According the latest BuildFax index results, remodeling activity was up 40 percent in October from the year before. Why the uptick? As more homeowners decide to stay put rather than risk selling their home and taking a major loss, they are making alterations, improvements and fixes to improve livability for the interim. That means less [...]

Today the marketing department at Integrity Windows and Doors had the privilege of hearing Sarah Susanka talk to us about her work. Sarah has been a long-time friend of ours and we are huge fans of her. She’s a top architect, designer, author, visionary and all-around good person. Sarah talked about her new showhouse in Libertyville, Ill., [...]

Look around the SchoolStreet housing development in the northern Chicago suburb of Libertyville and you’ll witness a trend that’s experiencing a major resurgence across the country: front porches. Increasingly, American homeowners are tired of hiding out in their backyards. A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders found 50 percent of all new [...]

Eager homeowners are nothing new when it comes to remodeling projects. However, Loudon County, Va., resident Peter Burnett took that typical enthusiasm to a new level when his home burned down in 2009. Amy Albert, senior editor at Builder Magazine, published a story on Tuesday about a homeowner who saw his misfortune as a great [...]

Bluewater Builders was founded in 1986 when established builders Sherrell Futral and Woody Warren brought their companies together to lead their first development, Bluewater Bay. Bluewater Bay was an overnight success, with all 85 lots selling out in a mere 3 hours. The success launched the new company’s run as one of eastern North Carolina’s [...]

At its best, building and architecture not only provides beauty but also innovative solutions to problems. Here’s a great example of that. Inhabitat recently blogged about the Swiss St. Maurice Abbey. It’s ancient — more than 1,500 years old — and during the thousand-plus years of its existence, it sometimes needs a little TLC. Recently, the [...]

Now here’s a project to get you excited about the future of home building. Students at the University of Tennessee have paired with manufacturer Clayton Homes to build the New Norris House, a real-life testing ground for the next generation of builders. According to Builder.com: …The project acts as a living lab for energy-efficient and [...]

We’ve long been a fan of architect Sarah Susanka and her “Not So Big House” philosophy, and it seems we keep seeing more evidence that a significant number of American homeowners are more interested in craftsmanship, quality and fine design than they are in raw square footage. Affluent, mature homeowners especially fit this profile. The more [...]

Remodeling has been a bright spot in the homebuilding and design industry, and a recent report by the Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies suggests that the long-term trend will continue to be favorable. Several factors are converging to produce the positive outlook. First, as Baby Boomers age, the turnover of their homes will generate remodeling [...]

Architect John Hill, writing at Houzz.com, reminds us windows are more than just functional openings to let in light and fresh air. Carefully placed, well chosen windows serve an important aesthetic purpose, as well, framing the view outside like a perfect work of art. He writes: The following photos exhibit a variety of ways of [...]