Kitchen

The original fireplace was cleaned up and repaired. "Also, the room previously had just a small passageway to the kitchen and no real place to put a television. We’re not big TV watchers, so we wanted to keep the mantle TV-free, so that it was not a focal point of the room," says Valencia. "We opened up the passage to the kitchen to give the home a modern layout and added a built-in TV/media cabinet (on the left wall)."

No whiteware here. In this moody apartment in Berlin, multi-toned charcoal gray subway tiles make up the backsplash, which contrasts with the pop of rosy color on the kitchen cabinets.

8. "How often do I like to communicate with my realtor and what's the best way to do so?" "Your agent should know how you like to check in and by what method—text, email, or phone,” explains Hoffman. “The biggest complaints we hear from clients who have worked with other agents is that their agent did not communicate with them in the way they wanted."