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

  1. Remove the cat litter box  from the shower Human shower, aka cat bathroom (HGTV) For the first house Retta visits in Flagstaff, AZ, we learn that the current owners paid 5% over the asking price for this wildly imperfect place. The reason? These buyers swooned over the idea of drinking coffee on the front porch while admiring the mountain view. Inside, however, Retta is quickly greeted by a smell that ruins the ambiance immediately. She pinpoints the source in the bathroom. Apparently, this home’s previous owners had installed a cat entrance on the shower door, so the cat could wander in and do its business over the shower drain. It’s one thing to have a litter box that can be taken outside and cleaned, but it’s a whole ‘nother level of gross to turn your own shower into a cat toilet. Retta is rightfully horrified. 2. Hide the water heater Small, under-stove water heater (HGTV) Next up for Retta is a trip to High Rolls, NM, where a set of three connected geodesic dome hom...

Closets (including dressers) are hardworking spaces in most homes. Since they’re usually out of public view, they often become multipurpose storage spaces for a host of items. Sometimes that’s what’s necessary and sometimes it’s just that the closet has morphed into the default spot for this or that. If your closet spaces are in need of an overhaul or general organization, read on to find out ways to achieve your goals on any budget. Custom Homes of Texas Before You Start Envision your space.  What’s your ideal purpose for the closet? Do you want it to contain just your clothing and accessories? Will it need to include other categories of belongings? Once you’ve decided which categories will stay in your closet, remove the things that don’t belong and find new homes for them. What does and doesn’t belong is subjective and based on your personal goals for your closet. Therefore, invest the time to plan a closet that will work for you. Ard Bia Interiors Pare down.  Review the it...

Building a home involves a series of decisions. The first is   where   to build—and that means you’ll need to purchase a plot of land. There’s something thrilling about the idea of buying your own piece of raw, untouched real estate on which you can build your dream home from the ground up. But picking a suitable parcel can prove a bit more complex than you’d think—which is why we’ll cover everything you need to know about buying land. Here’s what the experts have to say about where to find land, how much land costs, and ways to pay for it—plus questions to ask to ensure you pick the perfect plot. Where to find land for sale Most real estate websites will list land for sale, and sites such as  realtor.com®  allow you to filter for this specifically. The best real estate sites allow you to filter for land sales. (realtor.com) But even once you’ve found a piece of property you adore, that’s just the beginning. After all, even though the lot may be your desired acreage ...

1. Monochromatic paint Gone are the days of white trim and molding to frame the paint color on your walls. Jade Joyner , co-founder and principal at interior design firm  Metal + Petal , shares that people are going monochromatic and painting the doors, door casings, trim, and walls the same color. Fireplace mantels are getting painted to match, too. “Currently, we are designing all of our spaces to have just one color,” says Joyner. “Whether you go with dark or light colors, it’s such a beautiful look.” Michel Smith Boyd , principal and owner of  SMITHBOYD Interiors , says Sherwin-Williams Origami White is the perfect bright foundation for main spaces and corridors. Want to go bold? Paint a guest bedroom or home office in  Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year , Evergreen Fog. 2. Alabaster and natural stone in light fixtures Light fixtures designed with natural stone are now taking center stage in living rooms and bedrooms. “There’s been a big movement to incorporate stone...