Articles by Becky Harris

Standing in a clearing on Crane Island in Lake Minnetonka, architect and interior designer David Heide had no idea what year it was. “Looking across the field of clover, clay tennis court and crumbling meeting house, there was not one visual cue to let me know that it was not 1910,” he says. “It was…

Interior designer Cynthia Soda knew the issues with this laundry room all too well because she grew up in this house. In addition to a seriously awkward layout, it had green tile counters with pink grout. When her parents were finally ready for a remodel, they gave her full freedom in the design. “My…

“The first time my family looked at this house, we breezed right through the first floor out to the backyard, which is a little slice of heaven,” interior designer Lauren Clement says. At the time of the tour, the interiors of the house were not so heavenly. The family room was darkened by paint, heavy…

Perched on the edge of a mountain ridge, this new contemporary home looks out over North Carolina’s Lake Fontana and the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountain ranges. The carefully crafted home creates as much energy as it takes in thanks to its tight envelope, thermal windows, small footprint, water…

In 2016, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Sherman Booth House in Glencoe, Illinois, celebrated its centennial, and Sonia Bloch had lived in the house for half that time.
When she and her husband, Ted, viewed the home in 1967, they saw past its state of disrepair to its inherent beauty. They snapped up the…

As you’re making your gardening plans it’s easy to forget about side yards. They’re often narrow and utilitarian, but they also can offer a pleasant way to pass from front yard to back without having to cut through the house.
While we’ve looked at side…

Brace yourselves, people, this story is about to get racy! Let’s talk about going au naturel alfresco. Many folks are happy to strip down to nothing in outdoor showers or even in the hot tub, so placing a tub outside really doesn’t seem like a big leap. Some want to enjoy their soak out in nature, while…

In this bathroom makeover, modern 3D wavy tiles provide the backdrop to bronze finishes, while a streamlined white tub sits next to a rustic, rough-hewn vanity. “This project really was a lot about balance,” says interior designer Crystal Russell, who helped her Denver clients find just the right mix…