Articulating a vision is one of the most difficult aspects to building a home or planning a remodeling project. For those who are not interior designers or architects, Autodesk Homestyler has come to the rescue. The 3D design software is free, entirely Web-based and easier than hammering a nail.

With Autodesk Homesyler, users can create their dream home from scratch by choosing from a wide range of floor plans and more than 22,000 name-brand products from the product catalog (including Marvin Window and Doors). To kick-start inspiration, users can browse the design gallery to view and tinker with designs made by other users. There’s also a series of advice videos from professional interior designer Nadia Geller.

No more flipping through design magazines and spending hours perusing real estate websites. A mental picture isn’t good enough. Check out Autodesk Homestyler to render your dream project. It just might be the first step toward completion.

It’s summertime and everyone is looking ways to stay cool! Jumping into some water is a great way to accomplish that, so whether you’ll be heading off to the community pool or have your own backyard waterpark, MLuxe has rounded up some interesting pools for your inspiration.

The Blue Moon Pool is as tiny as a hot tub…great for small yards! [via Design Milk]

How fun does this pool look? There’s a spa to warm up in and a waterfall to cool off under. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Live on a farm? Have an unused stock tank? Repurpose it for recreation! [via Re-nest]

This indoor blue lagoon would be perfect for swimming during the dark winter months. [via Architectural Digest]

A swimming pool in the living room…now that is fun! [via Dwell]

The “man cave” has become the commonly accepted term for a living space reserved for all things masculine. There’s no fighting it — boys love their toys. But a man cave can be about more than massive high-definition televisions, plush leather furniture and pool tables.

Check out this wooden crate inspired staircase from Funky Junk Interiors. It features several classic logos painted on and made to look distressed, blending the world of antiques with the old body shop vibe. The staircase provides an excellent transition to a man cave tucked away in the basement (as they so often are).

This design doesn’t require hunting down actual vintage stamped crates and signboards. Rather, one can use stencils and latex paint, then finish with a stain and varnish to give the logos some character.  Even better, a design like this looks even more authentic after some general wear.

[Images courtesy of Funky Junk Interiors]

“Housesnarking.” Have you heard of it? Brought to our attention by Shelter Pop, it’s a play on the term “bodysnarking”– “the practice of women cutting down other women by attacking their looks.”

You might find yourself a victim of housesnarking if someone criticizes your abode, often wrapping it in the form of a backhanded compliment, e.g. “You’re so lucky your house is too small — it must be so easy to clean!” Other times it might come in a more direct fashion.

Is this a trend you have seen? Is rudeness suddenly OK when you’re putting down someone’s house as opposed to their person?

Let’s all remember that home can be an extension of a person’s self, and something that a lot of effort and money can be poured into. Let’s declare “housesnarking” rude and manipulative and follow the old adage: if you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!

Have you ever been housesnarked or got housesnarky at another person?

The final post in our series of advice columns for sustainability-focused site Inhabitat.com features tips from “eco designer” Zem Joaquin.

No one better epitomizes smart, healthy and stylish green living than Ecofabulous founder and cradle-to-cradle green designer Zem Joaquin. This eco jetsetter and green girl about town is well known for her phenomenal green parties, her insightful analysis of green products over on her site Ecofabulous, and her ability to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices feel glamorous and fun. We recently sat down with Zem to find out more about her gorgeous green home in the beautiful hills of Marin County, CA, and get her personal tips and tricks on how to make your home cleaner, greener and healthier through the power of smart design. Read on to find out about Zem’s secret tips for a green home, including – believe it or not – foot pedals on sinks!

She shares her advice for minimizing water waste, keeping your indoor air clean, using earth-friendly flooring alternatives and more. Read the full piece at Inhabitat.

Architect John Hill, writing at Houzz.com, reminds us windows are more than just functional openings to let in light and fresh air. Carefully placed, well chosen windows serve an important aesthetic purpose, as well, framing the view outside like a perfect work of art. He writes:

The following photos exhibit a variety of ways of framing views in contemporary architecture, from small openings to expansive ones. The main idea is a deliberate framing of nature or the city, turning the window into a picture, an ever-changing one.

Hill’s post is full of beautiful photos illustrating his point, and we’ve placed a couple of our favorites here. Be sure to check out the original post for more.

We’ve covered this issue before, as well, in a pair of videos with garden home designer P. Allen Smith: one in which he discusses the general concept of “framing the view” and another in which he discusses his own design inspiration (click the “watch inspiration video” tab).

Do you dream about having a gorgeous new kitchen that’s both aesthetically pleasing and practical? Maybe something like these dreamy kitchens recently featured on Curbly.com? Well, we have some tips that might help you get to that place or, at least, take a few steps in that direction.

AOL’s DIYLife blog recently shared some great kitchen remodeling ideas for any budget, whether you’re looking to spend $50 or $10,000 sprucing up what is probably the most-used room in your home. Among their tips on the lower end of the budget spectrum:

• a careful paint job with some timeless, stylish colors
• organizers for your pantry, cupboards, drawers and the like
• upgrades or enhancements to your kitchen’s lighting, including possibly installing under-cabinet lighting

On the higher end, about $1,000 and up, they mention:

• replacing your sink, faucet and countertops
• buying a complete “recycled kitchen,” which sounds a lot like getting a good deal at a classy second-hand store
• installing entirely new cabinetry

The article shares all sorts of ideas for projects in between the simple and the superior, as well.

When you’re thinking about making improvements to your kitchen, consider this trend as outlined by a home reporter for the Wall Street Journal: hiding appliances and other kitchen clutter while making the space much more comfortable and livable. What exactly do they mean?

For years, kitchen designers have been treating high-end appliances like trophies, making a stainless-steel-and-glass refrigerator, or a range in a shiny color finish, into the room’s focal point. Now, more homeowners are veering in the opposite direction, hiding kitchen bling behind wood panels or underneath countertops. The resulting look—streamlined, uncluttered, often with LED lighting and a mix of stone and wood finishes—marks the next phase in the kitchen’s evolution from cooking-and-eating hub to flexible multitasking space.

Many new kitchen designs feature adjacent seating areas with sofas or armchairs, instead of a kitchen table or high counter with chairs. The designs build in more storage and keep countertops empty, with sliding panels or doors hiding equipment.

Read more at WSJ.com.

This 3,600-square-foot classic New England home uses some of the most advanced home building techniques and materials available to operate at net zero energy, meaning it creates at least as much, if not more, energy than it consumes. How? Thoughtful design, alternative energy sources, and high-quality, energy-efficient products — including a houseful of Marvin tri-pane windows.

The home was recently featured on Jetson Green, a popular blog about green technology and sustainable home design. In addition to the video overview above, we have a set of nice photos posted here. Learn more about Marvin’s green building efforts here.

We got word of a beautiful and unusual renovation featuring Marvin from Wooden Window in Oakland, Calif. They graciously provided us with photos and a history of this project.

The owners of a 1930s San Francisco home  have been restoring it for the past nine years. After several door and window projects with Wooden Window, they proposed their most challenging job yet: the design and fabrication of a 10-foot-wide picture window that integrated a deco design the couple had seen as a railing in another nearby neighborhood.

Their original design posed structural concerns, so Wooden Window and Marvin collaborated with the clients through eight rounds of revision until, as the client put it, “we arrived at a design with which I was pleased and that Marvin was comfortable building.”

The result was a stunning work of art and craftsmanship that exists as the focal point of their deco facade. Wooden Window Inc. also won a Northern California NARI award for this project.

The next step is the replacement of a different window with French doors that will open to a step-out balcony. They plan to again work with Wooden Window and Marvin. ”The renovation is a continual work in progress,” according to the homeowners. Following a recent paint job, tiling, the addition of a marquee and neon house numbers, their home will have you turning your head next time you find yourself on Monterey Boulevard in San Francisco.

During the past several weeks, we’ve shared a series of videos featuring designer P. Allen Smith. Today we’re going to take a look at some of Smith’s techniques for bringing the beauty of the outdoors in.

Smith takes us on a tour of his Garden Home Retreat, showing some of his favorite spaces and how they are designed to show off and accentuate the best of the outdoors in through the use of windows and doors. A key tip: Think of your windows as an opportunity not just to let in fresh air and light but as a way to frame specific views of the outdoors.

Watch the short video above for more, or check out our YouTube channel for other videos from Smith.