We're building a carriage house (we prefer the term garottage) on a lot behind our house this summer. It will function as garage space (mainly boat/shed storage) with simple guest quarters above. Our original garottage is pictured above... Haha, it was truly a garROTage, built in 1940, I think. It was torn down last fall. Please don't bother telling me how to fix THAT garottage--IT'S GONE NOW! :) I used it as the dilemma icon to remind me how far we'll get with something "snazzier". :) To be economical, we're planning on a 2-story structure. The new garottage must meet city code and have more living than garage space--61% living space--but the city is allowing a screened porch to count as living (Yay!) so we want to incorporate that on the structure. We hope to get 2br, 1 bath, a kitchen(ette) and laundry from the living space above, and a large-ish garage space below. This is a summer vacation spot and family/guest overflow space is what we're after! We're meeting with the city planner and our builder/carpenter this weekend. We have some general ideas from looking at plans online, but have not purchased any yet. We'll know more soon about what we can and can't do after talking to our people here. I don't have a specific dilemma/question yet, but started the thread to have a spot to be able to do that. I'm sure I'll have TONS of things I'll need opinions about! So, I'd appreciate any feedback as this project moves along! I'm terrible at envisioning things, and more terrible at decorating, so I hope the feedback, suggestions, advice and encouragement will keep me sane and make this a snazzy garottage worthy of the lovely setting it's on. Thank you! :)

Small house...and I am a collector! By small...1400 square feet, cottage style pitched roof, in which I am putting arts and crafts style windows. My sons tell me I have too much stuff. To be clear, this stuff is not dollar store; it is antiques, family heirlooms, Japanese ceramics my dad bought in 1948, lovely gifts from friends, etc. I have been downsizing and still have a lot of nice things, which I currently seasonally rotate through my house. I am also an artist, as well as other members of my family, and friend, so I have boatloads of original art...I am not a minimalist, but how can I make my house look less full of things, and still enjoy what I have? Houzz peeps...I will post some pics and maybe get some advice... :) btw the furniture arrangement pics are not current; will post more pics; this just gives a sense of the space and problem...

Ever think about meeting other Houzzers? Dying to see Mount Rushmore. Be bad in the Badlands. See the Biker town of Sturgis. Sit on a giant Jackalope at Wall Drugstore? We got you covered;) August 18th (Fri.)-21st (Mon.) is the place to be. We have 4 Houzzers so far, plus their spouses who decided to make road trip. I am even bringing my dog, lol. Stop in and inquire for further details...

I'm not sure which countertop to go with between two options.. Not permanently staying in this home. I like the brightness of the wood, but not the variation in it, along with a few knots. Not going for a "country" look. Sorry. The other counter is laminate and looks like doo-doo brown (lol), but these are really the only affordable choices I have. I don't want to special order anything since I'll be moving. Any opinions are much appreciated. (The tiles in the images attached are the tiles I'm using.) Everything was changed due to a water leak. Also, I'm changing the lights to brushed stainless and adding some cans. Sorry if this is confusing. Trust me I'm confused myself. I think next time I'll ask the houzzers in the beginning. :) Pictures with both lights on and off. Also, the peninsula is staying with the butcherblock. The light really effects the wall and countertop colors. I'm exhausted. :)

Come build a house with me! The foundation is in, and framing has just started. This is a custom designed house, stylistically hard to peg but the closest description would be Arts and Crafts with extra Asian influence. It's in the mountains of North Carolina. The house is on a slope, so half the lower level (where the bedrooms will be) will be underground yet will feel in the treetops. The upper level will have views from the open floor plan. Watch (and help!) this house go from a hole in the ground to a totally finished and furnished home. It will be an adventure!

Hello thanks in advance for your help. we got new kitchen cabinets and counters approximately 7 months ago.. The countertops are laminate and are splitting at the seams already. does anyone know why this is happening? We were told the laminate will last approximately twenty years. It's multiple areas . Sorry photos not that great

Join us as we experience the adventures of building a home at the Palace of the Clowns! This magical adventure is based on the actual experiences of real people with wonderful imaginations. I have posted what we have written together so far (from Every House Deserves A Name); now it's up to you to help us finish this Design Dilemma!!

Noticed that there's 'something' missing, which was where I posted photos my recent home deco sewing projects...got me thinking about the yet-unphotographed home deco sewing projects from earlier years and gives me an excuse to re-post photos of my recent efforts. Anyone else sew and what was the last thing you made? Post photos if you have them and wish to!

I am buying Walnut doors for a long hallway that is mostly doors. I'd like to panel the walls between the doors in matching paneling. What kind of wood is best, e.g prefinished paneling, unfinished veneered plywood?. Who would I hire to do the job? Thanks, Barbara Kanter

An international meeting place where old friends and new come together for good conversation.

There are millions of these in the grass and now in my garden. They're all over the seedlings (zucchini, watermelon, cucumber) and killed them very quickly. They hop all over when you run your hand over them. I tried insecticidal soap but literally the whole yard is full.

Hi all Sometimes I see landscape and garden designs accompanied by diagrams (layout) and 3D renderings for these. From your experience, what is the best software on the market that can be used for this?

Hello, I am in the early stages of conceptualizing what my future house would look like and have picked up bits and pieces of what the house would look like, choosing the main features of the kitchen, living, dining room and the master's bed and bath. I've also used multiple sources such as Houzz and Pinterest to help me with this process. However, I am struggling to put this together in a coherent layout and design. I suppose this is a common problem for new families, but what is the first place to start? Do i talk to an architect to have these hodgepodge ideas put together in a layout? What if these ideas are doable only in the countries where the architect resides (i am from the Philippines)? I also have the size of the lot where to build the house in but not much on putting together the plan. Any insights and inputs would be welcome, thanks!

We own a Deck House in Montclair, NJ. If you own a Deck House, give us a shout out so we can stay in touch on Houzz. Deck House is a company founded in 1959 by William Berkes and Robert Brownell in Acton, Massachusetts. All Deck Houses are prefabricated in the factory and use a post and beam construction together with Cedar tongue and groove ceilings. Trim is mahogany and, until recently, siding was also a furred Mahogany. Deck Houses can be found in many places, but particularly large numbers of them are in Massachusetts and North Carolina. I've added a couple of images of our house.

We are planning to build a house using a pole building frame. It will have a full basement (accept under the garage part). I have drawn what I would like to have, but I would really like some opinions. Do you think this floor plan will work?