Articles by Annie Thornton

In addition to adding valuable shade, a pergola can transform a yard or other outdoor area. In the following four makeovers, landscape design and building pros created custom pergolas that frame space, add architectural interest, increase privacy and …

Taking a dip in your own backyard pool is a dream for many people. But for Mark Sandelson, a large swimming pool that consumed his entire Santa Monica, California, yard left little room for plants, outdoor living spaces or anything else. “All he reall…

Many people would like to live more sustainably at home but don’t know where to begin. Which home features should you consider to cut energy use, reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment? To provide guidance, we spoke with 12 pros on Houz…

This Trending Now story features the most-saved living room photos uploaded to Houzz between Dec. 15, 2022, and March 15, 2023.Living rooms reflect the lifestyles and style needs of their owners. Some spaces are bright and lively. Others are dark and …

An edible garden can be both beautiful and productive given the right planning and design. In the following three makeovers, landscape designers turned lackluster dirt plots into bountiful and beautiful outdoor spaces for growing fruits and veggies, g…

When you step inside someone’s home, you open a window into their life and experience. In the case of the eight homes shown here, you can see where the foremost figure of the civil rights movement was born, how a philanthropist and America’s first fem…

When the longtime owners of this San Francisco Bay Area home sent their kids off to college, they realized it was time to transform their family-friendly yard into a space that would better fit their style and stage of life. “The idea was to turn it m…

A small yard can provide a surprising amount of outdoor living space, given the right design and an attention to detail. In the following three projects, landscape designers transformed underused outdoor areas into inviting spaces for entertaining, lo…

Enjoy the serene beauty of winter with a tour of 25 homes and landscapes in snowy settings, including a chalet in Austria, a mountain retreat in Lake Tahoe, California, and an outdoor spa and patio in Big Sky, Montana. Which one of these scenes upload…

Winter containers can do a lot for a home and garden, adding interest to sleepy landscapes and creating a festive atmosphere outside. While you have a lot of options when it comes to seasonal arrangements, we’re focusing on high-impact design ideas th…