Our conversation stories are a hub for where we get into all of the things that turn a house into a home: community, comfort, family, and, sometimes, good old design history. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite and most popular conversation stories from this year to help you live a more balanced life, or at the very least hold your own on an endless parade of holiday Zooms.
As many of us found ourselves working from home for the first time, the question of how to set up a home office (or just a work station that wouldn’t kill your back) suddenly became of the utmost importance. Anja Jamrozik is a cognitive scientist who studies physical and digital environments. She says there are five basic things everyone needs to work well. We walk you through them and offer up tips on how to set up the best workspace in your home.
Cottagecore, a movement hearkening back to agricultural life, skills, and crafts, is on the rise. “As a concept, it embraces a simpler, sustainable existence that is more harmonious with nature. Aesthetically, it’s a nod to the traditional English countryside style, romantic and nostalgic,” says Davina Ogilvie, founder of Wovn Home, a start-up that makes custom (but affordable and accessible) window treatments.
Picture this: A wood-burning stove, a claw-foot tub, no cell service, and no news. Are you in heaven? Or are you in one of the best Airbnb cabins we’ve rounded up from all across the U.S.?
In these strange times, romance will inevitably suffer—nothing kills the mood like a global pandemic. In-person dates are no longer a viable option. Those searching for the one (or one night) might have to wait a little longer. And long-term couples are susceptible to the stir-crazy feeling that comes with interacting with only one person every day. Here’s how to keep the love alive or keep yourself company as the pandemic stretches on.
Whether you’re on the hunt for your next home or just casually perusing Zillow (yes, we do it too), it can be hard to know whether a property is a potential money pit or a diamond in the rough. Professionals in the industry know when a place has “good bones,” and so we’ve gathered together some of the go-to features we look for when scouting out a new space.
Posted in June, this guide to helping protesters from afar remains frustratingly relevant. During the global coronavirus pandemic, our country is fighting another deadly disease: racism. If you are a part of the Black Lives Matter movement but are not able to physically attend the protests, that is okay. In this fight for justice, not everyone has to play the same role. You can engage in different actions toward the same goal of eradicating injustice and amplifying the Black Lives Matter movement.
It is safe to say that we were all looking for a little perspective this year. This story on how previous epidemics shaped design reminded us that creativity and ingenuity has gotten us through tough moments in the past. There is a very long, very interesting history of the intersection of health, architecture, and design going back to ancient times, but this story focused on the late 19th and early 20th centuries to focus on architectural and design features you could potentially find in your home today. Here are a few examples of home design elements tied to attempts to prevent or slow the spread of infectious disease.
