You Said It: ‘This House Is Keeping It Real’ and More Houzz Quotables

This week on Houzz, I got really distracted. Stories that rounded up some of the most popular houses and kitchens we’ve toured occupied my thoughts for hours. I so enjoyed checking out what you enjoy, and was delighted by the wide variety shown in the lists. I also enjoyed new peeks into homes that ranged from a converted historic stone barn in England to a small beachy-style house in Australia. Finally, I gave the Bookmark button a workout, saving guides full of tips for moving, hiring a landscape architect and planning a bathroom remodel.

“In case you missed them, here are 25 of the most popular homes ever featured on Houzz.” — Mitchell Parker

Here is one of the sources of my distraction this week. I love these roundups, because the variety of styles and sizes represented is fascinating. First, that variety reminds me that there is something for everyone, and no single aesthetic rules. Second, I find it a fun game to try and spot the common threads among the most popular homes (because I’m a nerd). Third, as a Houzz contributor, it helps me figure out what to feature in the future. I also like what’s happening in the Comments section of this one: Houzzers are sharing what their personal all-time favorites are, which is also fascinating to me.

Full story: 25 of the Most Popular Homes on Houzz

We also got to see 20 of the most popular kitchens on Houzz this week, which was equally fascinating to me — they ranged from supersleek and minimalist to including a broken china backsplash.


“We never saw ourselves in the suburbs, but this home is truly what brought us there. We see it as a beautiful escape from urban life.” — homeowner and architect Robert Jamieson, as told to Annie Thornton

If any house could pull staunch urbanites outside the city limits to the burbs, it’s this one. Especially because the owners are an architect-director of store design at Anthropologie and a visual director at Anthropologie. (Every time I walk into an Anthropologie store, I want to move in.) Details like this unique porcelain backsplash hand painted by Deborah Osburn made my heart skip a beat.

Full story: Houzz Tour: Bright Outlook for a Midcentury Home in the Trees


“This house is keeping it real.” — Houzz user mvaussie

The relaxed, light, family-friendly feel of this modestly sized home in Brisbane, Australia, makes it comfy and inviting. Bright white paint provides a great backdrop for accessories that reflect the family members’ personalities, like framed prints, eclectic throw pillows and unique vintage pieces.

Full story: My Houzz: A Beach House in the Heart of the City


“It was important to keep this space feeling like a barn. There was no question of plastering the walls.” — kitchen designer Sam Shaw, as told to Joanna Simmons

Speaking of kitchens, this is one I’m marking as an all-time personal favorite. The stone walls, warm colors and finishes, and thoughtful details throughout the converted barn made me want to settle in with tea and scones.

Full story: Historic Stone Barn Now a Country Farmhouse Kitchen


“If you’re tackling a bathroom remodel project, having a working knowledge of what to expect and what to consider can make the difference between a months-long waking nightmare ending in a bathroom that you settle for or a near-pleasant experience resulting in the room of your dreams.” — Mitchell Parker

Articles like this one are like Houzz CliffsNotes, and I mean that in a good way. This is a great cheat sheet, because it’s full of links to all the articles you’ll need to read before you even start to think about remodeling a bathroom. If you’ll be tackling such a project at any time in your life, hit the Bookmark button now.

Full story: 15 Design Tips to Know Before Remodeling Your Bathroom


“To give the cabinet a little more zing and tie it in with the rest of the bathroom, [designer Christie Hausmann] painted the back of the shelves the same color as the toilet paper holder and stepstool, and she used vintage faucet handles she found at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire as knobs.” — Annie Thornton

This is a lesson in how small details can give a room big style. In just 40 square feet, designer Christie Hausmann created a playful bathroom that makes the most of the space. A few clever details include bright lime green in just the right places and vintage faucet handles as towel hooks and knobs. Clever tricks included removing the vanity from a wall-mounted sink, mounting it to be strong enough for a kid to hang from it and tucking a toilet paper holder underneath.

Full story: Room of the Day: Kids and Adults Share a Bright 40-Square-Foot Bathroom


“If you’ve ever found an artifact from another time hidden in an attic or under a floorboard, you know how thrilling it can be. Why not leave your own little treasure for some future owner to find?” — Laura Gaskill

This is such a cool idea! Moving is so stressful, and it can be so sad saying goodbye to a home you’ve loved. It’s comforting to know you’ve left a little something behind. Gaskill suggests a letter, a time capsule or a little treasure box.

Full story: Saying Goodbye to One Home and Hello to Another


“What do you value? Get clarity on your values so you can find a landscape architect who shares them and has an aligned design philosophy.” — Falon Mihalic

Mihalic’s article is full of important advice about how to make sure you hire the right landscape architect for you, including what to determine about your project before you start looking (such as scope, budget and priorities) and what to ask during an initial consultation. But having to pick the most important piece of advice for our purposes here, I chose values.

Figure out whether you want to preserve a historic landscape, use drought-tolerant or strictly native plantings, incorporate sustainable materials, concentrate on edible or cutting gardens, build a creative playspace for your kids, incorporate sculptures or add a natural pool. It’s so important to look at designers’ bodies of work and interview them to make sure their strengths, experience and values align with what you want to get out of your project.

Full story: How to Hire a Landscape Architect


“Take a moment to step away from the everyday and wander these beautiful and dreamy garden landscapes, which evoke the classic stories and settings of storytellers such as the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Shakespeare.” — Luisa Rollenhagen

I feel I should admit something. When I see a story like this on Houzz, I think, “Darn! Why didn’t I think of that?” Only I don’t think “darn”; I think something else I won’t repeat here. I’m so envious of the creativity shown in this article — it’s one of my all-time favorites.

If you need a mental break, to be taken away and enchanted by something for a few minutes, save this one for when you really need it. Find a quiet spot and just savor it. Rollenhagen has found the most alluring photos of gardens on Houzz and cleverly matched them up with favorite fictional tales. By the way, she matched up the one seen here with The Frog Prince.

Full story: 14 Gardens Straight Out of Fairy Tales

URL: You Said It: ‘This House Is Keeping It Real’ and More Houzz Quotables http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25507.html