There’s a certain kind of backyard that doesn’t feel like a backyard at all. It doesn’t give “weekend BBQ” energy. It gives private event energy: the kind where cars arrive quietly, the drinks are already cold, and everything looks effortlessly ready long before the first guest shows up. It’s not about size (though size helps). It’s about layout, lighting, surfaces, and the subtle...

Succession interiors don’t try to be likable. They don’t lean cozy. They don’t do personality in a cute, curated way. The show’s wealth is cold, practiced, and deeply expensive — and the rooms reflect it. Everything looks like it was selected by someone with power, leverage, and a permanent retainer. It’s a very specific aesthetic: quiet luxury turned up to a level that becomes...

U.S. homebuilder sentiment weakened at the start of the year, underscoring persistent affordability strains on buyers even as mortgage rates show early signs of easing. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell two points in January 2026 to 37, extending a period of subdued confidence well below the 50 threshold that separates expansion from contraction. The decline...

Housing 2026 is off and going, and so far this year, with mortgage rates near 6% and mortgage spreads near normal levels, 2026 looks to be the first year of actual growth in existing home sales in years. Last week we had solid data in purchase apps and our weekly pending sales data — with inventory up, price-growth cooling and a healthier buyers versus sellers housing market. Growth is in the works as...

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This once-unfinished street-level basement in a 1932 brick Tudor in Kitsap County, Washington, is now a bright, 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit built for aging in place. The empty-nest homeowners envisioned a cheerful, wheelchair-accessible home they could live in during...

Winter can be one of the easiest times to accidentally kill your houseplants. Lower light levels, dry air and temperature fluctuations with indoor heat can all create challenging growing conditions. Without switching up your care routine, your best intentions — such as keeping the soil moist — can...

Existing home sales have had a nice rise since mid-June, but what will it take for this sales growth trend to continue in 2026? Over the last few years, when rates drop noticeably, sales pick up, but then mortgage rates have shot up over 7% and taken away housing’s momentum. In 2026, are there key variables that can break this trend and create the first real year of home sales growth? I believe there are...

Some of the questions you ask when planning a new kitchen are obvious, such as, “Do I want white cabinets or wood?” and “Do I want stainless steel appliances?”But there are many design decisions that you might not even know to consider until the project is well underway. To help you avoid...