January 2026

Home renovation trends move quickly. What feels fresh, bold, and modern one year can start to feel tired (or outright dated) only a few seasons later. Designers see it all the time: brand-new spaces that already look like they belong to a specific era rather than feeling timeless. The problem usually isn’t renovation itself. It’s when choices are made to chase what’s popular online instead of what...

Save energy and reduce heating costs (while staying cozy!) with these expert...

Sculptural pieces, warm neutrals, heritage crafts and everyday objects with luxurious details were some of the trends spotted at the recent Maison & Objet 2026 trade fair, which took place Jan. 15-19 at...

Evolving from the humble cook’s worktable of yesteryear, kitchen islands typically are now hubs for socializing, having casual meals and even doing homework. So when the four older islands below outlived their usefulness, designers went bigger and better. With copious storage, space for seats and...

According to new data from Cotality, the long-predicted flood of homes expected from America's aging population is arriving far more slowly than housing markets once anticipated. In the 12 months through August 2025, a record 340,000 U.S. homes were transferred through inheritance, Cotality data show. While that marks a historic high, those hand-me-down properties accounted for just 7% of all residential...

Evolving from the humble cook’s worktable of yesteryear, kitchen islands typically are now hubs for socializing, having casual meals and even doing homework. So when the four older islands below outlived their usefulness, designers went bigger and better. With copious storage, space for seats and...

Many people want their bedroom to be a sanctuary and retreat that rejuvenates the mind, body and spirit. Setting up a bedroom to foster that kind of atmosphere takes more than just placing a bed in a room. So we asked 40 design and remodeling professionals about the features they recommend to...

Lower mortgage rates are driving increased housing demand in 2026, as shown by another positive week in our Housing Market Tracker data. Both weekly pending home sales and purchase application data posted gains last week — both week over week and year over year. My work over the years indicates that housing demand strengthens when rates approach 6%, though we have not seen a sustained period at this...

These homeowners appreciated the traditional architectural style of their hometown of St. John’s, a centuries-old city on Newfoundland island, in Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador. But they had lived for years in Vancouver, British Columbia, where they had...

There’s a lot to love about the 10 following houseplants. They aren’t too particular about their maintenance. They can handle some neglect, including erratic watering and less-than-ideal light, and still bounce back. Best of all, you can use them to quickly and effortlessly beautify your home. Read...