Blog
9 Design Ideas From the Most Popular Decks and Patios of 2020 (9 photos)
This Trending Now story features a selection of the most-saved deck and patio photos uploaded to Houzz in spring 2020.
If you’re looking for fresh ideas for your outdoor space, take a gander at this selection of the most popular new decks and patios of 2020 so far. From a courtyard covered...
If you’re looking for fresh ideas for your outdoor space, take a gander at this selection of the most popular new decks and patios of 2020 so far. From a courtyard covered...
How to Make a Big Design Impact With Color (5 photos)
As part of San Francisco Design Week in June, designer Sabrina Alfin of Sabrina Alfin Interiors sat down with Shannon Kaye of Kelly-Moore Paints for a virtual...
When to Pick Kitchen Fixtures and Finishes (13 photos)
Many homeowners think designing a kitchen starts with choosing items like appliances, flooring, cabinet finishes, countertops, faucets and lighting — and to a point it does. But I try to keep my clients from worrying about many of these items until after the space...
How to Help Your Garden Survive a Heat Wave (8 photos)
We’ve all experienced it: blistering temperatures, above our typical summer averages, that have us flocking to the comfort of our homes. But what about the plants in our gardens? Unless they are in a pot and can be brought indoors, plants are stuck outside, bearing the brunt of the heat wave with no...
Porch of the Week: Screened Retreat Provides Year-Round Enjoyment (6 photos)
A family in Apex, North Carolina, debated renovating their home’s interiors or adding a screened porch for 10 years before ultimately choosing to add the porch. “Her dream had been to have a screened-in porch,” designer Catherine French says of one of the homeowners. The family wanted a space that allowed...
7 Ideas for Headboard Walls From Spring 2020 Bedrooms (7 photos)
This Trending Now story features the most-saved bedroom photos uploaded to Houzz in spring 2020.
Turning the wall behind your bed into a feature wall is a great way to add visual oomph to your bedroom. Adding a bold paint color is one common approach, but if you’re looking to really boost...
Turning the wall behind your bed into a feature wall is a great way to add visual oomph to your bedroom. Adding a bold paint color is one common approach, but if you’re looking to really boost...
How Modern Architecture Can Connect Us to Nature (12 photos)
The longer COVID-19 rages on and we’re spending more time in our homes, the more likely we are to wonder how residential architecture could change in the future. As part of San Francisco Design Week in June, architect Leo Marmol, managing partner at Marmol...
New This Week: 4 Small Bathrooms With a Shower-Tub Combo (5 photos)
Many design and building professionals recommend that homeowners have at least one bathtub in a house. For owners who prefer a larger shower in their primary bathroom, that often means a guest or kids’ bathroom gets the tub. These secondary bathrooms are usually tight on space, so many homeowners find...
Tour a Designer’s Stylish and Dramatic Kitchen and Laundry Area (one photo)
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, interior designer Joni Spear gives a virtual tour of the kitchen and laundry area inside her recently renovated 100-year-old home in Smithfield, Virginia....
Kitchen of the Week: Industrial Meets Sleek Italian Style (6 photos)
In 2005, a couple bought this New Jersey home, which was converted from a factory that used to produce marine engines and other products. But as their family grew to six, their house was bursting at the seams. They loved their home and their neighborhood and wanted to make it work no matter what, which...
Pros and Cons: Painted vs. Stained Kitchen Cabinets (12 photos)
Kitchen cabinets are largely about the finish. Whether you’re buying cabinets for the first time or you’re a seasoned kitchen remodeler, it probably didn’t take you long to realize that stain and paint are two totally different slices of pie. Not sure which one you prefer? Here’s the scoop on the perks...
7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Living Room (8 photos)
Our homes really can make us happy — especially when they are inviting. And now feels like a natural time to refresh and renew our surroundings. Of course, if you’re anything like me, wanting a cleaner,...
9 Great Ideas From Popular Spring 2020 Home Gym Photos (10 photos)
This Trending Now story features the most-saved home gym photos uploaded to Houzz in spring 2020.
With social distancing measures in place this spring, many Houzz users were looking for ideas on home workout spaces. The most popular home gym photos provide a wide variety of creative design...
With social distancing measures in place this spring, many Houzz users were looking for ideas on home workout spaces. The most popular home gym photos provide a wide variety of creative design...
10 Top Flowering Native Plants for Beauty and Wildlife Benefit (11 photos)
These 10 tried-and-true native flowering plants have it all: attractive flowers, foliage and forms; few care requirements; and the benefit of supporting birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Essentially, they’re just as well-suited to home gardens as many non-native ornamental plants (and look good...
Bathroom of the Week: American Desert Meets Scandinavian Modern (9 photos)
Redesigning bathrooms to appeal to a wide variety of potential homeowners is an important part of renovating an investment property for resale. But this doesn’t mean sacrificing style or sticking to one formula. In this home in Scottsdale, Arizona, interior designer Kaitlyn Wolfe of Iconic Design+Build...
Designer Tips for Decorating With Sustainability in Mind (one photo)
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, designer Susan Van Meter of SVM Interiors in London talks with Kiya Kelly of the Houzz communications team. Van Meter shares advice on incorporating sustainable...
8 Ways to Make Your Bedroom a Breezy Summer Oasis (8 photos)
Celebrate summer and enjoy those delicious weekend morning sleep-ins even more by giving your bedroom a fresh, seasonal update. Whether you are looking to tweak a few small details or embark on a major bedroom overhaul, we hope these eight ideas will spark the change you want.
6 Great Ideas From Spring 2020’s Most Popular Pools (11 photos)
This Trending Now story features the most-saved pool photos uploaded to Houzz in spring 2020.
If ever there was a spring when homeowners were dreaming of having a private pool, the spring of 2020 was it. Houzz users browsing pool photos were drawn to pool spaces...
If ever there was a spring when homeowners were dreaming of having a private pool, the spring of 2020 was it. Houzz users browsing pool photos were drawn to pool spaces...
How 2 Professional Organizers Work With Clients Remotely (6 photos)
As professional home organizers, my business partner and I have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown orders. Home organizing and move management is a very hands-on profession, and in-person time with clients is an important way we gain trust, build relationships...
How to Plan Your Kitchen Space During a Remodel (5 photos)
The preliminary space-planning and schematic design phase is the most important part of any kitchen remodel. A kitchen can be filled with beautiful materials and finishes, but...
Before and After: 4 Black-and-White Kitchen Makeovers (8 photos)
A black-and-white color palette has the advantage of being both classic and contemporary. The duality makes this popular color combo a great choice for kitchens, a space where many homeowners desire the most bang for their buck when remodeling. The high-contrast palette provides a fresh, updated look...
10 Ideas for a Rejuvenating Summer Staycation (12 photos)
Many are stuck at home this summer, with no vacation getaway in sight. With lots of pools closed and summer camps canceled, it’s time to get creative and make special memories at home. Ideas from resorts, camps and other favorite summer places can be adapted for a staycation. See if any of these ideas...
Blooming Container Gardens That Welcome Butterflies and Bees (14 photos)
Including nectar- and pollen-rich plants in potted displays can help support the native birds, butterflies and bees in your neighborhood. While pollinators require more than just a food source for survival — they’ll also need water, native plants for laying eggs, habitat for roosting and more — supplying...
Patio of the Week: San Francisco Yard Plays With Light and Shadow (17 photos)
When interior stylist Erin Hiemstra and her husband, Christopher Wick, found a traditional Victorian home with a decent-size yard for sale in San Francisco, it felt almost too good to be true. The stand-alone home sat on a rare double lot, which offered plenty of space for a future garden....
8 Impressive Grills That Will Elevate an Outdoor Kitchen (12 photos)
As we find ourselves spending more time at home, it’s tempting to look at our backyards and consider a revamp. For a more extensive outdoor upgrade, a new outdoor kitchen can elevate the use and enjoyment of an outdoor space. And for many of us, no outdoor kitchen would be complete without a grill.
We’ve...
We’ve...
See Which Smart Home Products Remodeling Homeowners Chose in 2019 (4 photos)
Technology in the home can be a controversial issue. Some homeowners are keen to install the latest home assistants, smart lighting fixtures and wireless doorbell cameras, while others prefer to stay away from connected devices other than laptops and phones.
We track interest in smart home technology...
We track interest in smart home technology...
Kitchen of the Week: White, Wood, Gray and a Backsplash Surprise (11 photos)
This professional couple and their blended family of three young daughters fell in love with the scenic location of a Shingle-style home that sits on the edge of a wildlife preserve just outside Portland, Maine. But after they purchased the home, some of its design details had to go.
In the kitchen,...
In the kitchen,...
10 Ways to Turn Your Backyard Into a Resort-Inspired Retreat (14 photos)
Imagine stepping into an outdoor space and seeing a swaying hammock, glowing garden lights and bold tropical foliage, and hearing the sound of water trickling from a fountain. Can you already feel yourself sinking into vacation-relaxation mode?
While a trip to a far-off resort likely isn’t possible...
While a trip to a far-off resort likely isn’t possible...
A Home With Country Charm for a Tennessee Family (17 photos)
“This is a house full of life,” designer Chandler Quarles says of this home outside Nashville, Tennessee. Set on a beautiful piece of property, the 1970s house had undergone a few remodels over the years that left it quirky and disjointed. The couple who live here have four kids and a very active household....
Peek Inside a Designer’s Cozy and Stylish Cabin Retreat (one photo)
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, designer Noz Nozawa takes viewers inside her 1970s cabin near Lake Tahoe in California. Nozawa recently stripped the worn and dated kitchen to the studs and updated the...
Apr. 7, 2020
New Decorative Metal Accents for Tried-and-True Mouldings
Mouldings have been a Designs of Distinction ® product for decades. We offer mouldings in various sizes & styles – ranging from decorative Base Mouldings to Crown Mouldings, to Light Ready Light Rail Mouldings ® . We’ve introduced dozens of hardwood moulding insert designs – including inserts like Bijou, Infinity, and Baroque, and Classic Revival. […]
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Apr. 2, 2020
Brass Gallery Rail – your guide to an inexpensive way to update your Kitchen & Bath
Our new Brass Gallery Rail components provide an inexpensive way to achieve a luxury look. Manufactured from solid polished brass, you are able to completely customize how you want your new Gallery Rail to look, and where you want to install it. Versatile Design & Style The Brass Gallery Rail can fit almost any design […]
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Apr. 1, 2020
New Bun Feet!
We’ve been working hard at Designs of Distinction to bring more high-quality furniture components to the market. Cue, bun feet with pre-installed 5/16″-18 hanger bolts. As usual, our bun feet with hanger bolts will come unfinished & hand-sanded to perfection – ready to stain or paint right out of the box. Uses for Bun Feet […]
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Mar. 25, 2019
Small Spaces: Unique Uses of Wood Brackets
When you live in a small urban apartment, like me, often times the apartment does not come with much overhead lighting, and if it does come with overhead lighting, it’s overbearing fluorescent light from the 70’s that provides no ambience or hygge.
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Jul. 4, 2018
New Cut-to-Size Decorative Grille Program!
Take advantage of Designs of Distinction’s cut-to-size decorative grille program! No minimums and quick-ship! Our beautiful steel grilles are hand woven in 8 styles and available in 6 finishes. Builders, designers and manufacturers can now specify the exact opening size of their door panels and receive the pre-cut panels, ready to install
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