Obviously we all want our backyards (and even our front yards) to be beautiful spaces where we can relax and entertain. But there’s more that goes into deciding how exactly you’ll outfit your outdoor space. According to a new Thumbtack survey of 1,000 homeowners, the top consideration that people had for designing their backyards wasn’t aesthetic. In fact, it was their dogs.

Forty-three percent of respondents said their puppers influenced them the most, followed by kids (42 percent), beautifying their spaces (41 percent), and hosting (39 percent). The stat is surprising but not completely: A separate study from 2017 found that millennials were buying homes because of their furry friends. 

And when it comes to outdoor spaces, there are plenty of ways to make your backyard canine-friendly—in fact, 39 percent of homeowners said their dream yard would have a fenced-in space. There are also dog pools, dog houses to give shade—or if you’re like Paris Hilton, you can build your best friends their own backyard mansion. And then when it’s time to head back inside, you can even add a paw-washing station to your mudroom. That’s what we call paw-ractical. 

The post This Is the Number One Thing People Are Designing Their Backyards Around in 2024 appeared first on domino.

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. In “Front of House,” we dig into all the elements that give a home “stop the car!” kind of curb appeal, from main character mailboxes to much–welcome yard transformations.

In 2022, Amanda Lillard Colohan, aka @modernjunecleaver on Instagram, had just ripped up her front yard to remove old bushes and add a concrete driveway when inspiration struck in the most unlikely of places: “I happened to be watching Matilda and saw Miss Honey’s house and thought, Well, I can probably do that on a much smaller scale.” She’s referring to the character’s charming cottage, where a wildflower garden sprawls across the front lawn. 

So Colohan, an entertainment lawyer, started researching English cottage gardens and figured that planting flowers would be more manageable than getting grass to grow. (More on that in a second.) Then she started measuring the lawn and making a spreadsheet of potential blooms. After consulting the agriculture program at the University of Tennesee-Knoxville to rule out invasive plants, she stumbled upon online seeds store American Meadows, which sells a bulk mix specifically for the Southeast. She also stocked up on EarthMix Proganix-I to supplement her soil.

“My first year, I leaned very heavily on annual, easy-to-grow flowers that basically had no germination time,” she says. “I needed a guarantee that I hadn’t made the worst decision ever.” So she stuck to perennials and annuals (both native and non-) that would bloom in six to nine weeks. What she didn’t realize was how often she’d have to water the garden—twice a day—but thankfully at the time, Colohan was working from home and could water between meetings. She was also surprised that flowers continued to bloom, or stayed blooming, until November. 

Since then—this is her third year of the garden—she has learned to go lighter on the seeding, and after trial and error, found a watering system that works. (Last year’s drip houses brought in too many invasive species.) And while Colohan swears she wasn’t going for a particular palette, she’s learned that the easiest wildflowers to grow just so happen to all look great together. 

The garden isn’t just a joy for Colohan: The bees love it, and so do her neighbors. “They’ve started to make requests,” she says. “I have a neighbor who loves sunflowers, so she asks for them closer to her side of the yard.” She has even handed out bouquets to neighbors who ask—“I have more flowers that I’ll ever need,” she says—but she does warn that they need to be cut properly in order to regrow. (So please don’t grab stems on your own!)

Even the Internet noticed when one of her TikToks on the garden went viral last year. “One of the most trending comments was, ‘Isn’t this Miss Honey’s house?’” she says. “And I was like, ‘Yes! That was my exact goal.’” 

The post This Nashville Front Yard Went From Mud Puddle to English Wildflower Garden appeared first on domino.

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. In “Front of House,” we dig into all the elements that give a home “stop the car!” kind of curb appeal, from main character mailboxes to much–welcome yard transformations.

When a friend invites you over to have a glass of wine by their firepit this summer, don’t assume you’ll be in the backyard. The idea of designating the front yard as a second hangout space has been catching on since 2021. Back then, Yardzen, the landscaping design resource, dubbed the trend “social front yards,” encapsulating our desire to reconnect with our neighbors and community by meeting them where they’re at: the street. Since then, we’ve seen homeowners use their lawns way beyond mingling. Some have built edible gardens, others have sacrificed parts of their driveway for additional dining space. But the projects we continue to see most are all about lounging: straight-up slouching on a comfy sectional, taking five in an Adirondack chair, or just watching the world go by. Here are six front yard design ideas that’ll have you treating yours like a bonus backyard in no time.

Sprawl Out in Privacy 

As landscape designer Molly Wood saw it, every square foot mattered in this small San Clemente, California, home—even the outdoor ones. Plus the front yard happens to face where the sun sets. Opting for a more private arrangement, she created a courtyardlike feel with a tall fence and a field-grown olive tree that provides extra shade to the two chaises facing the front door.  

Fire Away

To the side of the front door, Wood built a deck complete with a gas firepit made by a local concrete artisan and sold through Wood’s store. Its extra-wide edge allows you to kick your feet up as if it were an ottoman.

Prioritize Chilling Over Mowing

Typically, the only time you see people in their front yard is when they’re soaked in sweat pushing a mower. To ensure you really enjoy your newfound space, embrace a mix of hardscaping (like affordable decomposed granite paired with a small wood deck) and low-maintenance greenery. The latter is especially fitting for anyone in a warmer climate, like Ben and Erin Fredrickson, who together run Fredrickson Landscape Inc. They installed a sun-loving grass called Zoysia Tenuifolia in their Oceanside, California, yard a year ago and have yet to mow it once. 

Consider Your View

Neighbors’ attention might now be drawn to your new curbside patio, but you still don’t want to ignore your facade’s sad vinyl or peeling paint. Take a page out of designer Alykhan Velji’s book and consider a combo of textures. He painted his existing red brick white, then covered other walls in walnut-hued slats by NewTech that look exactly like wood but are actually recycled plastic. 

Invest in a Low But Still Comfy Sofa 

Even with no fencing or hedging, a low-slung sectional will make your front yard lounge area feel a little more tucked away from the public. The one in photographer Elizabeth Messina’s outdoor space is Article’s Lubek Beach Stand low-corner sectional and it happens to be $600 off right now. 

Create “Rooms” With Stucco Partitions

Homeowner Danielle’s Tempe, Arizona, front yard started as barren gravel sprinkled with a few lone plants. But after laying down brick pavers and smartly dividing the space with unobtrusive stucco walls, she gained a dining-slash-firepit area and a solo reading nook by the front door.

The post Everyone’s Using Their Front Yard as a Bonus Backyard in 2024 appeared first on domino.

Earlier this spring, we started to see more and more outdoor sofas sporting sidekick tables attached to them, making the need to invest in an additional surface moot. Retailers like Article and Neighbor introduced their own versions in wood and all-weather wicker, respectively, which join others already on the market at West Elm, Pottery Barn, and more.

And just this week, IKEA brought its own take into the mix. The Revskar Conversation Set is comprised of a two-seater sofa, coffee table, and a chaise longue with a built-in side table, one that runs the full length of the piece.

IKEA Revskär 3-Seat Conversation Set

At $655, the set comes in way under similar styles, and that’s not because the Swedish brand is skimping on materials or quality. On the contrary, the powder-coated steel frame, solid acacia-wood tabletops, and recycled polyester-filled cushions combine to make something sturdy and sleek, not to mention modular.

But the best part is you don’t have to add anything else to your cart to entirely outfit an outdoor space. How’s that for budget-friendly?

More Outdoor Sofas With Built-In Side Tables

Kezia Whale Gray Modular Sofa, Article ($949 was $1,299)

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Union Rustic Abhipsa Outdoor Seating Group with Cushions, Wayfair ($960 was $1,130)

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Everett Eucalyptus Sectional Set with Coffee Table, Pottery Barn ($1,599)

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Callais Taupe Gray Sectional, Article ($2,799 was $3,499)

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Portside Low Outdoor 3-Piece Sectional with Coffee Table Cushion Covers, West Elm ($698)

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Francis Outdoor Lounger, Rove Concepts ($1,865)

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Roundabout Sofa with Side Table, Neighbor ($4,000)

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Loll Designs Platform One Sofa with Tables, Design Within Reach ($3,056 was $3,595)

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The post IKEA’s Newest Outdoor Sofa Is Seating and a Side Table in One appeared first on domino.

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. In “Front of House,” we dig into all the elements that give a home “stop the car!” kind of curb appeal, from main character mailboxes to much–welcome yard transformations.

All Anastasia Casey really wanted when she was house shopping in Austin was a slice of history. But in her city, the old charm doesn’t come cheap. So when Anastasia, the founder of IDCO Studio, Design Camp, and the podcast Interior Collective, came across a Tudor-inspired house that was built in 1983, she told her husband, Quinn, “I can work with this.” It had the dark wood beams set in a stucco facade and the steep rooflines you’d expect to see from a Tudor, but it also had glass blocks and random arched windows. “It had been stripped of any bit of character (if there was even any there to begin with),” says Anastasia. 

But there were enough elements that Anastasia thought she could expand on. First off, the property was set on a half-acre lot and located only two blocks away from her office. Fifty-foot-tall trees dot the landscape, including heritage oaks that are common in Austin, but also a few tropical varieties. And there was a courtyard out front, marked by a sweet stone wall. “It was really cute, but I thought it could be a lot grander,” she says. Here’s how she turned back the clock on her Tudor’s front yard. 

Go All In on Gravel

The cracks in the concrete roundabout driveway were too big of an eyesore to ignore. Anastasia worked with Yardzen to help turn her outdoor remodel ideas into a reality: She laid out her vision and then they connected her with landscape construction company Urban Oasis Contracting and gave her a flat fee for all the work. The crew arrived with a tractor small enough to fit through the side gate and dug up the weathered driveway, ultimately replacing it with a crushed limestone gravel that not only looks more fitting with the architecture but was $7,500 less than repaving the path with new concrete.  

Make One Grand Entrance, Not Two

Anastasia is almost positive the existing front door had been there since 1983. Funny enough, the biggest issue she had with the double door was how it looked from the inside. “It cast this really gross green glare inside the entire house,” she says. “It was not historic or modern.” She swapped it for a single door with sidelights that she sourced from Austin’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where she’s learned she can score solid wood mahogany doors at a serious discount, and painted it Tate Olive by Benjamin Moore.

Match Up Your Windows

The bigger the window, the better, right? Not in this case. The large arched window formerly located to the left of the front door was disproportionate with the rest of the house, not to mention “it was the only arch window and didn’t make any sense,” she says. Many of the other windows on the front of the house felt confused, too, including the not-so-structurally-sound bay window to the right of the entry and the glass block window in the far left corner. She chose to smooth everything out by opting for new vinyl windows from Lowe’s that kept them on budget. 

Give Your New Plant Babies a Boost

Another perk of working with Yardzen: Its contractors guarantee their plants. This was a big plus for Anastasia and Quinn, who embarked on this project last summer in temperatures pushing 100 degrees. “They knew they were putting them in in August, and if the plants died, they replaced them,” shares Anastasia. Her favorite additions include the lavender, which was a big hit among the bees and butterflies this spring, and the white rosebushes that now stand 4 feet tall. “They add a little life and movement out front,” she says. “Anytime we’re getting out of our car or we’re in the front yard, people walk by and tell us how the landscaping has grown in so beautifully.”

Because it gets so hot in Austin, a drip irrigation system was nonnegotiable. Anastasia’s only regret is not incorporating sprinklers. Now they have to manually water the yard a few days per week in the summer.

Shop Your Last Renovation

“The courtyard didn’t feel like a true courtyard until there was a little gate,” says Anastasia. After getting a bid from a metalworker she discovered on Facebook Marketplace, she had the swinging doors constructed on-site. The landscaping team returned to lay down the patio, using leftover Alexander James tile from the Caseys’ kitchen renovation. It’s not unusual to find Anastasia or Quinn out there in the morning, sipping coffee at their Article dining table or tending to their potted plants. But step outside and you better be prepared to socialize. “We have a very friendly neighborhood. If we’re sitting out there, people absolutely walk up to chat with us,” says Anastasia. We don’t blame them for wanting a closer look.

Get the Look

Hudson Outdoor Wall Sconce, Shoppe Amber Interiors ($570)

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Emilia Raffia Dining Chair, One Kings Lane ($439)

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Tate Olive, Benjamin Moore

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Zander Outdoor Bench, Four Hands ($440)

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The post This Tudor Exterior Went From Being Stuck in the ’80s to the Buzz of the Neighborhood appeared first on domino.

Chef Sara Kramer could already see it: harvesting tender fennel bulbs from tiered raised beds, pulling juicy Blenheim apricots from fruiting trees, and snipping stems of mystical protea to scatter about in vases. She envisioned cooking over an open fire, serving butterflied fish under a dipping sun.

But in reality, when she started to consider a renovation of her charming home in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood five years ago—which she now shares with partner Emil DeRosa and their dog, Kevin—what she had was an unmanageable tangle of bushes and other plant life. She had given new life to a garage on the small property but still yearned for a home garden. Having grown up in New York (she was the opening chef of Glasserie in Brooklyn), she had never come this close to her dream outdoor space.

Kramer headed west in 2014, where she and her business partner, Sarah Hymanson, opened Kismet in 2017. The Los Feliz restaurant, featuring Mediterranean and California as well as Sephardic foodways, has carved a solid spot among the city’s vibrant constellation of restaurants, dishing up malawach, marinated feta, and a lot of Persian crispy rice over the past seven years. The eatery is so beloved that it inspired the duo’s first cookbook, which hits shelves this week. It’s packed with the spirited vegetable-heavy dishes they’ve become so well known for. The idea of being able to grow the very essence of her work at home meant something special to Kramer.

“The thing that drew me to the house in the first place was the outside space,” she remembers. “It just seemed so out of reach coming from New York, that when it appeared as an option, I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that I can have this here.’” At the time she bought the house, it was more wild than well kept, so she slotted the idea of a refresh away for when she was ready. 

The circa-1938 home had been through a thoughtful renovation even before she purchased it, which included a refreshed kitchen with retro orange Caesarstone countertops and glossy multicolored IKEA cabinets (a combination she wouldn’t have chosen herself but loves nonetheless). Kramer could tell that the space had been taken care of even if the door molding was mismatched. Plus there was something about the unique wood frame outlining the transition between the kitchen and living/dining area that was sort of sweet.

She initially tackled a minimal renovation of the garage to accommodate a roommate by closing up the ceiling and putting in a window. “It was meant to be a rentable space, which is why it has a little kitchenette and counter area next to the bathroom,” she explains. 

But, after the first cohort of renters moved out, and with nobody moving in during the pandemic, she decided to make the garage space her primary suite—and hasn’t looked back. “I just wanted the room to be pretty serene,” she says. Inspired by a home and designer she met in New Zealand, Kramer decided to have cork flooring installed and added sliding doors that open onto the deck overlooking her lush yard. The big design moment she wanted came by way of her friend Leonard Bessemer of Objects for Objects. A verdantly hued custom wardrobe with built-in bookshelves takes up nearly an entire wall; it was storage that was sorely needed in the home (there’s only one other closet in the whole place). 

Throughout the rest of the home are clean white walls decorated mostly with art from Summertime Gallery, a Brooklyn nonprofit that shows work from a range of neurodiverse artists. Kramer counts paintings by Max Karnig and prints by Luke Gilford and Charlie Engman among her collection. Other prized wood pieces, like a treasured Danish hutch she received from a friend’s family and a Yamaha piano, are on display throughout. (Little-known fact: Kramer was once on Broadway—she was in Mamma Mia when she was 18.)

When she was ready to tackle the exterior in 2022, she knew exactly who to call: her neighbor David Godshall, principal of landscape architecture and design studio Terremoto. The termite-ridden back deck had to be reconstructed, and Kramer took the opportunity to repaint the home’s exterior in Dunn-Edwards’s Travertine, rebuild a protruding rock wall in the front (it had always scratched her car before), enclose the front yard for her dog, and install a gravel driveway.

After all the practical updates were taken care of, they could focus on the more dramatic transformations. “[Terremoto’s] work is so incredible that I couldn’t not go for it and really make it spectacular back there,” she says. From the back patio stairs unfurls an epic outdoor cooking setup, complete with a fire brick grill, where Kramer can char vegetables over an open flame, and a showstopping James Herman–designed oven. “I love cooking outdoors; I really wanted to make that special,” she adds.

Nearby, she serves fava bean pesto, citrus, and tomatoes to her guests atop a locally made table. But descending further, wood and gravel stairs reveals the pièce de résistance: a wood-clad hot tub and outdoor shower, flanked by jasmine and passion fruit. She and DeRosa enjoy sunsets from the tub, but Kramer reveals that her “favorite time to use it is when it’s lightly raining.” It’s just as she imagined it so many years prior.

The post A Handcrafted Outdoor Oven and Wood-Clad Hot Tub Vie for MVP of This Home’s Backyard appeared first on domino.

Every fall, the Domino team patiently watches our inboxes for subject lines that read “color of the year.” One after another, the biggest names in paint reveal what hue their color experts think will hit it big the following year. Now, come spring, brands are starting to take the same approach with wood stains. For the second year in a row, Behr has chosen a stain color of the year and—drumroll, please—2024 is going to be all about Tugboat. 

Behr Premium 1-Quart Tugboat Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer Sample, Home Depot ($22)

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The shade, as its name suggests, is nautical inspired. Picture a weathered ship that’s taken a few trips around the world—now imagine that same warm wood hue on your deck (or fence or patio ceiling). “It has that complexity where it’s a little bit brown, a little bit gray, but is still very natural and organic,” says Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr. The color comes in both a semitransparent and solid stain; the former is the one that achieves that timeworn look that so many shingled houses in the Hamptons are known for. 

If you had a true paint project in mind for this summer, don’t close out this tab just yet. Behr also recently announced its new Curb Appeal collection, 24 of the company’s most popular exterior swatches that also happen to complement Tugboat. “I like to use greens for exteriors because there’s such a huge range, from very, very light to very, very dark,” says Woelfel. “Midnight Blue is also a beautiful color on exterior siding or as an accent, and Adirondack Blue is another one that’s been popular.” The only thing better than a fresh coat of stain on the porch is a new front door color.

Our Favorites From the Curb Appeal Collection

Adirondack Blue, Behr

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Rumors, Behr

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Cracked Pepper, Behr

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Jungle Camouflage, Behr

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Smoky White, Behr

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Midnight Blue, Behr

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The post The Deck Stain Color Behr Predicts Will Be Everywhere This Summer appeared first on domino.

We won’t take full responsibility for the SunVilla Milton Outdoor Suite selling out at Costco, but we have a hunch we’re partially to blame for the chic ADU-like structure flying off the shelves. Earlier this month, we broke the news that the bulk retailer had launched the 10-by-12-foot sloped-roof unit. Less than a week later, it was gone. Since then, our deputy editor, Julie Vadnal, who wrote about the hidden Costco gem, has been fielding Instagram DMs from readers who still very much want one. “Pretty soon, people will stop me on the street and ask, ‘Are you the woman who wrote the Costco SunVilla story?!’” she joked in our team Slack channel. 

We have promised to keep you all updated on its return in mid-May, and we’ll stick to it. In the meantime, we thought we’d bring a few other outdoor structures to your attention. Specifically, greenhouses. Costco carries more of them than you’d expect, and a handful have decent reviews. As we learned last time, run—don’t walk.

If You’re Not Working With a Ton of Acreage

Yardistry 7.8’ x 6.7′ Greenhouse, Costco ($1,500)

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Measuring a little under 8-by-7 feet, this tongue-and-groove–paneled greenhouse is ideal for petite backyards. Don’t let its size fool you, though, there’s plenty of room inside to maximize space for plants, as it comes with a wide lower shelf and 8-inch-wide upper one that stretches across two sides of the unit. With two people working on the assembly, it should take between 10 and 12 hours to get up and running.

If You Prefer to See Your Plant Babies at All Times

Palram Canopia Harmony 6′ x 8′ Greenhouse with Starter Kit, Costco ($750)

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The clear polycarbonate panels in between this one’s rust-resistant aluminum framing promise nothing but jungle-worthy views all summer long. And if you go on vacation, you won’t have to worry about any unwanted visitors getting inside: The hinged door is lockable. The structure arrives ready to assemble with predrilled profiles and precut sliding panels (yay!), so the brand estimates four to 12 working hours (with two to three people) for assembly.

If You Need to Tend to Your Pots Year-Round

Exaco Riga XL Professional Greenhouse, Costco ($12,000 was $14,500)

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One of Costco’s pricer greenhouse offerings, this structure features triple-walled panels for maximum insulation against winter cold and summer heat, meaning you can extend your growing seasons. It’s also one of the largest options, with the Dutch doors alone measuring 37 inches wide so you can easily pop in with your wheelbarrow. 

If You Want to Feel Transported While You Work

Exaco Royal Victorian Glass Greenhouse, Costco ($9,000)

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Fuel your obsession with English gardens by plopping this dreamy greenhouse outfitted with a green powder-coated aluminum frame, tempered glass, and decorative roof finials into your backyard. Psst: For all the brown thumbs out there, we love this one as an option for alfresco dining. 

If You’re Still Deciding Between Greenhouse or Breezy Sitting Room

Palram Canopia Oasis Hexagonal Greenhouse, Costco ($1,250)

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With its high eaves, crystal-clear side panels, side louver window, and integrated gutter system, this hexagon-shaped one started to remind us of the beloved SunVilla Milton Outdoor Suite—just a smaller and cheaper version.

The post The Chic Outdoor Costco Structure You Loved Is Sold Out, But These Greenhouses Are Still in Stock appeared first on domino.

A little over a decade ago, Martha Stewart built her dream vegetable garden. Framed by a 10-foot-tall powder-coated fence, the planting space measured a grand 150-by-96 feet, and with the help of two other detail-oriented gardeners, she filled the area with thriving produce. “The geometry was excellent; every lettuce was perfect,” recalls Stewart. Then the moles came. Not one for using toxic pest repellents, Stewart was forced to move her veggie garden to a different spot on her Bedford, New York, farm, near her chicken coops. But last year, a new solution came to mind: raised garden beds. Stewart and Ryan McCallister, the head gardener at her estate, decided to move everything to the old donkey paddocks and construct 56 raised beds in the fertile half-acre plot. 

Within a month and a half of completion, they had artichokes. A few weeks later, there were 10-pound cabbages, pristine cauliflower, and more peas than Stewart knew what to do with. “I couldn’t believe what was happening in this garden,” she says. “I vowed I would never plant any [other] way than raised beds for vegetables.” Ahead, we asked Stewart to share a few of her holy grail products that helped bring her new veggie garden to life.

Miracle-Gro Raised Bed & Garden Soil

Miracle-Gro Raised Bed & Garden Soil, The Home Depot ($10)

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After constructing the raised beds out of 2-by-10-inch white oak boards, Stewart and her crew filled them with Miracle-Gro’s Organic Raised Bed & Garden Soil: a peat-free blend made from upcycled green waste with quick-release fertilizer. In every state except Alaska and Hawaii, the soil is locally crafted within 150 miles from the stores in which it’s sold. 

A Long Bamboo Stick

1/2 in. x 6 ft. Natural Bamboo Poles, The Home Depot ($40)

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The same bamboo canes Stewart buys in bulk and uses as stakes for her tomato plants are also what she uses to create straight rows of plants within the beds. By lightly pressing the sticks into the soil, she’s left with a long, level indentation that she can sprinkle the seeds into. 

Okatsune Pruners

Okatsune 103 Bypass Pruners, Amazon ($27 was $29)

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When it comes to trimming leaves and picking herbs, Stewart will reach for these pruners first. “They’re the best, sharp as can be!” she says. The sharpness can be credited to the hardness of the steel as well as the angle of the blades. The two curved parts bypass each other, sort of like a pair of scissors, resulting in a clean, precise cut. 

A Hori Hori Knife

Barebones Hori Hori Classic, Terrain ($48)

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This multiuse stool not only slices through thick stems, it’s also a digger. Stewart’s version has measurements engraved on the blade, which is especially helpful when you’re, say, planting Galanthus bulbs and need to bury them exactly 3 inches down.

Twine on Twine on Twine

#30 x 190 ft. Twisted Jute Twine, The Home Depot ($5)

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There are two things Stewart consistently shops for when she travels: seeds and, more surprisingly, twine. She collects all different kinds of twine (ply jute, sisal, etc.), mostly to see how they compare to one another when she’s tying up her tomato vines. “When you start to become a serious gardener, you find uses for things you’ve never dreamed of,” says Stewart. 

The post 5 Holy Grail Tools Martha Stewart Used to Build Her Dream Raised Garden Beds appeared first on domino.

With the record rainfall Los Angeles has seen so far this year, interior designer Bobby Berk is in the market for a sturdy umbrella—and a few house checkups. “In our offices, the goal right now is water management,” Berk says. “We literally had more rain in one day than we had in the entire year of 2019, so we’ve run into some issues.” Luckily, through Thumbtack’s new app, users can better understand their home’s needs and manage all its repairs in a single space. “My favorite thing is your ability to set goals,” explains Berk, who is not only a recent customer (he booked a contractor to check out his offices stat) but a pro, and he’ll be giving out two free virtual consultations later this month.

Apps and tools are handy, but even with them, the world of renovating is overwhelming—even the smallest tip on where to start can make all the difference. We asked Berk for his thoughts on one topic in particular: curb appeal. “I think, sometimes, people tend to go a little crazy in the front of their house,” Berk says. “A good rule of thumb is to mix no more than three materials. It adds detail and dimension, but you don’t end up looking like a Vegas casino.” Stone, board-and-batten, stucco, brick, tile, shingles—what’s your magic trio? 

Add even more depth by working in plants—and they don’t need to look super-manicured. In fact, Berk prefers a more natural look. “I like wild lavender, rosemary, and things like that. [Things that] create flowers that bees really, really love,” he says.

If you’re stuck with the exterior materials of homeowners past, don’t fret; a simple coat of paint will help. For something that will catch eyes, go dark. “I love black on the exterior of a home,” Berk says. “Years ago, people would be like, ‘A black house? What is this, The Addams Family?’ And now they’re like, ‘Oh, black houses are supersexy.’” No matter the style of home you have—Victorian, farmhouse, mid-century—the shade will make your landscaping pop. The designer suggests taking it a step further and coating the door and window frames in the same hue.

The post Bobby Berk’s Number-One Rule for Nailing Curb Appeal appeared first on domino.