Whether you live in a cottage by the sea, a cabin in the mountains, an apartment in the sky or even a bungalow on a suburban street, the veranda is one architectural element that stays in high regard. The balustrades and rails on our verandas not only... more »

When a town's name is Watercolor, and it's on the equally tantalizingly named Emerald Coast in the Florida panhandle, you have a hunch it's going to be a testament to gorgeous design. And, dare I say, kudos to the town’s homeowner’s association, whose... more »

The front porch has evolved along with the quickening pace of everyday life. Porches were originally designed to create a more tolerable living space — a place for rest, relaxation and cooling breezes. Their decline can be attributed to... more »

Classic and cute, the typical cottage has been part of our design vernacular for years. As far back as medieval England and cemented in American design from coast to coast, a cottage signifies a cozy home. It is a smaller space, without pretense and... more »

This family has been farming the fertile land of Washington state's Skagit Valley for three generations. When they decided to renovate a dilapidated farmhouse on their property, they called architect Dan Nelson, who called in a colleague, landscape architect... more »

In 1981 a woman and her husband cruised by the historic plantation her family had owned for generations. She had heard many stories from her grandmother about the Central Texas home her family had lost during the Great Depression, and after seeing it,... more »

If there was ever a place and time of irrational exuberance, it was America during the second half of the 19th century. It was certainly a time when if a choice of one was good, then two was better, and three or more wasn't overdoing it at all. It was... more »

I've long admired the work of the husband and wife architect team of Stuart Cohen and Julie Hacker. Like that other great architect on Chicago's North Shore, Howard... more »

The double-hung window is about as traditional a window as can be. It's no surprise that its style fits colonial and more traditional homes, as the double-hung window became the window of 18th-century America. The double-hung, or sash,... more »

Hutch and Gretchen Johnson moved from their beloved home in the Lake Oswego, Oregon, suburbs into a stunning 100-year-old home in Portland two years ago. They brought with them ideas to brighten and energize the home inside and out while keeping its... more »

As we work our way out of the great recession, new construction starts are on the upswing and sales of existing houses have been improving. While this is really good news, and we're all hoping the trend continues and the pace picks up, I, for one, hope... more »

Gingerbread architecture comes from the Victorian era but is not an architectural style in itself. It was popularized in North America in the 1830s and is characterized... more »

The site of Revolutionary War–era romance, dainty fox-hunt teas and formal piano recitals, this 1787 Georgian farmhouse brims with antique ambience and charm. The house had been vacant for years when Barry Barton and David Ferrini first viewed the interior... more »

Dutch colonial revival–style homes swept the United States during the first half of the 20th century. A subtype of colonial revival, Dutch colonial revival–style... more »