Articles by Julie Sheer

Purchasing a new bathroom vanity can be as simple as measuring your space and choosing a prefab unit online or at a store. You’ll get a set number of drawers with hardware, space for one or two sinks, and often a countertop. Installing a custom-made v…

This home on 1½ acres in California’s wine country — amid a beautiful setting of mature oak, pine and myrtle trees with vineyard views — is the weekend retreat of a San Francisco family that includes a grandparent. After buying the property, which con…

Blinds and shutters could be considered the workhorses of window treatments. These “hard” treatments constructed of wood, composite and vinyl work well in home designs ranging from traditional to modern. When categorizing window treatments, blinds are…

When it comes to dressing a window, shades are probably the most versatile covering in terms of being functional as well as decorative. There’s a dizzying array of options for all types of window shades, from colorful roller shades to Roman shades mad…

This light-filled, energy-efficient family home in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, was designed and built to exacting green standards by design-build firm Green Hammer, focusing on healthy indoor air quality, low carbon emissions and sustainably sourced…

Smooth surfaces, raw wood tones and wide planks dominated the natural hardwood and faux wood flooring on display at The International Surface Event trade show, held recently in Las Vegas. The makers of luxury vinyl, porcelain and laminates continue to…

After several years of cool neutrals and bright whites in tile design, warmer tones and bolder colors are making headway. That was clear from new tile collections on display at the recent TISE trade show in Las Vegas. While colors are trending bolder,…

This Trending Now story features the most-saved laundry room photos uploaded to Houzz in 2022.There’s a lot that designers can do to elevate a small space devoted to mundane chores. For proof — and inspiration — just check out this countdown of the mo…

This Trending Now story features the most-saved home office photos uploaded to Houzz in 2022.Working from home takes on many forms. To some it means a dedicated room for running a business. For others it might mean a small desk area for tackling tasks…

Many homeowners are living in places experiencing drought conditions. The West and Southwest have been hit particularly hard. About 95% of California is in severe or extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And as the summer months appr…