PROPERTY

In the past year, for obvious reasons, we pay more attention to the spaces we inhabit, to how healthy they are and how they make us feel in them. It may be a new home, a complete transformation of an old one, or design of an office or a public space, but it is the same: today we are more sensitive towards what we want to achieve as an end result, to the ambience we want to create for ourselves and the others, to how it reflects on the environment. In short, in the 2020s good interior and good architecture mean much more than seeking pure functionality.

Unexpected circumstances not only turn our lives inside out, but also make us see them with new eyes. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to stay at home for longer than usual, to move the office in the kitchen and the classroom in the living room. Consequently, it stimulated us to realise how important the space that we inhabit was.

This is why this year's current interior trends are not only about colour schemes and different styles. They go further to explore the basic understanding for what a well organised, healthy, comfortable and modern interior should look like.

Where to invest is a question that in the current months took a new shape. The situation looks unstable and the behaviour of international markets rarely can be described as inspiring optimism about the future.

But even in turbulent times there are solutions that have proven through the years and the constantly changing economic cycles as sensible, pragmatic and with good return. In Bulgaria, invariably, this is real estate and in 2020 the market is better for clients than usual.

In days when it seems that the world has stopped stopped in its tracks, we begin to pay attention to details which until recently we found of little significance. Millions of families who now have to work and study at home discover the limitations and opportunities of their homes. The apartments and houses that until recently were residential space only, now need to replace the workplaces, the schools, the universities.

Blue. Dark, intensive, on the verge of black. PANTONE 273 C, to be precise. I watch it and I wonder – will I ever be bold enough to paint my bedroom this colour, just like the author of a photo I saw on Pinterest.

In the past few years Bulgaria experiences a boom in construction of residential, administrative, sport, industrial, shopping and other buildings. The main trends taking shape in this process mirror the global trends in development of architecture, interior design, materials. After the overregulated and monotone architecture of Communist Bulgaria and the chaotic development of the 1990s and the 2000s, the Bulgarian architecture in the 2010s is interesting, up-to-date, innovative and responsible to the society and the environment.

Architecture is one of the most exciting and important creations of human ingenuity. It is simultaneously a technical discipline and a form of art. It surrounds us at every step we make: it is in our homes, it defines the appearance of the buildings and towns where we live and work. It is inbuilt in the very idea of human civilisation and is a part of history of art, of a nation's identity, of the maps of historical and tourist sites. It can communicate political ideas such as democracy, humanism, care for the environment – or their complete opposites.

Quality dominates the property market in Sofia in 2019. The price rise is calming down which means stability and predictability that provide a buyers' market. Clients now look for better layouts and quality of construction and for more convenient location, regardless of whether they want a home or a profitable investment.

I I recently visited the renovated home of close friends, but after I was showed around and we sat for a coffee in the living room, I felt something strange. There was something odd, but I couldn't put my finger on what was it.

Spacious rooms. Excellent quality of construction materials. Selected neighbours. A sense for tranquility. An excellent vista. Energy efficiency. "Smart" home. These are but a few of the things you get in Sofia's latest luxury properties.

Where do you prefer to live? In an apartment in the centre of the city? In some of the capital's dynamically developing neighbourhoods? In a family home far from the crowds and the urban noise?

Architecture and interior design are not abstract concepts, which has nothing to do with reality. Our homes and our offices, the stores and streets where we shop and walk, the summer and winter resorts where we have our vacation: all of these influence directly our way of life, defining its tempo and even our moods. Who doesn't have fond memories of a hotel or a home where they have felt relaxed or impressed by an innovative solution or a piece of furniture that is both comfortable and looking as a piece of art?

Bulgaria's real estate market had a wonderful year and expects an even better 2018.

We all have established ideas on what the ideal interior should be. Some are after cosiness and utilitarianism, others tend towards extravagance, a third group is all about modern trends, yet others are deep into minimalism. What unites all of these people is that if they are not professionally involved in interior design, architecture, furniture, they usually are completely at a loss on how to materialise their dreams and ideas.

The good news on the real estate market continue. The first half of 2017 was excellent for a segment that directly reflects the condition of the Bulgarian economy – office properties. The stable development of the IT and outsourcing sector in Sofia sustains an intensive demand for adequate office spaces. According to a Colliers analysis, in the first 6 months of the year the rented office properties have increased with 64 percent in comparison with the same period of 2016, with 43 percent being rented while still at construction stage.

The current year begins to look incredibly interesting for Sofia's property market. The general picture is for stabilisation and moderate growth of the prices of common residential properties, healthier market and… an increased interest in a specific segment: luxury real estate.

Ellipse Center is a brainchild of French investor Mr. Claude Tabet and Bulgarian architect Atanas Panov, LP Consult. The visually striking tower will provide top quality offices for companies that seek spaces as creative and bold as their businesses are.

The cities are full with examples for planning and architecture that are a true document of the period of their creation: the scale of Roman construction imposes the might of the empire, and the light proportions of the Renaissance convey the idea of man as the measure of everything. Today, experiment with shape and materials combines with clear understanding of the environment's functionality and energy efficiency, in accordance with the public opinion towards greener living, comfort and interest in bold architectural solutions.

What inspires you to wake up in the morning and to begin your life in good mood? Your family, your loved one, your dog, the thrill of a challenge in work or an upcoming travel are all things that inspire us to live to the full and with eagerness. But have you noticed how does interior inspire you?

In the autumn of 2016, the real estate market continues the upward trend of the past few years, particularly in Sofia were are concentrated more people, industries and companies. The statistics agrees. According to the state Registry Agency property deals in the Bulgarian capital in the third trimester of the year have increased with 9.5 percent in comparison with the same period of 2015.