'Fixer Upper: The Hotel' Is an Interior Design Lovers Dream Show

Interior design trends come and go—two-toned kitchen cabinets? As of now, out. Incorporating natural elements? As always, in. But, there's one decorating movement that’s ridden the trend wave for years (and years) now, and we want an answer to its ultimate trendiness: farmhouse design.  After a decade of shiplap walls and barn doors saturating the interior design world, the question remains: is farmhouse still in style? Or, should you set down the distressed wood and try another trend? We asked two design experts for their thoughts. 

It’s officially peak guest season and if you’re like us, you’d want your entryway to look swoon-worthy from the minute guests step in. Whatever the occasion may be—whether a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party, or a book club gathering—nothing beats a well-designed entrance that leaves a lasting impression. 

Several times a year a visitor to our garden is shocked to find a rogue steak knife pierced downward in one of the beds, as if it were an escapee from our kitchen knife block. I’m always quick to tell them that it’s indeed where I meant to place it, and that I haven’t found any tool as great as a serrated knife when it comes to removing grass or root systems. It’s perfect for edging small areas or pulling up entire sheets of grass; all I have to do is start on one side and pull up as I carefully saw back and forth. It can be a cheap purchase from a thrift store—or in my case, the way I finally convinced my husband that we needed a new set of kitchen knives.

Would you like to grow healthy and beautiful lavender plants in your garden? This guide to the best companion plants for lavender will help you to do just that.

It’s a tentative start. We crack open wet soil, slot the roots of a small birch tree into the gap and firm it in. The blessings of Mother Earth on you, little tree. The birch is a bare slip of a thing barely anchored in the ground. One down, 23,999 to go.

Header image: Amid an otherworldly landscape outside of Hanksville, Utah, sits the Mars Desert Research Station. Facilities like these are intended to mimic how people might fare on Mars or the Moon, or on long-term orbital stations. Visual: The Mars Society

If you crave a home that appears a bit more elevated, keep in mind that there are many ways that you can restyle items that you already own to make your house look and feel brand new.

Determining where to start your paint color journey can be daunting no matter the shade, but when it comes to kitchen cabinetry, taking a bird’s eye view is essential. That's why we were totally intrigued reading a new report from Living Spaces, which noted that one of 2023's most popular kitchen cabinet colors in the U.S. was bolder than we expected: alongside white, blue was tied for second among most states.

The impressive topiary-framed Italianate formal gardens at Mapperton

Christopher Testani/REAL SIMPLE

This year was a whirlwind of earthy colors, TikTok micro-aesthetics, moody spaces, and bold and innovative design choices. And while summer is only just barely behind us, the design world already has its sights set on the New Year and the trends we can expect to see in 2024.

MARK BOURDILLON / Netflix