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How to Choose the Best Building Lot for Your Dream Home

Did you know there are at least 7 kinds of building lot to choose from? Finding just the right one for your dream home construction project isn't always easy. And when you choose the perfect lot, you’ll need to match your house plan to it. Here’s what you need to know.

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Site Your New Home to Save Energy and Maximize Natural Light

Did you know that you can save on energy costs and ensure a bright home with lots of natural light by strategically planning your home’s position on an empty lot? Be smart about your home’s orientation and benefit from better temperatures, ideal lighting, and reduced costs.

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Symmetrical Houses: Features to Look For

Symmetry is a popular architectural element for a reason. Because of the visual harmony of symmetrical homes, they tend to be one of the most popular and appealing options on the market. However, even if a home isn’t perfectly symmetrical, elemental balance is still essential. Here’s what you need to know.

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Italianate Style: Renaissance Architecture in the New World

Taking off in 1840 as “Federal” style faded into the background, the Italianate Style – with its decorative brackets and square towers – became the most popular architectural design in the U.S. until 1885. The style was primarily seen in grand country mansions and urban townhouses around the U.S.

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10 Great Ways to Design a Loft Space

Designing a loft space can be really tricky, as every square inch needs to have a purpose. To be successful, you need to plan ahead. With the right end goal in mind, you’ll be able to achieve a functional space that’s also very livable. Here’s how to do it.

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The Zero Energy Home: A Solar-Powered Glimpse Into the Future

With a description like “Zero Energy Home,” can such a house’s design be exciting and attractive? The answer is yes. It’s rapidly rising in popularity because of the super-efficiency, green footprint, comfort, security, and healthy environment that it provides for families – and it can come in every size and architectural style.

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Old Home, New Look: DIY Home Projects

Tired of the wood cabinets in your kitchen or the fixtures in your bathroom? Itching to renovate a bedroom or the family room? Take heart—you don’t need expensive designers for your home makeover. We offer some easy tips for giving your home a fresh new look.

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Federal Style: Old World Architecture with an American Twist

Described as a “triumph of simplicity and classically refined ornament,” the Federal style was influenced by Robert Adam, the British architect who was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman forms. Considered America’s first national style, Federal architecture dominated the landscape from 1780 to 1840, an exciting time when the fledging American Republic was forging its identity.

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Organic Architecture: Harmony between Nature and Structures

Buildings should look to the nature that surrounds them and partner with it, enhance it, in order to create spaces for human dwelling. Or so said American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. His Organic Architecture movement was (and is) all about combining form and function to create harmonious homes.

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Adirondack Style Architecture: A Model for Rustic Elegance and Flair

Just as stunning as the homes of the wealthy in the Hamptons, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard, the 19th century Great Camps of upstate New York are spectacular sprawling family cabins built in the rustic and primitive-looking design of Adirondack Architecture. We explore their elements, characteristics, and origins.