Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

1. Grow an Herb Box It’s not too late in the season to start a  pot of kitchen herbs  and have kids help pick leaves to add to your favorite dishes. Young children can help with all steps of the process: scooping potting soil into an empty pot, patting down soil to settle it, spacing plant starts (with some help from an adult) and then watering them in. A few easy-to-grow herbs to consider are  basil ,  parsley ,  thyme ,  tarragon ,  sage ,  oregano  and  chives . All thrive with full sun and consistent water. You could consider tucking a few ever-bearing  strawberries  (which generally produce spring, summer and fall crops) around the edges to give little ones a treat to discover later. Floret 2. Start Seeds There’s nothing quite like the magic of seeing little leaves pop up from the ground as if by magic. Big seeds — like those of squash,  melons ,  peas  and beans — are the easiest to handle and can be a good place to start for your youngest (or most beginner) gardeners. Now is a g

One of the top things people want to know when considering a remodel is how long it will take. Are we talking months? Days? Weeks? Years? Homeowners weighed in with their remodeling timelines in the 2020 U.S. Houzz & Home study, the largest publicly available survey of residential remodeling, building and decorating activity in the country. Read on to find out how long it took, on average, to plan and remodel a kitchen, bathroom, mudroom and more in 2019. Plus, if you’re wondering what homeowners can do to keep their projects moving in a timely manner, we have some tips from pros. The 2020 U.S. Houzz & Home survey, fielded Jan. 2 to March 5, collected information from  more than 87,000 respondents . The report relies on findings from homeowners who renovated their primary home in 2019. Erin Carlyle Planning Can Take Twice as Long as Construction If you haven’t remodeled before, you may not realize that the planning phase often takes longer than the construction

1. Not planning for the weather If you're a homeowner in a cooler climate, you won't be able to use your outdoor kitchen all year long. If you live in an area with frigid, snowy winters, you need to plan the space carefully. Depending on how cold your area gets, electrical components like refrigeration units may need to be winterized and stored in a garage or other enclosed structure. 2. Positioning your kitchen in direct sunlight Direct sunlight is a no-go for outdoor kitchens. It’s extremely important, because outdoor refrigeration appliances shouldn’t be fully exposed to sunlight. On a practical level, direct sunlight can also be annoying. Nobody wants to squint into the sun while trying to enjoy an outdoor happy hour. If you don’t have natural shade, you can create a pergola or roof structure to help protect your outdoor kitchen from the sun.     3. Building with flammable materials Volum 3. Building with flammable materials

In recent years, the color gray soared in popularity while warm neutrals like beige got a bad rap. Beige, which often has been preceded by the word “boring,” deserves better, and it’s making a comeback. At recent design shows such as  Maison & Objet ,  High Point Market  and  the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market , earthy and warm neutral tones like beige, khaki, tan and greige (a mix of warm gray and beige) were paired with trends such as nature-inspired looks and designs that promote wellness. Designers have always known that the right shade of beige can embrace you like a warm and calming hug. Here, several of them share 10 of their favorite warm neutral paint colors, which you can see in the accompanying room photos. Cottage Home Company Accessible Beige, Sherwin-Williams There really couldn’t be a better paint name to kick off this story. Accessible Beige sounds so democratic — a beige for everyone. “ This has been a go-to for designers for the p