Featured Tips & Trends
Do Outdoor Fire Pits Actually Produce Heat or Just Ambiance?
This guide explains how much heat outdoor fire pits actually produce and what affects their heat output, including BTU ranges, fuel types, materials, and fire pit design. It breaks down the heating performance of wood-burning, gas, and gel fire pits, explains how stone and metal fire pits retain heat differently, and outlines the BTU ranges professionals recommend for residential outdoor spaces. Whether you’re planning a new patio, selecting a fire feature for a backyard project, or comparing materials, this guide helps you understand how to choose the right fire pit for comfort, efficiency, and outdoor enjoyment.
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4 Things You Should Know About Induction Cooking
This guide explains what induction cooking is and why it’s becoming a popular choice in modern kitchens. It covers the key benefits of induction cooktops, including speed, precision, energy efficiency, installation requirements, cookware compatibility, and common myths.
How to Choose the Perfect Kitchen Lighting
This guide explains how to choose the right kitchen lighting by layering ambient, task, and accent lighting to support how kitchens are used today. It covers pendant lighting, cabinet lighting, brightness and color temperature, ceiling height considerations, and fixture placement.
The Benefits of Barn Doors
This guide explains the benefits of interior barn doors and how they’re used in modern residential design. It covers space-saving advantages, privacy considerations, wall clearance requirements, hardware and track systems, installation factors, and design options.
How to Choose the Perfect Lighting for a Dark Sky Community
This guide explains what dark sky communities are, why they are growing in popularity across Texas, and how to choose outdoor lighting that meets dark sky requirements. It covers the key features of dark sky compliant fixtures—including shielding, color temperature, lumen limits, and smart controls—and answers common questions about pathway lighting, fixture types, and design best practices. Whether you’re building in the Hill Country or updating an existing home, this guide helps you select lighting that protects the night sky while enhancing safety, beauty, and curb appeal.
How to Choose the Perfect Outdoor Lighting
This guide explains how to choose outdoor lighting that performs well in Texas weather while enhancing safety, curb appeal, and architectural style. It covers placement, fixture ratings, materials for different climates, brightness levels, color temperature, dark sky considerations, and style coordination. Whether you’re building a spec home, updating an existing property, or designing a full outdoor lighting plan, this guide helps you understand which fixtures work best and how to select lighting built to last in Texas conditions.
Steam Ovens: The Next Wave of Cooking
This guide explains how modern steam ovens work and why they’re becoming a top choice for home cooks, builders, and kitchen designers. It covers the benefits of steam cooking—like better moisture retention, faster cook times, improved nutrient preservation, and professional-quality results—while comparing steam ovens to traditional ovens. The article also highlights installation options, versatility, and how steam ovens fit into premium kitchen designs. Readers will learn how steam technology enhances everyday cooking and where to explore steam oven appliances in Texas showrooms.
Before You Buy a Door: A Professional Guide for Builders, Contractors & Designers
This guide explains the essential steps builders, contractors, and designers should take before ordering interior or exterior doors— including how to identify door handing, measure rough openings, size door slabs, determine jamb depth, and select the correct active leaf for double-door units. It also highlights key differences between interior and exterior measurements and offers practical tips to ensure accurate installs, fewer delays, and smoother project coordination across residential and commercial jobsites.
Light It Up: Choosing the Perfect Foyer Lighting
This guide explains how to choose the right foyer lighting for scale, ceiling height, architecture, and design style. It breaks down the differences between chandeliers and pendants, how to layer lighting effectively, how to size an entryway fixture, and what builders and designers should consider during pre-construction. Whether you’re planning a new build or remodeling an entryway, this guide provides practical lighting tips and examples to create a warm, welcoming foyer.
How a Fire Pit Can Extend Your Living Space
This guide explains how fire pits extend outdoor living spaces and what builders, contractors, and designers should consider when selecting fuel types, placement, styles, materials, and installation requirements. It covers wood-burning, propane, natural gas, and commercial-grade fire pit options, their design advantages, and how fire pits integrate into coordinated outdoor living plans. Whether you’re planning a residential backyard, a custom home build, or a multifamily outdoor amenity, this guide highlights the functional, aesthetic, and long-term value that fire pits bring to professional outdoor designs.