Design

When interviewing a home builder, take advantage of this one-on-one opportunity to get information and feedback that you just can't get anywhere else. To break the ice, deal with less sensitive topics. Asking him about his business practices is a good place to start. Hopefully, having established a rapport with the builder by first having him field questions about more objective and less personally...

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The foremost benefit in building a customized home is that you get a house that meets your preferences perfectly, both in terms of purpose and value. Nowadays, most spec homes are built with "builder's grade" materials to reduce the cost of the structure. However, these kinds of products have short life spans and the selections of house layouts and features are often restricted. Customized home building...

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The ranch house plan reflects a traditional and practical approach to house design. The modern Ranch style evolved in the post-WWII era, when land was plentiful and demand was high. On large suburban lots there was no need to conserve space by building up, so Ranch home plans expanded outwards on a single story, causing them to be known as Ramblers in some regions. The classic Ranch floor plan features...

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Earlier this year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) revealed its latest standout design trends that were garnered from the association’s 2011 Design Competition. In honor of kitchen and bath month, we decided to follow up the NKBA’s effort by interviewing some top designers to see what’s hot and what’s not. Like politics, design trends are local. A moving target, they are often...

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