Experts shared how to design a new space with an older, vintage feel and the key to making new materials look older than they actually are. The common practice is restoration, not replacement, during vintage renovation design. During restoration, fellow designers insist on sticking to the original source material, as projects should feel like an extension rather than a complete redo. “Every house has a story, and I want to honor that before bringing in anything new,” said interior designer Leanne Ford. She recommended refinishing the floors instead of ripping…
Read MoreAuthor: Taylor Moore
Senate passes major housing affordability bill
On March 12, 2026, the Senate passed a bill aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. The 303-page legislation creates a series of grants and pilot programs for housing construction. Another key section titled “Homes Are For People, Not Corporations,” prohibits large institutional investors from purchasing certain single-family homes, as a way to promote homeownership opportunities for families rather than corporations. “It will mean, for the…
Read MoreRemodel of the Week: Sweeten
Sweeten renovated a nearly 100-year-old English house in Bronxville, N.Y., turning an outdated and awkward layout into a modern haven. The classic English Tudor home was transformed with an open-concept kitchen, a custom mudroom and thoughtfully updated bathrooms. Creating an open layout on the first floor involved eliminating the wall between the dining room and kitchen. The new open-concept kitchen included a large center island for entertaining, providing an anchor between the dining space and the cooking area. The quartz marble design for the countertops contrasted with the custom wood…
Read MoreBathroom remodel design prioritizes lasting functionality
Bathroom remodel designs are being selected with a different goal in mind: Performance. While beauty is still an end goal, prioritizing how the bathroom functions as clients move in it throughout the day has become the primary focus during a remodel. Homes are aging and clients are thinking longer term. A bathroom can no longer be treated as a short-term upgrade, but as a space that must support daily routines for years to come. Wider clearances around vanities and toilets, door swings that do not interrupt traffic flow, shower entries…
Read MoreKitchen renovation designs to avoid
Designing a kitchen renovation can feel like a daunting task; trying to find a balance between a beautiful layout while still maintaining the functionality of one of the most frequently used rooms in a home. Interior designers assembled a list of mistakes to avoid while planning a kitchen renovation. Big kitchen islands seem like a good idea at the time, but they pose a risk of disrupting flow. “Some are so big you can’t reach the center of them to make use of the area or even clean it,” said…
Read MoreRenovating Homes and Lives
I recently presented a talk about my journey into this industry, and why I founded Hope Renovations, my nonprofit that prepares women and gender-expansive folks for jobs in construction and helps older adults age in place. In my talk I shared that, although the number of women in construction is now at a 20-year high, at this rate it will take about 200 years for us to achieve gender equity. When I started Hope in 2020, my intent was to help underemployed women access meaningful, living wage-paying work in an…
Read MoreRemodel of the Week: Trina Turk
Fashion designer-turned-builder Trina Turk added her own flare to a 1963 home renovation in Palm Springs, Calif. High in the Cahuilla Hills sat a home with peeling wallpaper in dull metallics, chipped tiles and flaking flocked patterns. The Soleil House was Turk’s first solo renovation project. The glass walls, asymmetrical pool and the home’s indoor-outdoor relationship felt classically midcentury; all aspects Turk wanted to preserve in the renovation. “I could tell what this house could look like, and what it could be, as soon as I walked in,” said Turk. …
Read MoreCabinets take center stage in kitchen renovations
Kitchen cabinets set the tone for the entire room, making this selection important in the kitchen renovation process. The largest visual element in the majority of kitchens, the material, color and style a client chooses will shape the entire design, from countertops to lighting. Cabinet trends heading into 2026 are less about chasing a single look and more about creating a kitchen that feels personal, warm and built to last. Wood-tone cabinets have overtaken white as the most popular choice in kitchen renovations. The emphasis is on celebrating the natural…
Read MoreFunctionality becomes primary goal in kitchen remodeling
Kitchen renovation design is changing, most prominently in the end goal. Functionality is becoming the primary focus, rather than a design that is purely aesthetic. Clients are looking past dramatic finishes and focusing on layouts, materials and planning methods that support real life, seeking kitchens that hold up under daily cooking, entertaining and family routines without constant maintenance or regret. This shift reflects a growing understanding that a kitchen is not a showroom, but one of the hardest-working rooms in the home. The most noticeable shift in 2026 kitchen design…
Read MoreHome remodel design trends to avoid
While plenty of designers turn to social media platforms like Pinterest to put together design inspiration for a client for home renovations, there are trends that fail to translate the same in real life. “Pinterest is one of the best places to start when planning a home renovation,” said Nicole Rodriguez, Director of Cabinet Design with Revive Design and Renovation. “It helps homeowners visualize styles, discover finishes they love, and finally put language to ideas they’ve been carrying around for years. The challenge is that what photographs beautifully doesn’t always…
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