier. A bait and tackle shop is just another convenient feature the pier offers.
Apache Pier is located at 9700 Kings Rd., Myrtle Beach, SC. Access to the pier is through the Apache Family Campground entrance (just follow the signs after that.) If you’re driving, a small parking fee will be charged. The pier is always open to the public. The cost to enter the pier is $1.00 per person. When live entertainment is in play, the cost to enter the pier is $3.00 per person. Learn more on the official website of Apache Pier.
While you’re in town, also consider visiting the number one attraction in Myrtle Beach. Learn more in this previous article.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of the Garage to Buyers
Luxuries like pools and lavish living spaces may not be as enticing to home buyers as a garage, finds a new poll by Zolo Realty, a Canadian online real estate marketplace. Zolo Realty surveyed more than 1,800 North American respondents to discover buyer behavior and desires.
Male and female home buyers gave the highest marks to properties with a garage; an en suite, main-floor bathroom; or a newer furnace or A/C unit.
Fifty-one percent of women and 41 percent of men ranked a garage a must-have when buying a home.
“Buyers aren’t foolish,” says Mustafa Abbasi, president of Zolo Realty. “Updating a kitchen and removing walls is a lot of work, but these updates are not as hard or as costly as trying to carve out a bathroom for a master bedroom or building a garage from scratch.”
The ideal home to both men and women surveyed was: A 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home with a master bedroom suite and a garage.
Study Shows Homeownership Makes You More Attractive
Nearly 60 percent of millennial singles say that homeownership makes a potential mate a lot more attractive, according to a new survey conducted by realtor.com®. Women were more likely than men to find homeownership attractive (48 percent versus 43 percent).
“Attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder, and this survey data suggests that many beholders find homeownership attractive, perhaps using it as a signal for financial savviness and success,” says Danielle Hale, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “Single millennials seem to find homeownership in a potential partner especially attractive, even if only one-quarter feels that it is important.”
Overall, 24 percent of 500 single respondents of all ages surveyed said they felt it was important for their partner to be a homeowner.
Homeowning folks are most likely to be found in the South and Midwest, the survey found. The greatest share of single male homeowners was found in Detroit, in which about 23 percent of all single males owned a home. Detroit was followed by St. Louis at 21.3 percent, Minneapolis at 21.3 percent, Cleveland at 21.2 percent, and Pittsburgh at 19.9 percent.
“These markets have a high volume of young people, and relatively low median listing prices,” realtor.com® notes in its study. For example, Detroit and St. Louis median list prices are $220,000 and $198,000, respectively.
Single women are one of the fastest-growing demographic segments in the housing market, according to realtor.com®. Homeowning females are likely to be found in Detroit, where 23 percent of single women own a home, followed by Baltimore (21 percent), Charlotte, N.C. (21 percent), Philadelphia (21 percent), and Minneapolis (21 percent).
“Strong job opportunities and growing economies that draw many young professionals to the areas are also helping keep them in these markets as homeowners,” realtor.com® notes in the study. “Affordable home prices have also helped singles achieve homeownership in these markets.”
Most People Don’t Know About ThisHidden Underground Tunnel In South Carolina
Most people who have been to the coast in South Carolina will agree: an underground tunnel(a bit redundant, but we wanted to be emphatically sure you know it’s underground), is well, just unheard of – especially one that’s open every single day to anyone who chooses to enter. But in spite of the extremely low elevation, and even though the ocean is only steps away, the tunnel found along South Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach is a must see.
It's less than a hundred yards in length, crosses underneath one of the busiest roads in the city, and is decorated in an under-the-sea motif. If you don't love it, then your kids definitely will!
The thing you'll love most about this odd tunnel is that it bypasses crossing the busy South Ocean Boulevard on foot. As we all know by now, Myrtle Beach — as a whole — can have some serious traffic in certain seasons!
Oddly enough the tunnel is not only unmarked, but also widely unknown. You won't often find it mentioned — aside from the website of the Sea Mist Oceanfront resort, which promotes the tunnel as an added safety feature other Myrtle Beach properties can't offer. Pictured here, the beach-side entrance can be found next to the Sea Mist properties at the corner of 13th and South Ocean Boulevard.
We're not sure who maintains the only underground public tunnel in Myrtle Beach (and probably the entire state!). But we love knowing it's there offering a safer passage than dodging the never-ending stream of cars belonging to vacationers making their busy way up and down the boulevard.
After inventory and affordability challenges in 2018, prospective home buyers may have better chances of scoring a property this year. Affordability will remain an issue in some high-priced markets, says realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale, but overall, the national market is looking brighter for buyers who have stayed on the sidelines. Here’s why.
More homes are for sale. For the last few years, a limited number of listings has given buyers fewer choices. But housing experts predict more robust inventory this year. “For buyers, there is going to be more inventory, so that’s a bright spot,” Hale says. “The downside of that bright spot is it might not be in their price range.” The supply of homes for sale under $300,000 may not grow significantly, but they’re also not decreasing, she adds.
Home price growth is slowing. Home prices will still rise but at a much slower pace than the last few years. Hale predicts a 2.2 percent increase in home prices this year, down from last year’s nearly 5 percent growth. “We do still anticipate rising home prices, particularly for below-median-priced homes, so buyers in that price range may have some incentive to buy sooner rather than later,” Hale says. On the flip side, "as rising costs raise the bar to homeownership, some would-be buyers will be knocked out of the market. [That means] remaining buyers may have less competition to contend with than they saw in 2018.”
Mortgage rates are lower. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has backed away from the 5 percent mark, decreasing early this year. That means lower borrowing costs for buyers. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.41 percent last week. “That’s definitely a huge opportunity for buyers because it drastically improves affordability,” Hale says. “And I think that if these low rates persist for a little while, then we’ll actually see stronger sales than we originally forecast.”
