The biggest kitchen trend isn’t sage green cupboards or two-tone subway tile backsplashes—it’s making the room look nothing like a kitchen. One way everyone has been achieving a seamless aesthetic is with panel-ready refrigerators, meaning fridges for which the facades are customized to match the rest of the room’s built-in cabinetry. Celebrities like Jenna Lyons and Hilary Duff and designers such as Martyn Lawrence Bullard support the sneaky camouflage. But covering up the bulky stainless steel appliance with colored laminate or white oak isn’t your only option. Consider hiding your walk-in pantry, too.

A sliding barn door or a plain white hinged one with a single round knob is a dead giveaway that this is a pantry. But make the entrance nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the cabinets around it, and the closet will blur into the background. Here are six benefits to hiding your pantry in plain sight. 

It Keeps the Visual Clutter to a Minimum

When you’ve splurged on custom cabinets, it can be painful to chop up that nice flow you’ve created with a pantry entrance. Some extra hardware and a little trim offer cohesion. Liz Hoekzema of KLH Custom Homes went so far as to mimic the look of the adjacent drawers and uppers in this all-white kitchen—and the optical illusion totally works. 

You Won’t Constantly Hear About Snack Time

An unexpected pro of a secret pantry? “My child couldn’t beg for snacks every three minutes,” shares designer Whittney Parkinson. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It might not be ideal for first-time guests who are trying to figure out where you keep the cashews, but for everyday family life, it means fewer distractions. 

It Streamlines a Tiny City Apartment

This works magic for reach-in pantries in tiny galley kitchens, too. Brooklyn-based designer Delia Kenza pulled the trick off in this space by continuing the classic subway tile backsplash onto the wall and over the push-to-open doors. It’s a sweet surprise, especially if it ends with you snagging a cookie.

It Can Also Store Appliances

A hidden pantry isn’t just for snacks. Designer Brittany Swigart of Maeve Design Collective used the one in this Scottsdale, Arizona, kitchen to store additional appliances such as the microwave. The swing door, along with all the cabinets, got covered in Benjamin Moore’s Accessible Beige, an all-too-appropriate name. “We loved how the hidden door was a cohesive extension of the appliance wall and created an uninterrupted visual,” Swigart says.

It Can Introduce New Colors

You’re basically creating a whole new room, so why not have fun with it? Although the cabinets and door of this Shea McGee–designed ranch may be swathed in Sherwin-Williams’s Gray’s Harbor, there’s another secret behind the pantry door: a room that’s all white, a fun bright contrast to the kitchen’s moodier shade.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Huge

You don’t need a ton of extra room to add a hidden pantry to your home. Even though the secret space in this New England house, designed by Twelve Chairs Interiors, is just 14 square feet, it adds a whopping 40 linear feet of storage.

The post The Most Practical Place for a Secret Door Is in Your Kitchen appeared first on domino.

It’s funny how design trends can slip right onto your TikTok feed, tiptoe into your favorite stores, and slide right into your own home before you even realize it’s happening. But chances are you might have noticed a slight softening when it comes to one of the most important pieces of furniture: the sofa. You’re not alone—according to a recent survey from Afterpay, curved sofa designs have seen a 207 percent increase in purchases so far this year compared to 2023. The other item that has seen a significant bump? The curved table.

Sweeping sofa silhouettes have dotted interiors for generations, from Ubald Klug’s Terrazza sofa from the early 1970s to the De Sede DS600 Non-stop sofa of the same era. The new spring collection from Lulu and Georgia shows the range of a single curve. According to the brand, the furniture pieces are inspired by “the craving for everything bright, lighter, and airier.” The Shaw modern sofa is a prime example of this: It serves mid-century vibes with a wavy backrest, but clean lines and caramel-hued velvet bring it right back into the present day—it’s a refreshing (and lighter!) take on the super-curvy sofas of decades past.

Shaw Sofa, Lulu and Georgia ($3,498)

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But back to the topic of curvy tables for a moment, because this particular trend can be tougher to imagine in this space. You may be picturing wavy edges and drum-shaped bases, but, again, this collection challenges the traditional notion of a contoured silhouette. Take the Kent side table. The design drops a set of spheres right in the middle of the rectangular legs. (It’s fun! It’s quirky!) The Lozano accent chair is another favorite, with its chubby legs and rounded seat. The curvy ethos also trickles into the accessories (give the Kester bowl a peek for proof).

Some trends cross that vague and beautiful line into timeless territory, and it seems the idea of all things undulating is (and has been) on that journey. We recommend taking a cue from the Kent table and cozying up your curvy pieces next to a few angles for a splash of fresh contrast.

Shop More Items From the Lulu and Georgia Spring Collection

Lozano Accent Chair, Lulu and Georgia ($998)

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Kent Side Table, Lulu and Georgia ($598)

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Kester Bowl, Lulu and Georgia ($298)

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Potts Round Side Table, Lulu and Georgia ($698)

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Lowry Sofa, Lulu and Georgia ($2,298)

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Talley Sconce, Lulu and Georgia ($198)

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The post This Sofa Style Has Never Been So Popular—Here’s Lulu and Georgia’s Fresh Take appeared first on domino.

Recently, Compass sales agent Cassidy Iwersen felt a shift in her conversations with home buyers: Most of her clients want—no, need—a house with a swimming pool, and they aren’t afraid to delay their hunt until they get one. “Once, it might have been a ‘nice to have’; now it’s becoming a ‘must have,’” says Iwersen. At least, it’s turned into a deal breaker for many living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that she works in, but she suspects others who experienced record-breaking temperatures this year feel the same. 

For the everyday homeowner, the draw of a pool is enjoyment: It’s an amenity a whole family can use. Some buyers with kids have admitted to Iwersen that having one even encourages their little ones to lessen their screen time. Adults feel the same way: “One of my clients with a high-powered job said, ‘There are only a few things that really help me decompress and where I feel really relaxed, and hanging out in the pool is one of them,’” she recalls. 

What does all that zen time translate to in dollar signs? If you’re shopping for a home with a saltwater pool, you might expect to pay more for it and see more competition from other buyers, according to Zillow’s latest research, which suggests homes with saltwater pools sell for 1.5 percent more than comparable homes without one. Fortunately, most people don’t appear to care all that much about what the pool looks like but rather what shape it’s in. Older ones that require significant repairs can drag down the overall value of a property. “I always recommend getting a separate pool inspection,” says Iwersen.  

And what if your budget doesn’t get you a place with a pool at all? Iwersen has witnessed many clients stall their searches as a result, but she is proposing an alternative solution: Commit to the house you love, and if it’s pool-less, build a 5-foot-deep plunge pool. While they aren’t necessarily that much cheaper to construct than your average inground pool (approximately $25,370), these tiny oases come with a ton of perks: You don’t have to have a huge yard to fit one (you can even put one on sloped terrain), it’s easier to maintain and clean, it requires fewer chemicals, and it won’t break the bank if you want to heat it in the cooler months. 

This time last year, Karen Larson, cofounder of Soake Pools, saw record-breaking sales, 15 percent of which consisted of pools smaller than 7-by-13 feet. According to customer feedback, plunge pools fit well into the ever-popular outdoor living concept because they leave more room for other features such as firepits, lawn games, and alfresco kitchens. Read on for some more perks to paring back. 

You Can Get One in a Matter of Months

Chapman Bullock, cofounder of Proper Plunge Pools, says half of its inquiries come from clients who want a pool within three months—a timeline that’s totally doable when the actual installation only takes a matter of days. “The traditional path is going to take [customers] 12 to 18 months,” he says. “People don’t want a construction site in their backyards for months at a time.”

You Can Order One on the Internet

Here’s a short list of a few designer-favorite sources for premade plunge pools:

• Plungie
• Little Dipper
• Proper Plunge Pool
• Soake Pools

You Can Now Turn the Temp Way Down

More of a cold plunge kind of person? Soake Pools recently announced the launch of its first plunge pool designed specifically for cold plunging. The basin is smaller, lighter, and more efficient than its counterparts. Measuring at just 4-by-4 feet, the compact unit is intended for sitting and comfortably fits one person to create a traditionally individual, energizing experience. In addition to selecting your choice of porcelain tile for the interior, there are three cover styles available: lockable wood roll, textured folding spa, or the power safety. 

It Might Boost Your Value, But It’ll Definitely Perk Up a Listing

During the pandemic, it was clear buyers were willing to pay more for a home with a pool—specifically, $27,199 more on average. Generally, though, adding a pool of any kind solely to boost the resale value of your home is a gamble because you might not recover the total cost of putting one in. “I’m cautious to ever say that you can expect to get that back because there are so many other factors when pricing a home to sell, but I do feel that it does add value in most cases,” notes Iwersen. With that said: The appeal is real. “[Pools] used to be buried in the listing photos, and now I see them as the first one more and more!” she adds. 

You Can Get Creative

The ultimate solution if you are on a tight budget and want a place to keep cool is to buy a stock tank and add a pump. The next best thing? An aboveground pool, which can range from $800 to $5,000. “I feel like people are getting creative with aboveground pools—connecting them to the house with a deck or building out a wood or tiled surround with steps so that they look more inviting,” shares Iwersen. 

And don’t sleep on other water features either. When interior designer Kate Fudim bought her North Carolina home in 2021, there was a tiered fountain in the courtyard—she started requesting quotes from contractors to convert it into a pool ASAP. After a number of contractors quoted her up to $80,000 to do the job, she learned they could simply dig trenches around the lower pool and drill through the bottom of it to add inlets for filtered water and a light. They installed traditional pool equipment, filled it with salt water, and—voilà!—the whole job took three workers three weekends to complete for a grand total of $6,900. “The upper pool is fun because we use our pool floats and lounge around,” she says. “The bottom pool is deeper, though, and it’s in the shade, so I find it the most comfortable.”

The post If Your Home Search Has Stalled Because There’s No Pool, Consider This Petite Alternative appeared first on domino.

Do you beeline to your gym’s sauna or get a little too excited about the sweat-cold plunge cycle at a spa? Better yet: Is a bathroom remodel on your horizon? It’s time to consider a steam shower. We’re seeing the feature incorporated more and more in homes beyond luxury new builds—but don’t call it trendy. Steam has been used as a wellness practice for thousands of years, and perhaps we’re all just catching on now. Designers across the U.S. are bringing this perk into their practice more regularly, whether for their own houses or client projects. 

“As more and more people have the flexibility to work from home and work out at home, I do anticipate a rise in popularity,” says Jennelle Butera of Hudson + Bloum Design. Read on for all the details on what it takes to put in a steam shower at home.

What Is a Steam Shower? 

Simply put, a steam shower starts with a briefcase-size generator, which heats H2O from a water line until it vaporizes. The steam is then released via a steam line and steamhead in your shower wall—and voilà! Enthusiasts name-check all kinds of health benefits that steam can provide: stress relief, muscle recovery, skin hydration, and more.

When it comes to steam showers, one label reigns supreme: Mr. Steam. The 100-year-old brand is beloved by designers for its heritage, range of packages, and features like music streaming and aromatherapy. “We have used only Mr. Steam for the past 10 years,” Butera divulges. “It is great quality and our clients have never complained.”

How Much Does a Steam Shower Cost? 

Martha Orellanas, vice president of marketing at Mr. Steam and a 30-year industry vet, puts the main price range of a steam shower between $2,000 and $7,000, and notes that it can go up to $10,000 with more bells and whistles (like the aforementioned aromatherapy and music). But looking in the other direction, she adds that a basic setup can come in under $2,000. It might sound like a lot, but it’s important to weigh the cost against your alternative routine. “How much money do we spend going to spas, or how much money do we spend going to a gym?” asks Orellanas. 

There are more budget-friendly options out there, too. In designer Nick Poe’s experience, an expensive unit isn’t necessary to achieve steam in a small space. When he redesigned his downtown New York City apartment, he had to build the bathroom from scratch, so he installed a more affordable 6-kilowatt generator from Amazon to make his tiny tiled bathroom a respite. 

How Do You Install a Steam Shower? 

Short answer: It’s not a DIY. “We always ask if [clients] want a steam shower because this changes the design of the shower,” Butera says. “It needs to be planned out properly.” Orellanas echoes this sentiment, explaining that while you might be able to swap in an upgraded toilet later, you can’t do that with steam; it’s best to include it in your initial remodel plans if you think you might want it. Marissa Corvino of Corvino Designs adds that it’s smart to also mention your plan to your general contractor and electrician. In addition to the power line and the steam line, you’ll need a drain line leading away from the shower.

The generator power you choose should align with your shower sizing—Mr. Steam has a handy calculator for this. Think about it like the BTUs of an air conditioner, says Orellanas. What size space do you want to fill with steam, and how quickly do you want the process to start? The bigger the space, the more BTUs, the larger the unit. That said, there is such a thing as going too big (or high). “The ceiling height really should be 7 to 8 feet, no more,” Orellanas advises. That’s because steam rises, and if you want to enjoy the benefits, you need to contain it.

Speaking of the generator, you’ll want to install yours in an accessible nook with an electrical outlet near the shower: in a crawl space; hidden in a built-in shower bench; or concealed in millwork like a side cabinet, vanity, or closet. “We used a base cabinet in our home office, which is located adjacent to our primary shower,” Corvino says.

Installation doesn’t end there. You need to consider the steam outlet, which Orellanas says you should place 6 inches to 1 foot from the floor (you want the steam coming out as low as possible).

Then it’s about where to put the controls. If you’ve built a shower bench into your design, you want the temperature and/or feature panel at shoulder length next to where you sit so it’s easy to reach. Mr. Steam has integrations for entertainment like Spotify and even Netflix. You can use its panels to preset a time for steam to heat up or to release essential oils for aromatherapy. Corvino adds that a wireless remote add-on allows you to toggle the steam on and off and control the temperature from your phone.

Finally, any ceiling lighting within the shower needs to be wet-rated, and, to that end, ventilation is key, too. That’s because the shower glass or watertight space has to seal in the steam, and you’ll need proper flow to remove moist warm air from the room to prevent mildew, says designer Tricia Portelli of Scribe Studio. 

What Should Your Steam Shower Look Like?  

One of the main design considerations for steam showers is materials. Naturally, nonporous stone is the ideal choice. “Porcelain tile is probably the best tile for a steam room, because it’s really sealed and you don’t have to take care of it,” Orellanas explains. “The grout line should be very thin as well.” Butera tends to opt for ceramic and porcelain, too, over natural stone, because they hold heat better. “Natural stone tends to dissipate the steam and cools the space faster,” she says. 

In its Deer Valley, Utah, project, for example, Hudson + Bloum used ceramic tile on the walls and shower lid, marble for the bench, and marble mosaic on the shower floor. “We like to use mosaics on shower floors for a nonslip surface, and more grout joints equals better grip when wet,” says Butera. Nobody recommends a fully wood interior; instead, consider teak for a bench or seat.

As for the doors, instead of one large glass partition, Corvino recommends two smaller doors that allow less steam to escape as you enter and exit. That’s the design she chose for her New Jersey brownstone bathroom. “Pivot hinges on double shower doors are a power move,” she states. They save on bathroom space, and when the doors are wet, she swings them inside the shower to dry off. Alternatively, designer Amber Lewis often favors multipane doors and glass, if that’s your thing, and she always fully encloses showers.

There are alternative ways to craft a steam shower if your preference is to not install a unit or you have space constraints. In one case, Portelli crafted a completely enclosed shower outfitted with a transom window to create the same effect.“ The choice to extend the enclosure all the way to the ceiling, coupled with the shower’s relatively compact size, facilitates the rapid generation of steam when taking a hot shower,” she explains. The operable window is key: It allows you to air out the shower as you move onto the rest of your self-care routine. 

The post This Zen Home Upgrade Is Picking Up Steam—We Asked Designers to Weigh In appeared first on domino.

I just doubled my storage, and no, I didn’t move apartments. I got a new bed frame. 

Upgrading my classic IKEA Malm bed to the lift-up storage model gave my towels, bedding, books, winter coats, and tote bags a proper home. While I’ve always kept those items under my bed (usually crammed inside a random suitcase), to get to anything in the center, I’d have to manually lift my mattress and balance it on my back while crouching over and pulling up the wood slats. It wasn’t a pretty picture, and may or may not have led to some chronic back pain. 

The classic and storage Malm beds are almost identical, but while the classic comes in four colorways and four sizes, the storage version comes in just two colorways and two sizes. Luckily, the size and color I wanted, full and white, came in both. The prices also differ quite a bit; for the full size, the upgrade takes you from $329 up to $659. My favorite difference: Rather than open-air sides, the storage version is completely closed. That one seemingly simple difference is what ultimately inspired me to make the swap. I knew this tiny upgrade would make my entire apartment feel so much cleaner—all of my stuff would be out of sight and, more important, it wouldn’t be such a pain (literally) to access stuff. 

Malm Storage Bed, IKEA ($659)

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The Assembly

The bed was delivered the next day (yes, you read that right) for $39. Delivery didn’t include assembly, so I hired a TaskRabbit. After watching the skilled professional with a 5-star rating take a full two hours to build the bed, I knew I had made the right choice. Paying him $150 saved me what would have been an entire weekend of frustration.

Now I simply pull a strap at the foot of the bed and—voilà!—my mattress opens to a 45-degree angle. 

The Organization

I have what I like to think of as a brand-new closet (it’s just one that lays flat on the floor!). Rather than reverting to my old ways and keeping my belongings in old suitcases, I went back to IKEA and tricked it out with interior storage compartments. Because there are so many options, I asked the interior design leader for IKEA U.S., Abbey Stark, for some pointers. She recommended a combination of Skubb and Parkla, both of which are soft zippered containers, as well as Kugis, a lidded plastic box. Full closure keeps dust at bay, and handles make them easy to pull out.

Before I put my order in, I got out a ruler and graph paper and drew the bed and containers to scale so I could play around with different orientations. After landing on the below layout, there were no surprises once my order arrived.

So what goes where? I started intuitively, putting anything that was soft and flexible (table linens, bedding, pillow inserts) in the fabric containers, and any hard objects, like books and extra taper holders, in the structured Parkla boxes. Because the Skubb boxes are the largest (they’re 36.5-by-21.75-by-7.5 inches), I saved them for bigger items like towels, and relegated smaller collections like tote bags to the Parkla containers. The nice thing about the soft containers is that they’re both sheer, so I don’t need to waste brain space remembering what is where. 

Skubb, IKEA ($7)

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Parkla, IKEA ($2)

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Kuggis, IKEA ($30)

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The post I Treat the IKEA Malm Storage Bed Like the Linen Closet I Never Had appeared first on domino.

In 2016, photographer Winnie Au and her husband exchanged vows in their Brooklyn backyard. With 60 guests filling the outdoor space, you couldn’t see the cracks in the concrete patio, and no one was paying attention to the spiderweb of old telephone cables near the neighbor’s fence. But as years went by and the couple welcomed their daughter into the fold, they made another commitment to each other: to fix up the backyard. 

They turned to landscape architect Lou Arencibia, whose team immediately tore out the old concrete pad, tediously carrying each scrap to the dumpster on the street. This alone was a huge relief for Au. “Just having our child, I wanted her to have a place where she could play where it didn’t feel dirty,” she shares. Still, the space had more issues that needed to be addressed: There was little sense of privacy and the planting areas around the perimeter had gotten out of control. Ahead, Au and Arencibia reflect on the transformation and share how they made it an oasis for her young family of three.

Break It Down Into “Rooms” 

Wanting to create a functional but still intimate-feeling space, Arencibia focused on segmenting the yard into a series of small “rooms.” This included a cozy seating corner, an herb-slash-veggie garden, a dining zone, and a tool storage area.

The plantings were selected to accentuate each of the zones (and hide the couple’s large black compost bin), as were the hardscaping materials. Arencibia designated sustainably sourced Black Locust wood to the lounge area and bluestone to the main dining space. Crushed gravel and evergreen shrubs like rhododendron springtime define the yard’s borders. 

Pick Plants That Thrive in All Kinds of Weather

The stars are the three multistem Amelanchier Grandiflora Autumn Brilliance trees, which boast foliage during three out of four seasons. “I didn’t want it to look barren and sad all winter,” says Au. 

In sunny areas of the garden, they incorporated low-maintenance flowering perennials and ornamental grasses such as fountain grass, Mexican feather grass, echinacea, and silver Russian sage. In shady spots, they went with autumn fern, anemone, and heuchera tapestry. Arencibia was also able to save an existing magnolia tree that Au had picked out with her parents at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden plant sale years ago. “It has always flourished and bloomed beautiful pink flowers every year,” she says. 

Ensure an Edible Garden for Everyone 

The raised herb and veggie garden—now typically filled with tomatoes, basil, thyme, lavender, and peppers—was a must-have for Au. Arencibia made sure the custom-built box was constructed with a deep ledge so anyone who wants to sit and help her tend to the produce (like her toddler!) can do so comfortably. 

Of course, Au and her family aren’t the only ones grabbing a snack out here. Sometimes their dog, Clementine, feels inclined to take a bite of a plant, so for that reason they avoided species that could potentially be toxic to dogs, specifically yew, lilies, crocus, and daffodils. 

Make the Party Invite Only

Before the new wood fence could go up, the yard had to be sealed from other types of neighbors, mainly rats and feral cats. An exterminator recommended running hardware cloth (or steel mesh) underneath the ground around the perimeter to prevent unwanted visitors from digging a personal entrance into the yard. 

Grab the Popcorn

It’s no accident that they didn’t continue the wood fence around the very back of the yard. Au and her family use the brick surface for outdoor movie nights. All they have to add is their portable projector and—voilà!—they’re watching Point Break (the original one with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze) under the stars. “I feel like we’ll be watching something and all the neighbors start watching it, too,” says Au, laughing. 

Go With the (Furniture) Flow

Au’s rule with outdoor furniture is to keep things lightweight. “As a photographer, I’m always thinking about things being able to move around easily,” she says. One wish-list item she gave up on buying? Terrazzo side tables. They’re just too heavy. Instead, her teak and metal pieces can be easily moved out of the way when her daughter wants to run around and swim in their inflatable pool in the warmer months.

Set the Mood at the First Step

With the space coming together nicely, there was one small thing still irking Au: the sliver of concrete at the top of the steps. “I felt like it was a remnant of the old backyard,” she says. “I wanted to find a way to make it beautiful.” Arencibia’s team scooped up some tile from Fireclay, but the scale of the squares looked too big for the teeny patio. So they cut each one down by hand to make a little checkered layout. “On a beautiful day, we like to put floor cushions out on the newly tiled patio and do some seated yoga with my daughter, and we watch the birds together,” says Au. 

The post This Brownstone’s Backyard Welcomes Year-Round Foliage and Hides the Compost Bin appeared first on domino.

Kohler has been playing with its archival colors in all kinds of ways lately, reissuing greens, pinks, yellows, and more for its bathtubs, sinks, and toilets. The eye-catching moves continue with the company’s latest collaboration with artist-designer Dr. Samuel Ross and his industrial design studio SR_A. Yes, you’re seeing straight: It’s bright orange.

Formation 02, a limited-edition silhouette for the Eir smart toilet, is the second entry in Ross’s Formation line with the brand, preceded by an architectural faucet made from a new composite material called Neolast. The electric hue draws inspiration from Tiger Lily, a color Kohler introduced in 1967 for various applications in the bathroom and a signature of the designer. 

Brutalist in style, the commode’s shape pays homage to the velocity and power of water. Unique molding and tooling techniques result in a base with dramatic angles and texture, not unlike cliffs or crags carved over time by water. Combined with the orange color, Formation 2 would make a serious statement in an all-white, windowless powder room, funky pool house, or a maximalist main bathroom. (This isn’t the first time we’ve been taken with an orange toilet—peep the tangerine surprise in this Paris apartment.) 

It still comes with all the features of the Eir: a heated seat, customizable cleansing, nightlight, hands-free opening/closing, automatic flush, and a touch-screen remote. “Formation 02 combines our industrial expertise and technological prowess with our strong belief in the power of creativity to challenge and drive forward progress,” says Scott Edmunds, vice president of Kohler Marketing. The piece will debut at Milan Design Week this year and be available at sra.kohler.com on April 16. Who said shower tile was the only way to go bold in the bathroom? 

The post Kohler Is Bringing Back This Vintage Toilet Color—And the Shade Is Shocking appeared first on domino.

Picture this: It’s a beautiful day. You know you should be outside, getting your daily dose of vitamin D, moving your body, reading a book, but you are also three episodes behind on your current favorite show. So you’re faced with a tough choice: Park yourself on the sofa inside or embrace the outdoors and tell yourself you’ll binge later that night. Not everyone has to make this compromise. 

If you happen to have an outdoor TV, you can enjoy the best of both worlds, and home buyers are acutely aware of this fact. New Zillow research finds homes featuring an outdoor TV command 3.1 percent more than expected, which translates to $10,749 on a typical U.S. home. That’s the highest sale price premium of all 359 features Zillow recently analyzed across nearly 1 million home sales in 2023. 

Properties with other desirable backyard amenities such as an alfresco shower, pizza oven, and bluestone patio also fetch higher than expected prices when those elements are mentioned in a listing description. But a TV that’s visible from your swimming pool or firepit? Now that’s the dream.

“When certain features or design styles are highlighted in a listing description, they serve as a signal to a buyer that a home is appealing and up-to-date,” says Zillow’s home trends expert, Amanda Pendleton. As a result, those callouts can help a home sell faster and for more money. 

Of course, securing an outdoor TV setup (whether it’s for yourself or in the hope of sparking a bidding war) is not as simple as plugging a screen into the side of your house. First off, your TV will need to be masked from the elements in the form of a covered patio or pavilion. If you don’t have the time or budget to build a protective structure, consider a lift cabinet that’s clad in weatherproof wood, like this walnut one on Etsy. For those who aren’t as picky about the screen quality, you can also invest in a TV that is specifically designed to go outdoors, such as Samsung’s Terrace series (the brand makes options that can withstand partial or full sun). Now you can click to the next episode with one hand and toss a football with the other.

The post Backyards With This Amenity Can Help Sell a House for $10K More appeared first on domino.

About a decade ago, when I asked an interior designer what the best sectional sofa was, she warned me about ones that curve: “They only work in the space you have today—once you move, you’re out of luck.” So for years I took her advice and shied away from couches with corners, too scared they’d dominate my current space and mess up the future floor plan of a down-the-road apartment—one I hadn’t even starting looking for yet. What I didn’t know then is that choosing the best sectional sofa is really about picking a sectional by size. 

Now I’m older and wiser, and I know that sectionals come in all shapes and sizes—and finding one for any kind of room is a total reality, no matter how much space (or cash) you have. So, please, learn from my mistake and treat yourself to a couch you’re comfortable with These are the best sectional sofas for any size home. 

Small Sectionals

Just because you live in a studio doesn’t mean you can’t have a sofa that takes a turn. (This couple does!) Each of these options measures up to 6 feet or less, meaning there’s plenty of space to cuddle up without feeling like your sectional is the only piece of furniture in the room. 

Sloan Sectional, Interior Define ($1,895)

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Range 3-Piece Open Sectional Lounger, Burrow ($1,139)

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Eddy Reversible Sectional, West Elm ($1,399)

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Circuit Modular Sectional, Wayfair ($3,791)

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Medium Sectionals

A one-bedroom apartment or midsize living room provides plenty of space to stretch your legs—each of these offerings is less than 8 feet long—and show off some personality with fabric and pattern. For example, a lilac velvet sectional gives off a luxe vibe (even if it only costs $1,100), while a dark squishy version would go great in your gaming den.

Abisko Sectional in Welsh Gray, Article ($1,599)

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Two-Piece Sectional, Floyd ($1,484 was $2,120)

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Movie Night 3-Piece Modular Sectional, Sundays ($3,480)

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Chamberlin Velvet Sectional Sofa, Urban Outfitters ($1,099)

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Large Sectionals

Families and singles alike will appreciate the roominess of a nearly 10-foot sectional. But with great scale comes great (design) responsibility: The bigger the sofa, the more visual and physical real estate it will take up. A neutral color works best as a base—then pack it with pillows to show off some personality.

Sterling Sectional Sofa, Room & Board ($4,900)

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Hay Mags Sectional, Design Within Reach ($3,476 was $4,345)

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Metro Sectional, Kardiel ($2,097)

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Palo Modular Corner Sofa, Hem ($5,599)

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Extra-Large Sectionals

Okay, okay, I know what I just said about keeping it neutral—but in the case of an almost-12-foot sectional, bigger and bolder is better. For example, a salmon-colored option sets the tone for the entire room—and has enough seating that no one will have to crane their neck during movie night. Similarly, a blue velvet is the perfect welcome after (or during?) a long day of Zoom calls. Or if a white sofa doesn’t bring you instant calm, then this one’s impressively low price tag ($1,230!) just might. 

Harlanda Sofa, Ikea ($1,229)

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Float Sofa, Design Within Reach ($6,796 was $8,495)

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Milo Modular Sectional, Rove Concepts ($4,624)

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Notch Sectional, Crate & Barrel ($3,797)

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The post The Best Sectionals at Any Size (or for Any Budget) appeared first on domino.

Damp swimsuits flung on the edge of the tub, stacks of sandy beach towels, half-empty sunscreen bottles—a coastal bathroom sees it all. It arguably has to work harder than any ordinary bathroom, usually because there are a slew of guests sharing the space. At the same time, you want your bathroom to feel like an escape, a vacation from your vacation, if you will. While painting the vanity seafoam green and hanging a photograph of a sunset over the toilet might seem like your only options, we’re here to tell you that there are hundreds of other ways to design a coastal bathroom that don’t fall into the cheesy category. Ahead, we spotlight nine of our favorites.

The Coastal Bathroom That’s Like a Walk by the Beach

Kerrie-Ann Jones’s bathroom floor is reminiscent of a rocky landscape. The Australian stylist was so obsessed with Palladiana-patterned terrazzo that she decided to replicate the look on a much more impressive scale in her Sydney bathroom with large-format offcuts of marble. Some of the chunks are scraps from the fireplace; others were sourced from suppliers on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree. 

The Surfer-Cool Coastal Bathroom

Raili Clasen is an expert in surf style (seriously, she has a whole book dedicated to it that’s set to release in April). In this teen’s bathroom, the designer shows us how it’s done with on-theme art and a two-tone canvas shower curtain.

The Mediterranean Coastal Bathroom

At his former home in Majorca, British designer Matthew Williamson leaned into sunny Mediterranean life by swathing the bathroom in locally sourced tile and painting the window frame, walls, and ceiling himself to match the lemon hue. 

The Coastal Bathroom Guests Can Enjoy

When Ashley Clark’s Newport Beach clients asked her to trick out their guesthouse, she went for a more industrial feel with a bucket sink from Kohler and a rope-lined mirror. The Skout designer took things a step further by extending the look to the surrounding wall, which is wrapped in cork so people can pin up their surfing pictures.  

The Sand-Disguising Coastal Bathroom

The first-floor bathroom in this Jersey Shore house had to be able to stand up to little ones running in and out, flinging wet swimsuits around, and coming in with sandy feet. That’s why Kevin Bennert of OAK Design Project viewed it as a wet room and clad all the walls in beige zellige tile.  

The Well-Lit Coastal Bathroom 

For this project, Clasen’s design plan boiled down to one piece: a Heath Ceramics light fixture crafted by ceramist Stan Bitters. Yes, we’re referring to that pendant in the corner that looks like it is an ancient artifact (or piece of coral) plucked from the bottom of the ocean.  

The Zen Coastal Bathroom

Coastal doesn’t have to equal the ocean. Any body of water will do for inspiration, including a koi pond. Temple Studio’s Koromo linen wallpaper fits right in at this New Jersey beach house. Making the most of the small space, Studio DB opted for a clear glass backsplash so not a single fish goes unnoticed.

The Warm Red Coastal Bathrooms

Cool tones aren’t the only way to go in a coastal bathroom. Alex McCabe, cofounder of Australian design brand Kip & Co., put deep red terracotta tile in one of her beach house bathrooms and soft pink zellige in the other. The latter is a nod to a restaurant she visited in Bali.  

The Graphic Blue Coastal Bathroom

If you are going to go with a classic blue subway tile, make it interesting with an unusual layout. In this Lido Island home, designer Erika Marini of Fixe Design House created a ticking pattern by extending the top band of blue tile into the white concrete tile that covers the rest of the wall. 

The post 9 Coastal Bathroom Ideas, Even If You Live in a Landlocked State appeared first on domino.