9 things landscapers, gardeners, and interior designers would never have in their outdoor spaces

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Style
Grassy backyard with plants and pavement, firepit
Certain kinds of furniture and plants can really detract from a backyard's aesthetic and function.

chuckcollier/Getty Images

We transformed our dated, dark kitchen into a bright, open-concept space — it turned out even better than I expected

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Alexa Mellardo and her husband in their kitchen mid-renovation
Shortly after my husband and I returned from our honeymoon, we moved from an apartment in New York City to a three-bedroom house in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Alexa Mellardo

4 interior design trends that are in right now and 3 that are out, according to designers

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A living room with sage-green walls and carpet, a plant, and a couch with colorful pillows.
Warm tones, pops of color, and nature-inspired elements are all popular interior design trends right now.

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With a family of 6, I have to keep an eye on our budget. Thrift shopping has helped me furnish our home and buy luxury clothes.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A woman shopping in a thrift store.
The author (not pictured) has decorated most of her home with thrifted items.

Olena Malik/Getty Images

A woman turned her dated 2000s kitchen into a cozy, modern space for $150,000

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Style
A woman smiles in the distance in her kitchen.
Meg Leonard created her dream kitchen.

Meg Leonard

A woman transformed her open-concept space with a pony wall for $2,500

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
A side-by-side of a living area. The photo on the right has a wall separating the living area and dining table.
The Occhipinti family was over the open-concept layout of their home.

Alexa Occhipinti

Before-and-after photos show how a woman 'unflipped' her 1920s home to restore its charm

Tech Insider : Business, Style, Travel
A side-by-side of a woman sitting on a staircase and a living room with a white fireplace and ornate decorations.
Niki Marie Taylor unflipped her house.

Niki Marie Taylor

A family ditched their dining room and added a primary suite above the garage in a $1 million renovation of their home

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A family of five hugs in front of their white house.
DeAnna Martino and her partner did a massive renovation on their home.

Thorn & Valor Photo

I'm an interior designer. Here are 6 things I'd buy at Ikea and 6 I'd probably skip.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Selfie of the writer in front of Ikea
As an interior designer, I think Ikea has some great finds, but there are some things I wouldn't be likely to buy there.

Paynter Rhed

We spent over $12,000 replacing our carpets with vinyl-plank flooring. It looks nice, but I regret it every day.

Tech Insider : Business
Living room with green walls, light gray couches, and vinyl-plank flooring next to French doors
Our vinyl-plank floors look nice, but I'm not sure they were the right choice for us.

Lauren Salles Gumpert

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