Secondhand takes priority around here: keeping goods in circulation and reusing them is the ideal way to recycle. That’s but one of their selling points. Old things are  better made and typically more affordable than their contemporary counterparts. And they contain the mysteries of past times and people: in our latest book, Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home, we devoted a chapter to celebrating our 75 favorite vintage household tools and wares, many of them humble hand-me-downs. Of late, finding what you’re after has become a lot easier. In addition to all of the antiques clearing houses o ..read more

In 2022 we made a case for switching to induction cooking. Improvements on kitchen safety, indoor air quality (no more benzene or methane emissions), and energy efficiency are motivating factors, and some cities have even banned gas hookups in new homes and buildings. Moreover, Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are expected to launch in late 2024 (more on that from Wirecutter). Then there’s the aesthetics of induction cooking, particularly when it comes to cooktops which nearly melt seamlessly into the abyss of a kitchen countertop. Here are our ..read more

In the flooring section of our book, Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home, we advise: “Just say no to the synthetic stuff,” and stick to natural materials like hardwood, ceramic tiles, linoleum, stone, cork, and bamboo. Had we written the book today, we may have included bricks, one of the oldest, and most durable, building materials around, as another option for sustainable flooring. Though more commonly used for exterior surfaces, we’ve lately been noticing the rise of brick flooring indoors. And we approve—particularly when it’s paired with modern design. Above: “The choice of traditional bric ..read more

After reading a 2020 Australian study that compared using wood stoves and fireplaces to “having a truck idle inside your home,” we’ve been thinking about how to clear the air. Remodelista directory member Alison Davin of Jute Interior Design in SF and LA is also concerned. For more than a decade, Ali has been practicing what she calls “nontoxic design methods.” And in her forthcoming book, Live Natural, out in June, she shares guidance on her “relaxed approach to creating healthy homes.” “Since most of us spend much of our time indoors, the air quality inside our homes affects us much more tha ..read more

Ahead, a post published in partnership with Realtor.com: We all get in a mood sometimes. And sometimes what causes us to feel “grrr” or “ahhh” can partly depend on what color of the rainbow we happen to be looking at. The color on the walls in your home probably has more of an effect on how you feel than you might think. To help, here’s a deep dive into the science and psychology of color, with insights from design experts on the ideal colors for your entire home, room by room. Above: Photograph of a house in Maine by Go Logic (also featured in our book Remodelista in Maine). Color ..read more

A basement flat in Tufnell Park of north London had been vacated for some time due to flash flood damage in the floors and walls. The new owner, a journalist and home gardener, enlisted design architects Polysmiths for a full retrofit. The list of requirements was long: extending and insulating a terrace house, bringing light into the basement, and maintaining garden area while also flood-proofing and solving for dampness. According to the mayor of London, climate change puts at least 200,000 London properties at risk of surface water flooding, most of which are residential basements. Strength ..read more

The work of twin brothers Dexter and Byron Peart first caught our eye in 2019, when they pivoted from their cult-favorite brand WANT Les Essentiels to start something new: Goodee, a marketplace of globally made wares that works for the greater good. Together from their base of Montreal, Dexter and Byron Peart serve as “lead curators”, as they say, for a range of products that make a social or environmental impact, support local makers, and often help preserve “time-honored skills so that they can be passed along through generations.” Since our first post on the duo, we’ve popped into their one ..read more

On our list this weekend: a much anticipated new book, peak cherry tree season, a new tile line, and more: Above: Photograph from last week’s The Red Thread: A Thoughtfully Restored Townhouse in Charleston by Serious Buildings. It’s rhubarb season in the workshop of artist and designer Jess Wheeler. “Two reasons to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this weekend,” reports Fan: “It’s peak cherry blossom time, AND Terrain just opened a new store at the visitor center.” Info here. Tiles made from… volcanic stone. Of Beyond the Meadows: Portrait of a Natural and Biodiverse Garden by Krautkopf, Fa ..read more

We’ve long admired the artful approach of SASA Works, a workshop-based architecture practice out of London’s Hackney neighborhood headed by polymath Craig Bamford and artist Isik Sayarer. Bamford, whose background in metalwork, jewelry, carpentry, and architecture, explores the poetics of space through elemental buildings, sitting lightly on the earth with often locally-sourced and reclaimed materials. In the construction of the Carrick retreat, a 300-square foot outbuilding on the grounds of an old house in Cornwall, traditional techniques and sustainable materials come together in a “healing ..read more

Noticed lately: folding screens as headboards. Here’s a look: Above: For the James Bradley Hotel in Bradley Beach, NJ, designer Sebastian Zuchowicki commissioned folding headboards in the bedrooms. Above: For an installation at Seventh House Gallery in Los Angeles, designer Courtney Applebaum used a folding black lacquered screen in a bedroom setup. Above: A bedroom featuring a Boho Brown rug from Nordic Knots and a folding screen as headboard. Above: For a NYC apartment, Lucas Willing Studios created a folding headboard. Above: In another bedroom at the James Bradley Hotel, a black lacqu ..read more