Americans have always been fond of their backyard barbecue. And as more and more people opt to “nest,” or stay at home more, the construction of summer kitchens—or in many locales, year-round outdoor kitchens—is booming.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, outdoor kitchens are a major trend, as consumers remodel backyard patios and build kitchens to make their outdoor experience more enjoyable. These outdoor rooms actually extend the usable square footage of a home. According to the Association, the outdoor kitchen trend is being led by the baby boomers, who have the most disposable income of any generation. Boomers are now building outdoor kitchens as a way to upgrade their homes without having to move. And they’re sparing no expense, installing products such as industrial-sized built-in grills set in stone and outdoor heaters.

Chris Cipriano, founder of Cipriano Landscape Design in Ramsey, N.J., says a custom outdoor kitchen can be designed and built for as little as $7,500. But he’s seen them range up to $180,000, with the average being $35,000. Cipriano notes that the addition of an outdoor kitchen not only adds enjoyment for a homeowner but can also help when he or she decides to sell. “Installing an outdoor kitchen will differentiate their home from others in the market and significantly increase the home’s value,” he says.

Are you moving into a smaller home? If so, you don’t have to sacrifice luxury and style along with square footage.

Downsizing is a popular option these days, as people move from larger to smaller houses for a variety of reasons. Some are empty nesters, looking for a more manageable home when children fly the coop. Others might be college graduates, moving from their suburban childhood home to their first apartment in the city. No matter what the reason, a smaller space can be just as comfortable and elegant as the larger one left behind.

Many downsizers opt to change their design style when they move. Lauri Ward, a designer and author of “Downsizing Your Home With Style,” says her clients often swap traditional furniture and design for cleaner lines that are more eclectic and sleek.

The biggest design challenge for those who downsize: storage. Many smaller homes lack garages and basements. What to do?

Ward recommends closed storage—a trunk rather than a coffee table, for example—to do away with what she calls “visual chaos.”  She also makes extensive use of built-ins, which save space.

In living areas, avoid cluttering the floor space with tables that have no purpose or with stacks of magazines. Opening up the floors makes the space appear larger—and in any downsized home, every piece needs to earn its keep by having a purpose for being there.

Rooms in a smaller home need to serve double duty. Combine a home office with a guest room, for example. Or purchase a dining room table that can double as a desk for a home office.

“People often think they’re compromising if they go smaller, but good things come in small packages,” Ward says. “You can really have a beautiful home—even more beautiful than your last. It’s more about quality than quantity.”  

The bathroom is the most-used room in the house. With high traffic and high moisture, the floor begins to show its age after ten or 15 years.
One good thing about replacing it is that the room is small. That means you can choose high-quality materials and not have a huge amount of money or a great deal of time invested.
Here's some advice from Lowe's, the home improvement store:
Tile comes in ceramic, porcelain, stone, and mosaic. Any these choices will give you a great range of possibilities for color, style, and pattern.
Ceramic comes in many colors and shapes that make it easy to create patterns and features, such as a border or center medallion.
Porcelain is a denser tile and offers superior resistance to mold and stains. Stone-look porcelain looks very much like real stone.
Natural Stone is available in marble, granite, limestone and slate. It's more expensive but has an outstanding appearance and comes in many colors.
When considering tile, leaf through design books and home magazines. Your personal preferences will narrow your choices.
You might decide to take the project a step farther with a new tub surround or elegant tile wainscote.
If you have the time and skill, you could install the new floor yourself. First remove the old floor down to the subflooring. Then screw down sheets of cement-fiber tilebacker to create a solid underlayment.
Lay out tiles along the room's center lines, and cut the tiles to fit up to the walls. Then spread adhesive with a notched trowel and press the tile into place. The next day, mix grout and spread it into the gaps.
Too much work and worry? Professional installation costs more but could produce a more perfect job.