HOUSEBABY

Discover how to create effortless, joyful gatherings at home with six custom DIY food-bar ideas. From build-your-own taco bars to hot cocoa stations, this guide helps you entertain with ease and style.

Hosting a Build-Your-Own Pasta Bar is one of our favorite ways to feed a crowd. It feels cozy, abundant, and customizable, giving guests the freedom to build a bowl that feels just right. In this post, we share the pasta shapes, sauces, toppings, serving tips, and layout ideas we plan to use in our dream home so you can recreate the same relaxed and elegant dinner in yours.

A cozy winter entertaining idea we cannot wait to host in our future home: There is a particular kind of magic that settles in when the air gets cold and the sun dips early. Just like our Build Your Own Chili and Cornbread Bar , our Weekend Breakfast Bar , and even the Peppermint Bark Bar we imagine setting out during the holidays, a Hot Chocolate Bar feels like another gathering moment that fits naturally into the way we picture living. Warm, simple, and sensory. A Dutch ov

Peppermint bark is one of those holiday treats that makes a kitchen feel instantly festive. Melted chocolate, crushed candy canes, swirls of white and dark, and a spread of toppings that guests can use to build their own creations. It is low-stress, interactive, and easy to scale for a full house or a cozy winter evening. Just like our Hot Chocolate Bar, our Chili and Cornbread Bar, and the Weekend Breakfast Bar we picture serving during long family visits, a Peppermint Bark

Some meals feel tailor-made for winter evenings, long weekends with visiting family, or nights when the house is full and everyone wants something warm, comforting, and customizable. A Baked Potato Bar checks all of those boxes. Potatoes are economical, filling, naturally gluten free, and endlessly adaptable, and they pair beautifully with toppings that can be as simple or as indulgent as you like. We’ve been imagining a Baked Potato Bar as the kind of dinner that makes hosti

There are certain meals that instantly make a home feel warm and lived in, especially when family or close friends stay for a long weekend. Chili and cornbread might be one of the easiest ways to feed a crowd without losing the relaxed, come-as-you-are rhythm that makes hosting enjoyable. Everyone builds their bowl differently, seconds happen naturally, and you stay part of the conversation instead of standing over the stove. As we imagine entertaining in our dream home, this

Slow weekend mornings deserve a breakfast that feels both effortless and considered. Our Build-Your-Own Weekend Breakfast Bar brings everyone to the table at their own pace, with warm waffles, fresh fruit, and simple toppings arranged in a way that feels inviting, abundant, and beautifully easy to host.

When we picture a smart home today, it’s usually all about gadgets: glowing touchscreens, voice commands, apps that open blinds or make coffee. But as we design our forever home, we’ve learned that real “smart” living isn’t about novelty or tech for tech’s sake. It is about creating a home that listens quietly, supports us gently, and adapts as life evolves. For us, that means more than convenience. Our home needs to care for our family now, while also anticipating future nee

As we design our forever home, I’ve been thinking about how each storage zone—garage, attic, and basement—supports our family’s routines. Using Pinterest-style renderings, I compare accessibility, climate needs, and the types of items that belong in each space. This breakdown helped us choose the storage approach that truly works for long-term organization.

As we design our forever home, we’re thinking carefully about how an ADU or in-law suite can support true multigenerational living. In this post, I walk through the three main layout options—detached, attached, and internal—and share how privacy, access, and daily routines shape the right fit for our family.

What if your dream home could grow with you, supporting your health, lifestyle, and independence no matter what the future holds? That’s the heart of aging-in-place design. It’s about creating a space that feels welcoming, accessible, and functional today and for decades to come. Whether it’s accommodating a temporary injury, the natural process of aging, or planning for multigenerational living, designing with the future in mind brings peace of mind, reduces renovation costs

Join us as we weigh the pros and cons of different walk-in closet layouts — from bathroom access to corridor-connected designs. Discover what works best for privacy, flow, and everyday comfort in your primary suite.

Designing the right floor plan is about more than room placement, it’s about creating a home that supports daily routines, privacy, connection, and long-term living. In this post, we walk through the planning principles guiding our custom home layout, from smart adjacencies to future-proof flexibility.

A build-your-own soup bar is one of the easiest ways to host all winter long. This cozy, family-friendly guide shares menu ideas, leftover-friendly planning, and thoughtful styling for stress-free gatherings.

Plan your perfect Thanksgiving weekend with cozy, casual entertaining ideas the whole family will love. Find tablescape inspirations, décor tips, and simple recipes to create warm memories without the stress.

Holiday tablescapes don’t have to be expensive. With a few affordable Amazon finds—like linen runners, classic chargers, candlelight, and seasonal greenery—you can create a table that feels polished, timeless, and welcoming. This guide shares our favorite budget-friendly pieces and styling tips to make gatherings look effortlessly high-end.

When we first sat down with blank paper and big dreams, the question wasn’t how many bedrooms we wanted, it was what kind of feeling we wanted to come home to. One of the most critical and exciting steps in designing our dream home was defining our architectural style. Your home’s architectural style sets the foundation for everything—from the shape of the roofline and the materials used on the exterior to the interior finishes and overall flow. It’s not just about curb appea

Looking for stylish fall décor without overspending? We’ve rounded up 12 Amazon picks that look luxurious but stay under budget—perfect for cozy seasonal style.

Bring warmth and style to your seasonal gatherings with these elevated yet affordable table setting ideas. From cozy fall accents to timeless winter touches, discover how to create a beautiful tablescape that feels high-end without overspending.

Designing our custom home in New England has been a journey of balancing timeless regional styles with modern performance and comfort. The region’s four-season climate, with its snowy winters, humid summers, and dramatic coastal conditions, requires thoughtful decisions at every step. We want a home that feels rooted in its surroundings, looks beautiful year-round, and functions effortlessly no matter the season. In this post, I’m sharing the design considerations we've prior