Lesley and Mike Vaux quickly realized that they needed to create an outdoor entertaining space after moving into their 930-square-foot home in San Jose, California. “The house filled up quickly with guests,” Lesley says. Their 1949 cottage came with a detached garage, but it was in what Lesley describes…
15 Strategies for a Spectacular Dream Kitchen (18 photos)
All designers and homeowners have their own ideas about what makes a great kitchen, but throughout my years in the design world, I’ve come to rely on several go-to strategies for creating a successful, functional, beautiful space. The addition of any one of these items would greatly increase the appeal…
Houzz Call: Have You Installed a Rain Garden? (3 photos)
Rain gardens, like rain barrels, make use of the free rainwater draining off your roof or other impervious surface. More than that, these sunken planting beds help keep water out of our storm drains, reducing stress on aging infrastructure while clean…
Feathery Tufted Hairgrass Beautifies Gardens Coast to Coast (4 photos)
Native to the east and west coasts of North America and continents beyond, highly ornamental tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), with its airy beauty, merits use in many landscapes. A grouping of this grass softens even the roughest edges of a g…
Take a Vacuuming Master Class for a Spotless Home (10 photos)
Vacuuming is a super-efficient way to rid floors and upholstery of crumbs, dust, pet hair and debris. But even if you’ve splurged on the fanciest vacuum cleaner on the market, your technique and approach to vacuuming could be flawed. Here’s how to tackle the task effectively and get the best from your…
How 2 People Can Stay Sane (and in Style) in a Studio Apartment (13 photos)
Moving into a studio apartment with a partner allows you to save on rent, but it also means you’ll get to know each other really well (really, really well). It can have its challenges, such as limited time to yourself and not much breathing room. Living together in small spaces tends to magnify disagreements…
Sloping Yard? Here’s How to Make It Work (10 photos)
Many of us are nervous about tackling a garden on a slope, but there are ways to make this kind of outdoor space work to your advantage. If you’ve always wanted a stream, then a slope is perfect. And if you have wonderful views, then a sloping garden will help you enjoy them more, as long as you can…
























