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Building/Lifestyle Trends From affordability to accessibility to usability, this information will keep you up to date on trends in the building and design industry and help you determine the home features that are most important to the way you live.

Shades of Green Shades of Green: A Guide to Green Building
While almost everyone has heard the term "green building" in recent years, many people—even builders and home professionals—don't know quite what it means. Here is a helpful guide to green building.
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Downsize Your Space, Supersize Your Style Downsize Your Space, Supersize Your Style
Downsizing your home doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on style. In fact, since you have less space, you can give each room the attention it deserves, maximizing your style.
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Out of the Box Out of the Box: Why Open Layouts Are So Popular
The time has come to ditch the idea that your main living area is merely the sum of its parts. Imagine one large space: a combined kitchen, eating space, and living area to accommodate cooking, eating, and gathering.
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Stop Wishing, Start Building: How to Get Started on Your Second Home
For most people, their getaway home exists only in their imagination, and they never go any further toward building it. What steps should you take to make that home a reality?
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Worth the Splurge Worth the Splurge: Upgrades You'll Want to Consider from the Start
When it comes to options in new home construction, the number of choices you have to make can be overwhelming. Take some time to consider just which extras make sense to include during the construction of your new home.
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Command Center: The Smart and Versatile Familiy Entry Command Center: The Smart and Versatile Family Entry
A well-designed family entry with built-in storage and maybe even a desk provides an easy and practical solution for reducing clutter and keeping all members of the household organized.
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American Home Styles: Building Our Past, Present and Future American Home Styles: Building Our Past, Present and Future
The diverse array of American home styles speaks to the variety of this country's history, as well as to the versatility of the land's architects and home designers.
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Defining Features of a Country-Style Farmhouse Design Defining Features of a Country-Style Farmhouse Design
The origins of the "country-style" home, or "farmhouse" as it is often called today, can be traced back more than 150 years.
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Discover the Magical Lure of the South Discover the Magical Lure of Southern-Style Homes
From a grand plantation mansion in the antebellum district of Natchez, Mississippi, to an abandoned one-room log cabin in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, traditional Southern homes exert a powerful, almost magnetic attraction that is difficult to explain to outsiders.
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Siren Song of the South Siren Song of the South
If you're looking for a relaxed, comfortable home to call your own, chances are you won't find one that suits your needs better than a Southern-style home.
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European Home Styles: Their Origins and Elements European Home Styles: Their Origins and Elements
While American architectural heritage is rich and memorable, drawing its inspiration from around the world, the homes of Europe are imbued with a centuries-old warmth that endears them to us and makes us long to be gathered into their comfort.
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Why One-Story Homes are Booming Why One-Story Homes are Booming
One-story home plans have gained significant popularity over the past 15 years. As the population gets older, single-level living is bound to retain its popularity.
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On the Level On the Level: The Growing Popularity of One-Story Homes
One-story homes are a popular choice with Americans. We like their economical construction and the way they cover the land. They anchor us to the earth.
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Smaller Wonders Smaller Wonders
A growing number of consumers are choosing to build homes with quality rather than quantity in mind. They believe that when it comes to comfortable spaces, bigger is not always better.
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Making Every Square Inch Count Making Every Square Inch Count
Embracing smart design instead of more square footage will save you money and make your home more livable.
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The Amazing Adaptable Bonus Room The Amazing, Adaptable Bonus Room
Without a designated purpose, the bonus room can be used for anything you want, which makes it, in some ways, the most used, most livable room in the house.
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Reign of the Special Function Room: Best Home-Design Trends Reign of the Special Function Room: Best Home-Design Trends
From home offices to laundry rooms, the American Institute of Architects has outlined the most popular trends in home design.
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The Incredible Flexible Floor Plan The Incredible, Flexible Floor Plan
Once you've identified your family's daily patterns, as well as your hopes for your new home, look for a timeless home plan that meets those immediate needs yet offers options for the future.
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The New Home Options Everyone Wants The New Home Options Everyone Wants
New home buyers are looking for better defined, more-usable space-family space, space for organizing, a change of place for certain kinds of space and even a touch of illusionary space.
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Fabulous Family Space Fabulous Family Spaces
Interior living spaces are opening up and blending with each other to reflect the way families really live today, and the results are "famtastic!"
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Make Way for the Media Room Make Way for the Media Room
The family room has traditionally been the gathering spot in the home, but the family room is evolving-into the media room
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Grills Gone Wild Grills Gone Wild: What's Cooking with Outdoor Kitchens
We have outdoor dining areas and outdoor living rooms, so why not outdoor kitchens?
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Wise Acres: America's New Traditional Neighborhoods Wise Acres: America's New Traditional Neighborhoods
The first modern-day Traditional Neighborhood Development was built in Florida in 1981. It has since been followed by more than 100 TNDs all across the country, each with its own regional atmosphere and architecture.
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The Ins and Outs of Infill The Ins and Outs of Infill
Building a home on an infill site provides many challenges, but the benefits to the homeowner and the community can be well worth the extra effort.
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A Room Without Walls: Rediscovering the Front Porch A Room Without Walls: Rediscovering the Front Porch
To Americans, a porch is more than just an architectural enhancement. It's a room without walls, a simple, peaceful place where we can watch the world go by.
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Porches with Purpose Porches with Purpose
The re-emergence of the front porch is a vital part of the overall design philosophy of re-creating neighborhoods with strong sense of community.
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Breaking Barriers Breaking Barriers: An Introduction to Accessible Housing
Barriers of different sorts can appear in every person's life, disrupting day-to-day routines and blocking anticipated paths to reaching goals. We accept these challenges, finding creative solutions to restore normality and achieve our dreams.
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Garage Logic Garage Logic: Make Yours More than a Car Stable
Before you buy your home plan, consider how you can maximize the role your garage will play.
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Source: E479NET