After years of modern, ultra-polished aesthetics dominating the design industry, people are yearning for character. Young renters and homebuyers are indicating that new-builds and gut-renovated spaces, despite clean lines and amenities, simply pale in comparison to the aesthetic charm of an older home. And designers agree: There's something undeniably more interesting about a touch of patina or an imperfect silhouette. The romantic, old-world sensibility of vintage design is hard to beat.
Because it's so important to the function of my home, it's become an afterthought when it comes to making it beautiful. All I need is a functional, clean space - it doesn't need to feel as relaxing as my bedroom or living room. Plus, it's not like I have the time (or money!) to invest in transforming the bathroom space by hiring a stager or designer. But I'm interested in making each space feel a little more beautiful these days.
I enjoy cooking, but often feel overwhelmed by cleaning and organizing my kitchen - especially the cabinets and counter. They are usually a jumble of tableware, serveware, napkins, and random knickknacks. So I'm constantly on the hunt for budget-friendly kitchen storage organizers. Recently I saw an incredible storage hack to help organize kitchen items, and it utilizes products found at Dollar Tree. It's exactly what I've been looking for!
Ba-rro: "Our starting point is always the context and what already exists." We are interested in recognizing the value of things simply because they are there, without assuming that everything must be preserved as a matter of principle. The question isn't what can be kept, but what deserves to be kept in each specific project. The decision to preserve, reveal, or remove doesn't stem from universal values or a nostalgic impulse, but from a situated interpretation:
The renovation project for this apartment aimed to enhance the spaciousness of the original 1970s floor plan, overcoming certain shortcomings through minor interventions. The scarcity of natural light and the need to expand the living areas prompted a rearrangement of the kitchen, laundry, and living room programs, as well as the connections between them. In this shift, the laundry room was relocated to the apartment's private wing.
You could commit to a full-blown home renovation - but let's be real: That's incredibly pricey and time-consuming. Luckily, there's an alternative. These super-cheap upgrades (all of which come straight to your door thanks to Amazon) can make your home's aesthetic so much prettier, from the yard to the bedroom and everywhere in between.
Architect-turned-interior designer Anh Ly, founder and CEO of Mim Concept, explains why the color surged in the first place: "Butter yellow had a magic moment because it felt optimistic and comforting, especially during a time when people were craving warmth at home." Now, that emotional pull is also what's working against it. "It fell short on resale since it's a very emotion-specific color. Buyers tend to see it as personal rather than neutral, which makes it harder for them to imagine themselves in the space," Ly adds.
Fiona Twycross, the heritage minister, is to be congratulated for finally giving London's Southbank Centre Grade II listing (Campaigners welcome long overdue' listing of brutalist Southbank Centre, 10 February). I remember being shocked when I first saw it in the 1960s, but it has become a remarkable symbol of the zeitgeist. Its grey concrete and its childlike composition together express the fatalism and despair of a nation in economic and political decline.
Schacht, originally born in Germany and educated in Europe, moved to Portland in 1883 after the German government claimed his Hamburg home via eminent domain, and he decided to move as far away as possible. While his work over his four-decade career spanned a variety of architectural styles, it has been noted that after 1900, he was "among the first Arts and Crafts-influenced architects to practice west of the Rocky Mountains."
But this week I spotted an ingenious use for the extras, courtesy of NY-based company Proche Studio. Here's their proposal: Mail in a wool blanket, and they'll give it new life in the form of a great-looking-and uber snug-chore coat, vest, or scarf. I'm particularly smitten by the chore coat, a fresh version of the quilt coats that became popular a couple of years ago, and much, much warmer.
There is a unique pride that comes with owning a historic or vintage home. From the hand-carved molding to the solid oak floors that have settled into a comfortable patina, older houses tell a story that modern builds simply cannot replicate. However, behind those plaster walls lies a different kind of history—one that doesn't always age as gracefully as the architecture.
The tunnel carries electricity, and itself is a result of the huge power failure that plunged most of South London into darkness in August 2003. A later review recommended that Network Rail should improve the security of its own supplies in south London, and the result is a tunnel running from the National Grid disconnector at New Cross National Grid Substation to the Rotherhithe Switching Station.
A Lake Tahoe landmark celebrated for how it encourages people to stop and lean over its railing to admire the water below reopened Tuesday after a full replacement that lasted several months. Fanny Bridge, a historic crossing over the Truckee River, is open again to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in Tahoe City. Part of Highway 89 at the southwestern edge of town, Fanny Bridge spans over Lake Tahoe's only outlet via West Lake Boulevard.
Luca Bosco + 34 Category: Houses, Renovation Design Team: Sarah Becchio, Paolo Borghino Collaborators: Andrea Loi, Francesco Sordo, Ilaria Boggiatto, Emma Colella, Margherita Randazzo Site Construction Supervision: Paolo Borghino Structural Design And Construction Site Safety: Fabio Borello Window/Door Frames: BrunettoLegno Timber Construction: Clen Legnami More SpecsLess Specs Luca Bosco Text description provided by the architects. At the entrance to the Po Valley, in the province of Cuneo,
Sixty years ago, Laurance S. Rockefeller looked out at the turquoise waters of Kaunaoa Bay on Hawaii Island and imagined something extraordinary, a resort where world-class hospitality met the raw beauty of the Hawaiian coast. That vision became the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii Island's first resort and an instant icon of midcentury modern design. Fast forward to 2026, and the legend just got a serious glow-up.
Text description provided by the architects. The expansion project of CPP College arises from the need to adapt the school space to new usage demands, respecting the identity of the original architectural ensemble, which was also designed by our office. The main question was to understand how to intervene in an already established architecture, adding value without compromising the existing language and harmony.
I grew up visiting this house. It originally belonged to my grandfather's older sister, and whenever I traveled down from Iwate, the northern prefecture in Japan where I grew up, this was where the family gathered. Later, I worked as a rehabilitation consultant at hospitals in Osaka and Yokohama. I moved, but this place was always in the back of my mind.
Room 1101 by FORM / Kouichi Kimura Architects is the renovation of an urban apartment conceived as a secondary, designed to support flexible use while offering a distinct spatial experience. Located on the 11th and top floor of the building in, the apartment is defined by a five-meter-high atrium and a series of large, irregularly arranged windows that introduce abundant natural light into the interior.
Text description provided by the architects. On the banks of the river in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montreal, Mise à Jour Studio undertook thecomprehensive transformation of a heritage home. Formerly divided between a residence and a medical office occupying nearly half of the ground floor, the intervention opens up the spaces and enhances visual connections to the river, while bringing new light into the heart of the house.
Some even rented out the new additions as Airbnbs with applications for retention permission flooding in More than 11,000 applications for retention permission have been submitted in the last two years after thousands of people built extensions, garages, log cabins, apartments and gyms without planning permission. An investigation by the Irish Independent into the culture of "build first, ask for permission later" has revealed how more than half of all retention applications lodged since January 2024 have been approved by local authorities across the country.
Amazon isn't just a one-stop destination for travel accessories and camping gear; the online retailer has also expanded into do-it-yourself cabin kits that are easy to build and offer overnight guests more privacy than a spare bedroom. The site offers an array of ready-to-build cabins, including this resort-inspired DIY kit from Allwood Outlet that offers stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and costs less than $16,000. Once fully built, the layout is completely open, allowing you to turn the space into whatever you want.
In fact, one particular upgrade can maximize space, especially in long, narrow kitchens. Replacing your cabinets will not only allow you to take advantage of more modern materials and styles, but can also give you opportunities to explore space-saving alternatives and creative storage solutions. While full-depth kitchen counters take up a lot of floor space, inset kitchen cabinets are narrow, compact, and still highly functional.
The collection of buildings and rooms feel like they have been there forever. Each space and room is unique, and not in a cloying way. It's as if the hotel organically grew over time with a storied history to accompany it-inhabited by convivial ghosts you'd want to meet. Surprisingly, the Dorp was built from the ground up less than a decade ago, opening its doors in 2019.
Not every home is willing to play a supporting role. Jess Cooney's has always demanded top billing. "It's been a main character in my life-we've had a beautiful journey," says the AD PRO Directory member of her 6,000-square-foot house in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. "And it also drives me insane." More than two decades ago, Cooney returned home from Colorado to the Berkshires with her husband, Joe, and a new daughter in tow.
Pigments Instead of Paints Experimental Art Spaces Return to Analog Above: You've probably seen the recent surge of "analog bags": tote bags filled with knitting, small sewing projects, crossword puzzles (the kind on paper), and other things to fill in-between moments. Call it analog, call it DIY, but making things-and antidotes to doomscrolling-is a move we can get behind in 2026. Photograph via artist Kate Kilmurray from Natural, Hand-Woven DIY Potholders Will Have You Revisiting a Childhood Craft.
Picture this: you're knee-deep in renovation dust, crowbar in hand, when something unexpected tumbles from behind century-old plaster. A yellowed envelope? A strange metal box? That moment when your heart skips because you realize you might have just found something extraordinary. For some lucky homeowners, these discoveries turn out to be worth thousands of dollars, transforming a simple home improvement project into an unexpected treasure hunt.