Your House and Home Design
By Jackie Craven, About.com Guide
Know the Style
Have you ever wondered about the style of your home or a famous building? Here are photos, glossaries, and tools to help you solve the architectural mystery.
- What is "Style"?
- House Style Guide
- Picture Dictionary of House Styles
- Picture Dictionary of Roof Styles
Learn the History
If your house is old, it may be difficult to learn the story of its past. To research the history of your house, you'll need to explore written records and also look closely at architectural clues. These resources will help you unravel the history of your house.
- How Old is Your House?
- Where are the Original Floor Plans for Your House?
- Did Your House Come From a Mail Order Catalog?
- Did Frank Lloyd Wright Build Your House?
- Research Your House
Remodel Your House
Get your home improvement project off on the right start. These resources offer ideas and how-to advice to help you expand your living space, create more storage, and save money on your remodeling projects.
- Choose Wood for Your New Deck
- Add Storage Space
- Build a Brick Patio or Walkway
- How to Survive Remodeling
Restore Your Historic House
Restoring and preserving historic architecture requires special care. Historic restoration projects often call for technical skills and hard-to-find materials. These resources will guide you through the process of researching, restoring, and preserving your historic home.
Paint Your House
There's nothing like color to transform a house. These resources will help you make difficult color decisions and test your choices before you begin your house painting project.
Build Your New House
Building a home may be the largest and most challenging project in your life. These articles and resources will answer many questions you may have, and also suggest ways to save time and money on your home building project.
- Step-by-Step Guide to Building
- Build on a Budget
- How Much Will it Cost?
- Where to Find House Plans
- How to Choose the Right Plan
Improve Your Neighborhood
Your home doesn't stop at the front door. Roads, parks, shops, and schools all contribute to your comfort, safety, and happiness. Civic leaders and town planners are exploring ways to build better neighborhoods. You become part of the design process when you attend neighborhood meetings, voice your views, and vote.
- Are You a New Urbanist?
- How to Design a Walkable Neighborhood
- How to Design a Safer School Campus
- Does Suburbia Breed Violence?
- Book Excerpt: Suburban Nation
- Model Neighborhood: Celebration, FL
- Model Neighborhood: Loreto Bay, Mexico
- Reader Submissions: Great Neighborhoods
- Must-Read Books for Planners
Show & Tell
Now it's your turn! Tell us about your house, share pictures, and see houses submitted by other readers. Have fun!