Room of the Day: Playing Up Color in a California Lounge Who wants to hang out at the mall? Not these teens. They relax with their friends in a colorful former family room off the entrance of their parents’ updated Danville, California, ranch home. Designer Kristin Rowell and... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29283334/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g0/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Budget Beach House: A Trailer Gets Ready for Summer Fun A few summers back, interior designer Bridget McMullin found herself without access to a family beach house at the Jersey Shore for the first time in her life. “I was so bored on the weekends; I was sitting around twiddling... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29533445/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g1/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Houzz Products: Cool Ideas for Refreshing Summer Drinks On a sultry summer day, nothing refreshes like an ice-cold drink. Beverage dispensers, which can hold anything from lemonade to mojitos to sangria, are great for refreshing a crowd. We’ve assembled some of our favorites... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29615919/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g2/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ How to Design and Lay Out a Small Living Room All small spaces present design challenges, but as the living room is where you probably spend the most time (and certainly the one guests experience the most of), designing a small one can be especially tricky. How do you... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29346160/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g3/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Houzz Tour: A New Lake House Gets a Lived-in Look When interior designer Sonya Kinkade first talked about this lake house with her clients, she asked what their primary residence was like, then took the project in a completely different direction. “This space was to be... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29133770/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g4/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Kitchen of the Week: Fine-Tuning a Connecticut Farmhouse You don’t need all-new appliances, a completely different layout or a major addition to give a kitchen a fresh look and feel. Take this family’s 400-square-foot kitchen in a sophisticated farmhouse in southern Connecticut.... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/28620161/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g5/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ My Houzz: Clothing Designers Bring Their Fashion Sense Home Three years ago Josh and Lauren Podoll began their search for a bigger home while nurturing two kinds of babies: their newborn son, Dashiell, and a women’s clothing line. They found a recently renovated home that would... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/28930643/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g6/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ 10 Ways to Hide That Air Conditioner Ductless mini-split air conditioners are popping up all over the place as an energy-efficient alternative to central air conditioning systems. Why? Because you can individually control zones of your house, so you don’t... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29446243/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g7/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ What Is a Living Building? We’ve all heard of a sustainable building, but what about a living building? That’s the focus of the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge; it’s a concept that uses nature as the ultimate... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29375838/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g8/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ My Houzz: Bright Island Style for a Florida Vacation Home Virginia Devlin and Kurt Baldassari loved to escape from their Chicago condo to the sunny beaches of South Florida, so they decided to look for a permanent vacation home there. Their search brought them to a midcentury house... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29319347/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g9/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Glam Home Offices for Go-Getters If you work from home, having an inspiring home office to call your own is something you may wish for — but have you ever considered that it may help your career, too? Whether or not you have client meetings at home, a... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29346574/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g10/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ My Houzz: Light and Serenity Fill an 1890 Israeli Home “The main problem with our home was the lack of light,” says Ephraim Cohen. He and his wife, Yehudit, bought the house two years ago after moving from the U.S. with plans to retire in Israel. It was close to their daughter... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29281238/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g11/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ How to Choose the Right Sofa Cushion You’ve had that sofa or chair for 20 years, and an objective, honest look at it said it had to go! The seat is sagging, the cushions are lumpy, the upholstery is shredding, and the cat prefers it to the litter box. So... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29368435/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g12/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Get the Look of Wood Cabinets for Less While plastic laminate cabinets might seem like a relic of another era, they actually are a practical, affordable, and — dare we say it? — stylish alternative to conventional wood cabinetry. “The general public doesn’t... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/27183526/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g13/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Hiring a Home Inspector? Ask These 10 Questions A home inspection is the real estate equivalent of bringing a date home to meet your parents: It’s your opportunity to get a knowledgable assessment from someone you trust and whose opinion you value. While it’s tempting... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29141708/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g14/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ 8 Beautiful Ideas for Floating Shelves Floating shelves — those that attach to the wall without visible brackets — are sleek, chic and so versatile. From filling a tricky nook to customizing a workspace, floating shelves are an underrated workhorse all around... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29385110/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g15/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Decorating Is Going to the Dogs Proclaim your affection for your furry best friend with dog-themed decorating gestures, grand or small http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29365073/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g16/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Turn a Beat-Up Bar Cart Into a Thing of Beauty The other week at a furniture auction, I found a sad, beat-up laminate bar cart for just $2. (Yes, $2!) I was able to look beyond its scratches, dings and other signs of wear because I knew all it needed was a little TLC,... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29397229/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g17/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Simple Pleasures: Savor a Starry Evening When you are on vacation, it seems natural to end up outdoors in the evening and even into the night, simply enjoying being outdoors. On camping trips it’s all about stargazing and marshmallow roasting; at a beach house,... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29251524/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g18/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Modern Planting Ideas From a Historic English Garden In the shadow of one of England’s oldest cathedrals sits Bishopscourt, the home of the Bishop of Rochester. Behind it is a traditional English garden that is being brought into the 21st century. Bishopscourt’s updated... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/28785750/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g19/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Seating in the Round: An Old Idea That’s Still Fresh Today When we hear the words “sofa” or “couch,” most of us immediately picture a long, straight piece of upholstered furniture with several cushions. There are lots of variables, to be sure: square or rounded arms, straight... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29105234/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g20/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Great Design Plant: Texas Ranger Explodes With Color Residents in the Southwest who are fortunate enough to have Texas ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) growing in their gardens are familiar with the eager anticipation of the year’s first flush of purple that covers this attractive... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29173189/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g21/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ You Said It: ‘They Looked at Me Like I Had 10 Heads’ Baby, it’s hot outside! Houzz has been helping us figure out how to keep cool (and how to keep our cool) in July’s heat. This week I learned how to cool off without running the air conditioner (or — let’s keep it... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29644252/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g22/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Guest Picks: Set Up a Comfy Guest Room My guest room is a blank slate right now. It needs a fresh coat of paint and some personality to really feel welcoming. My vision for the room is a peaceful retreat where guests can unwind and relax in their own space. I... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29512347/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g23/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Great Design Plant: Blue Vervain for Beauty and Bees There are so many native plants to choose from of all stripes — many of which most of us don’t grow. But once you start growing them, it’s amazing how you’ll suddenly notice them in the wild (which is half the fun... http://www.houzz.com/r/1/29353194/ZWNjZmVi/n573/v1/nllc/g24/u/GLlQQXzU9wkH-euFwTyIBg ------------------------------ Don't want to receive Houzz updates? unsubscribe here: http://www.houzz.com/optOutEmail/oo=newsletter/uname=jeeproject/sig=NzY2NTE5MjRhYzU4ZTJkZDk3NGQyNjAyZTRjYmU2OGE=. View our privacy policy here: http://www.houzz.com/privacyPolicy (C)2014 Houzz Inc.