Jersey City is hot real estate, and not just because it happens to be so close to New York City. It’s a city that is filled with amazing restaurants, great shopping districts, cool parks as well as homes that would be worthy of an interior design magazine.
One of the biggest draws for people who have a keen eye for real estate aesthetics is the sheer number of retro features found in homes throughout the Jersey City area. Did you ever wonder what makes the people here want to buy a home? Here’s the truth about retro features and perks buyers love.
Brownstone Facades
Let’s start off with the most obvious aspect of Jersey City: the brownstones. Brownstone buildings are about as retro as they get, with originals dating back to the Victorian era. This is a house style that is super popular in Jersey City—primarily due to its elegant, stately appearance.
These days, the towering look of a brownstone building is considered to be a status symbol among real estate owners. If you are able to afford one, snag one. Their value is skyrocketing throughout the city.
Spiral Staircases
Okay, so while we’re on the topic of brownstone facades, let’s talk about another feature commonly found in homes that were built during the Victorian Era: spiral staircases. Many homes in Jersey City have them as a way to conserve space in a home. Nowadays, it’s a stylistic thing.
Admittedly, spiral staircases are not exactly known for being easy to work with. However, they are glamorous and gorgeous.
Wrought Iron Accents
Another retro item that’s been getting requests from buyers is wrought iron accents. These can be in the form of a beautiful gate, a fence, or even stair railings. The fancier, the better, and we’re all about it.
If you want to add a nice retro touch to a home, add a wrought iron fence to the front of it. It’s a good way to add privacy and security to your place.
Ceiling Medallions And/Or Ceiling Tiling
In modern homes, hearing the phrase “popcorn ceiling” is enough to send buyers running away screaming. This doesn’t mean that all ceiling textures are verboten, though. Not by a long shot! In the early 20the century, having a beautifully textured ceiling was a major status symbol.
Up until the 1930s, it was common enough to see elegant ceiling medallions around the area where lamps would be. When medallions couldn’t be used, ceiling tiles were de rigueur. Both are back with a vengeance, and shoppers are going gaga over them!
Claw Foot Tubs
If you take a look at most retro pinups featuring girls in a bathtub, you’ll notice that the tubs aren’t the large square things of today. No, they’re oval-shaped and have clawed feet at the bottom. Unlike ceiling medallions, which went out of style for a minute then came back, clawfoot tubs always remained in style.
Fine art fans tend to like them because they were featured so much in classical paintings. Architecture fans love them because they’re so beautifully sculpted. Others still like them because they are relatively easy to clean. Regardless of why these tubs are not going out of style any time soon.
Mail Slots
It’s true. We do not need to have mail slots these days since mailboxes are federally mandatory. However, there is a major convenience that comes with having a mail slot on the door. You don’t even have to move to get your mail anymore.
Mail slots are often a sign that your home is truly vintage—or that you live in an upper class neighborhood. Needless to say, many people in and around the Jersey City area find this home feature to be a little bit of a status symbol.
Retro Kitchen Appliances
While this isn’t a feature that is built into the home, it’s definitely one that will make most people consider buying your place—if you choose to leave the appliances behind, anyway. Modern interior design fans have started to yearn for the cheerful and bright times of the 1950s, and rightfully so.
Pastel-hued and pretty as pie, retro-style ovens, refrigerators, and stovetops have become a major bragging right for any home. If you want to have a stylish kitchen, nothing works as perfectly as that beautiful retro pastel.
Wood Paneling
Take a look at the stylish backgrounds of Mad Men, and you will notice a ton of wood paneling. However, sometime around the 1980s, wood paneling went by the wayside. Once considered to be the bane of an interior designer’s existence, people are starting to learn to love wood paneling once more.
Wood paneling is one of the many retro features that is getting its turn to be loved once more. The trick to making wood paneling modern is to choose a panel type that looks rich and elegant, rather than cheap and kitschy. Darker wood panels and ultra-light wood panels tend to be the best picks.
The Final Say
If you love the look of retro homes, then you’re not alone. People are starting to fall in love with the older aesthetic every single day, and the demand for retro homes is starting to skyrocket. Jersey City’s real estate scene is currently seeing a massive influx of people looking to get gorgeous homes with a retro or vintage touch.
No matter who you are or what kind of look you want to have, getting the right real estate agent can help make it come true. Isn’t it time you called us today?
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