You Said It: ‘My Furniture Is the Color of My Pugs’ and More

This week was full of bookmark-worthy ideabooks, whether you’re moving to a smaller home, fixing your home for sale, planning your edible garden, lamenting your lack of an entry hall, hanging a chandelier or getting ready to redecorate. There was even one of my favorite things, a new word; this one was for a building: a “shoffice.” One thread that ran through about half my picks is how to live in a smaller space, whether keeping fussiness at bay or matching your upholstery to stand up to your pet’s shedding cycle. Here are my favorite highlights from the past week on Houzz.

“All of my furniture is the color of my pugs, because they shed.” — Katie Gagnon, as told to Mina Brinkey

I cannot resist a gratuitous pug shot. And of course, this is a great idea — if you can’t beat the dog hair, match it.

Full story: My Houzz: Peacefulness and Pugs in Tampa



“We chose the smallest one. We wanted to make our home simple.” — Annette Ng, as told to Hoi Nin Wong

This home, built using Passive House principles, uses only a quarter of the energy a family of four would usually use, thanks to a fruitful collaboration between the homeowners and their team. If you’ve been thinking about saving more energy at home, you’ll definitely want to give this a careful read for inspiration.

Full story: My Houzz: Living Simply and Thoughtfully in Northern California




“Nothing is fussy.” — Clark Collins, as told to me

Speaking of small homes, Collins’ advice for how to keep from feeling cluttered is a mantra to keep in mind. Simple finishes keep everything in his beach cottage easy-breezy.

Full story: Houzz Tour: A Beach Cottage Gets Its Vibe Back


“It serves as both a garden shed and an office for its owner, earning it the nickname “the shoffice.” — Fred Albert

This organic form graces the garden behind a terrace house in London. Is it just me, or does it look like it could be a second cousins to this amazing float house?

Full story: Is It a Shed? An Office? Neither — It’s a ‘Shoffice’!


“Many of us have a front door that opens unceremoniously and without any apology directly into the living area.” — Becky Dietrich

Is your hand raised? Mine is. Dietrich’s article is full of great advice for us, the foyerless.

Full story: No Entry Hall? Create the Illusion of One


“If you have a repair you are unsure about tackling, use this as a litmus test: Is it something the buyer will see as he or she approaches your house and walks through the front door? If so, fix it.” — Laura Gaskill

Bookmark this article for when the time comes to sell your home. It’s a really helpful guide to what you need to do to prep it for sale. If you take away just one tip, remember the first-impression one.

Full story: Fix It or Not? What to Ask When Prepping Your Home for Sale


“Old hardware around the opening to the kitchen once held the massive oven doors.” — Nora Burba Trulsson

I just love a true loft that still has traces of its former life as a factory, warehouse or, in this case, bakery. This home is full of unique details, from relics of the bakery to a two-story-high wall of guitars.

Full story: Houzz Tour: A Modern Loft Rises in a Onetime Bakery


“Do not do whatever you want. Because as soon as you start buying things, Mr. or Ms. No Opinion will suddenly have an opinion.” — Fred Albert

Couples, if you are planning to renovate or redecorate, create some ideabooks of your own and then compare notes.

Full story: Decorating 101: How to Start a Decorating Project


“Ask for a detailed labor and materials sheet to make sure you’re both on the same page before work begins.” — Christine Tusher

I picked this for two reasons: 1) This is true for anytime you hire someone to do work on your house; 2) This is one to bookmark for the next time you need to hang a chandelier.

Full story: Ready to Install a Chandelier? Here’s How to Get It Done


“Don’t be afraid to think outside the traditional garden patch in the backyard, and don’t think you need to limit all of your edibles to only one area.” — Marianne Lipanovitch

Rethink the traditional front lawn if it’s the best place for your edibles to thrive in the sun. This is a fantastic guide for getting started on your summer edible gardens, and clearly a lot of you agree. Happy planting and eating, everyone!

Full story: How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops


“Notice the filters along the left side of the screen? These are attributes that are specific to the type of room you are browsing.” — Houzz

Sometimes the large number of photos on Houzz can make you wonder where to start. Don’t fret; you just need to give yourself a little lesson in learning how to use the many filters available to narrow your search to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Full story: Inside Houzz: More Filters Make Photo Browsing Even Better

Did something on Houzz strike a chord with you this week? If so, please share it in the Comments section.

URL: You Said It: ‘My Furniture Is the Color of My Pugs’ and More http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-23479.html