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Pattern Makes a Comeback at Maison & Objet Fall 2023 (8 photos)

Pattern returned in force to the recent Maison & Objet, illustrating the Paris trade fair’s Enjoy theme. Many of the booths relied on patterns to captivate, and trend watcher Elizabeth Leriche devoted her What’s New exhibit, The Pattern Factory, to the topic. “Since COVID, the context in which we...

25 Stylish Ways to Improve Your Outdoor Storage (25 photos)

Even a minimalist outdoor space generally benefits from some storage options, whether that’s a spot to tuck in your bike, stash clippers for the potted herbs or keep fuel for the barbecue. Plenty of out-of-the-box options are available that will work well. It’s even better, though, if you end up with...

6 Bathroom Remodeling Trends Everyone Should Know About (15 photos)

Knowing the latest bathroom remodeling trends can help you plan for a successful project. You can make better decisions about which features to include, where to spend your remodeling dollars and which pros to hire for the best results.
The just-released 2023 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study...

The 5 Layers of a Well-Lit Kitchen (7 photos)

When planning a lighting scheme for a client’s kitchen, I like to think about cake. Let me explain. On my birthday, a red velvet cake always comes my way, and it includes four layers plus a cherry and icing on top. Just like that cake, a well-lit kitchen should also have multiple layers for different...

25 Ideas for Kitchen Appliance Garages (26 photos)

Appliance garages conceal countertop appliances such as blenders, coffee makers and toasters while keeping them easily accessible and organized. While they’ve been around for decades, they’re enjoying a resurgence in popularity as homeowners incorporate more gadgets into their kitchens — and as pros...

10 Things to Do in Your Early Fall Garden (14 photos)

Fall is a time when the garden to-do list becomes shorter and you have time to enjoy the growing season’s final days. For some, that might mean adding final touches to their yard’s fall show or starting to think about next year’s plans. For others, it’s about slowing down and taking the time to appreciate...

Your Complete Guide to Building Permits (7 photos)

Yes, the building permit process can be a frustrating, costly and-time consuming affair, but there is purpose to the process and no getting around your local jurisdiction if you want to do your project right.
Here we recap the building permit basics, with links to more in-depth analysis of...

Houzz Tour: Side-by-Side Cottages Make a Charming Family Home (21 photos)

When interior designer Jody Lewis purchased adjacent, dilapidated 1920s cottages in quaint Ojai, California, she envisioned a village-like setting with multiple structures connected by open space. So she hired architectural designer Vina Lustado and they worked together closely for more than three years,...

11 Area Rug Rules and How to Break Them (15 photos)

I often get asked, “What are the rules in selecting the size of rug to use in a room?” Deciding what size rug is best for a space can be hard since there are many “rules” and just as many opposing opinions.
One popular rule is that the rug should be large enough to slide under the front legs of...

15 Small Patios for Socializing and Relaxing (15 photos)

An outdoor space of any size gives you additional living area and a chance to enjoy the outdoor world. These 15 small patios show how stylish designs for outdoor living can be achieved in a variety of spaces.

7 Trends From the London Design Festival (7 photos)

Feel-good designs, bright colors and timeless craftsmanship were on display at the London Design Festival 2023, which took place in various locations around the capital Sept. 16-24. We put on our walking shoes to bring you a roundup of the main interior design trends, themes and innovations popping up...

7 Stylish New Kitchens With Spectacular Backsplashes (7 photos)

A backsplash typically takes up a prominent amount of visual surface space in a kitchen, making it a crucial design decision that can affect all other elements in the room. But when treated like the star of the show, it can have tremendous results. Here, designers share how they leaned on various backsplash...

What to Consider When Choosing a Bathroom Vanity (27 photos)

Purchasing a new bathroom vanity can be as simple as measuring your space and choosing a prefab unit online or at a store. You’ll get a set number of drawers with hardware, space for one or two sinks, and often a countertop. Installing a custom-made vanity will cost more and will require the involvement...

Kitchen of the Week: Warm, Elegant Style in a New Open Plan (12 photos)

Fed up with the choppy layout, laminate countertops and worn beige tile flooring in their 1995 kitchen, this couple with two kids reached out to designer Kamila Malewska for help. The family wanted to improve everything — layout, style, storage and entertaining potential.
Malewska got to work...

7 Color Trends for 2024 at Maison & Objet (12 photos)

Firms exhibiting new furniture and home accessory designs at the recent Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris brought out their most spectacular color palettes to create new chromatic pairings. “2024 will welcome a playful juxtaposition of invigorating hues and pastel shades. In particular, we can expect...

20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape (24 photos)

Gardeners tend to get excited about spring, looking forward to trying out new plants and maybe even making a big move and changing their landscapes. And in summer there’s the joy of the garden in full bloom, and most fruit trees and vegetable gardens produce abundantly. By September, though, even the...

Houzz Tour: Modern Home With Awesome Views in Big Sky Country (18 photos)

Just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Missoula, Montana, surrounded by Ponderosa pines, sits a modern house with a modest profile. But inside, the space opens up to a cathedral-like great room with awe-inspiring valley views.
The “wow” that transition elicits is exactly what the homeowners...

Bathroom of the Week: Moody Makeover With a Japanese Soaking Tub (12 photos)

When remodeling a windowless basement bathroom, many homeowners and designers attempt to make up for the lack of natural sunlight with a light and bright color scheme. But when a Washington state couple found design-build contractor Model Remodel on Houzz and hired the firm to make over their new home’s...

10 Ways to Enjoy a Screened Porch This Fall (10 photos)

Fall is prime time for enjoying a protected indoor-outdoor space like a screened porch. Here you can take a look at how design pros have set up screened porches around the country for fall fun, dinners, conversations and naps. Let them inspire a new setup or activity for your own porch. If you don’t...

3 Homes Designed Around Book Collections (12 photos)

Designers know there’s more to planning for a large book collection than meets the eye. They measure the books to determine how many linear feet of bookshelves they’ll need, and they designate places for oversized tomes. They calculate how much room to leave for an expanding collection and plan lighting...

Move Over, 3-Zone Kitchen. Meet the 5-Zone Kitchen (8 photos)

When designing a new kitchen, many of us have the “three-zone” rule firmly fixed in mind. But what we want from our kitchens nowadays is nothing like what homeowners sought 70-odd years ago, when the concept of the kitchen triangle originated. Open-plan and connected spaces top many kitchen wish lists...

Before and After: 3 Patio Makeovers in 300 Square Feet or Less (9 photos)

When it comes to outdoor living space, bigger isn’t always better. In these makeovers, landscape pros creatively used color, plantings and design details to transform tiny, underused patios into inviting living areas that pack in a lot.

6 Wonderful New Wood-Filled Kitchens (6 photos)

The quickest way to create warmth in a kitchen? Just add wood. And if these kitchens are any indication, the more the better. Here, designers share the approaches they took in adding wood features and details to create kitchens with a wonderfully inviting atmosphere.

How to Design a Bathroom That’s Easy to Clean (8 photos)

There are many things to consider when planning a new bathroom, but how to keep it clean might not be top of mind when you’re looking at faucet finishes and tile colors. With a little forward thinking, though, you can get a bathroom that stays fresh and tidy with minimal effort.

Kitchen of the Week: Bright, Open and Fit for Entertaining (8 photos)

Frustrated with being unable to adequately entertain guests in their cramped, run-down kitchen, these parents of two high school kids turned to design-build pro Gary Rochman, who’d previously helped the family remodel the second floor of their 1930s Tudor home.
Rochman took down a slim wall between...

9 Ways to Layer Warm Neutral Colors for Comfortably Refined Rooms (13 photos)

Beige is back big time, and it’s anything but boring. That’s because designers are using it as part of layered neutral color schemes that provide comforting warmth. “Neutrals shouldn’t equate to boring. Rather, they should produce a luxurious, refined space that feels warm and textured,” interior...

Make This Fall’s Garden the Best Ever (14 photos)

People aren’t the only ones who enjoy fall temperatures — plants do too. In fact, fall can be one of the best times of year to add new plants to the landscape. The moderate temperatures of fall are relatively gentle to new plants, giving them time to grow a good root system and avoid the shock of being...

Bathroom of the Week: Fun Beachy Style in 45 Square Feet (9 photos)

Having lived in their home for more than 30 years, this empty-nest retired couple decided it was time to revitalize their dated beige-and-brown guest bathroom into something more fun and stylish for visiting family.
Topping their wish list were a larger shower, improved function and a lighter...

The Pros and Cons of 3 Popular Kitchen Layouts (11 photos)

If you’re remodeling your kitchen or designing a new one, your first order of business is choosing a layout. Do you want open or closed concept? Does the standard work triangle best suit your cooking style, or will work zones make food prep and cleanup more efficient for you? Do you want a design with...

Houzz Tour: Modern Mountain Home in the Cascades (19 photos)

Nature was calling to these Seattle city dwellers, and they answered by purchasing a woodsy property in the Cascade Range, about a 90-minute drive from the city. They also wanted more room to spread out than their two-bedroom condo in the city afforded, especially because they had plans to be able to...

Apr. 21, 2023

New 2023 Product Catalog Available for Download

We’re thrilled to announce our new 2023 Product Catalog is now available to download! Click on the buttons below to download copies of our updated catalog, price lists, and order forms. Printed copies will be available mid-summer. Please complete this survey to receive your printed catalog hot off the press. Request postcards & brochures to […]

Aug. 16, 2023

Live Interview with Chief Architect

Last month, we had the pleasure of going live on Chief Architect’s Instagram for an interview about Designs of Distinction and our new Chief Architect design software catalog. Continue reading for interview highlights from August 2023. The Interview Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and Designs of Distinction by Brown Wood, Inc.? […]

Jul. 6, 2023

Product Feature: Showroom Display Frame

Sample Kits have been all the rage in 2023! And we don’t just say that… research shows design professionals want quality samples from manufacturers. Quality samples is #1 on the RICKI’s list of “top 5 desired marketing support from manufacturers.” As such, we’ve been hyper-focused on revamping and expanding our line of Sample Kits. Today, […]

Jun. 7, 2023

Beauty Meets Function with Garbage Can Designer DripEdge® Profiles

AVAILABLE NOW!!! Designs of Distinction’s new Designer DripEdge® profile is the latest addition to its metallic cabinet trim line of products. Created to protect garbage can pull-out doors from splatters, drips, and messes, the DripEdge comes in 4 sizes and 3 finishes. The angled trim pieces were designed specifically to fit over the top edge […]

May. 9, 2023

Employee Feature Series: Nick C

We firmly believe in the idea that a company is only as good as its people. As a small business, each employee at Designs of Distinction plays an important role in our day-to-day operations. We’re kicking off a series of Employee Features, not only to show appreciation for our employees, but also because we want […]

May. 4, 2023

The Nature of Things – A Walk Through at High Point Spring Market 2023

Our Vice President, Kathy Constantine, took a walk through the High Point Spring Market in North Carolina this Spring. Here are her reflections on trends, colors, materials, and more at High Point Market. What stood out the most at this year’s High Point Spring Market? Nature is in… color is out. Natural materials were prevalent […]

May. 2, 2023

Employee Feature Series: Eli A

Apr. 25, 2023

Employee Feature Series: Mimi R

Apr. 20, 2023

Coming up: ICFF in Manhattan, May 21-23

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) kicks off on May 21, 2023 at the Javits Center in Manhattan! We’ll be in Booth 434 – featuring our Metallic Trim, Decorative Grilles, and Brass Bistro Shelving. ICFF is North America’s “leading platform for contemporary furnishing design,” with 400 brands from 25 countries, and 10,000 attendees. Discover the […]

Apr. 18, 2023

Employee Feature Series: Jenny R

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