The simple wooden dog house used to be a staple of the suburban home.  As houses have grown, so have dog houses.  Now there are dog houses that resemble architectural landmarks or are designed with almost any type of architectural style from Mexican hacienda to Colonial  mansion.

La Petite Maison is one of the top custom dog house companies.  The dog house shown in the picture above was designed by La Petite Maison to match the owner’s home.  Their unique dog houses including heat, air conditioning, wallpaper, crown moldling, windows, doors and landscaping.

See some amazing designer dog houses and examples of barkitecture in this YouTube video from the CBS Sunday Morning show.

If you’re feeling cramped in your home but don’t want to make the commitment of adding square footage, you might want to consider the untapped potential in your garage.

Like any remodel, a garage conversion must meet local codes and will probably require a building permit.  Also, you should consult an architect or qualified contractor before making any structural changes.

You can visit the Sunset Magazine website to see how a husband and wife designer and landscape architect team turned their detached two-car garage into a combined office and studio.

Ethan Allen, one of the largest U.S. furniture manufacturers, recently introduced five new furniture lifestyle collections – Elegance, Modern, Romance, Explorer and Vintage. 

If you’re not sure what your signature style is, visit the Ethan Allen website and take the “What’s your signature” quiz.  After viewing a series of images and clicking on those that grab you first, your signature style will be identified (it correctly identified my style as Vintage).  Then you can take a virtual tour of rooms designed with your style in mind.

Find out more about your signature style on the Ethan Allen website or visit one of the 300 Ethan Allen stores located across the U.S.

During the warm summer months, it’s hard to maintain healthy container plants without constant watering.  Keep your yard full of color in the dog days of summer by filling your containers with plants that can thrive in the heat of the sun.  Here are a few or our favorite heat-loving container plants:

Lantana – Attract butterflies with this colorful plant that features variegated flowers in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink and white.

Mandevilla – This fast-growing flowering vine is known for large trumpet-shaped blossoms in shades of red, white and pink. 

Pentas – This hardy plant will produces clusters of starry pink, white and red flowers all summer long.

Read more about sun-loving container plants at the Better Homes and Gardens website.