Home can mean many things to us. It can be a retreat, a place of refuge, an investment and a legacy for future generations. Whichever category home falls into, it has to be protected, maintained and regularly updated. Advice on how to build, create, maintain and update a home was freely given at a Design Week seminar on Wednesday, September 25. Held at the Worthington at the Spanish Court hotel, the seminar — day four of Jamaica Observer Design Week 2018 presented by Kohler — was a master class in real estate.

A few minutes into his welcome, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke had the audience enthralled. Not only is the minister insightful, but he also has an understanding of fashion and design and how these industries positively impact the nation. The minister referenced Michael Kors’ recent acquisition of Versace for US$2.1b and noted that we should be having conversations where we speak about “Coach handbags and GDP in the same sentence”.

Spanish Court Hotel Managing Director Christopher Issa spoke about the importance of good design. Emphasising how “design creates culture” the hotelier wants to see Jamaicans moving away from “trying a ‘ting to designing (beautiful) things”. His presentation examined the importance of designing spaces that “have a good feel about them” and how “the power of wow” is integral to any design project.

Deborah Cumming was, in a word, stellar. The realtor and managing director of Century 21 Heave-Ho Properties walked the audience through the steps of finding the perfect fixer-upper. From choosing the right neighbourhood to the benefits of older homes to how to manage finances in order to ensure that the “flip is not a flop”, Cumming shared her decades of insider knowledge.

Many took notes, and rightly so.

Interior designer Philippa Epstein discussed “creating your dream bathroom” and who woulda thunk that buying top-quality faucets and fixtures was crucial? A solid takeaway from Epstein’s presentation was plumbing rough-ins (simply put, where the fixtures meet the pipes in the wall). If you cheap out and buy low-cost fixtures you’ll end up replacing the faucet/tap system including tearing out tiles and replacing them.

Real estate multi-hyphenate Eroleen Anderson gave her perspective on property management. The property manager, designer and contractor shared the realities of property management and how engaging the right property manager can protect and add value to a property.

Meanwhile National Commercial Bank mortgage specialist Sandra Lyn and National Housing Trust manager of corporate and public affairs Dwayne Berbick delivered presentations on financing starter and dream homes. The presenters, in their brief but information-filled presentations, illustrated how to save towards achieving one’s housing dreams.

In The Wiz, Diana Ross sang, “When I think of home/I think of a place where there’s love overflowing.” Home should be that place for you. When you think of home you should think of a place where there is serenity and beauty. So, whether you’re investing, building a dream home, or a first-time buyer Jamaica Observer Design Week JA 2018 has the tools to make the process less intimidating.

Jamaica Observer Design Week JA 2018 presented by Kohler continues until Sunday, September 30. Design Week JA 2018 is made possible by Tile City & Home Centre, National Commercial Bank, Caribbean Airlines, Spanish Court Hotel, Business Access TV and Wealth Magazine.