Readers’ Favorite My Houzz Stories of 2016
A floating house, a backyard shed and a century-old farmhouse make the top 10 creative homes this year
Becky Harris
December 18, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
The My Houzz series is a favorite among readers. In these stories, we feature creative, personality-filled homes and learn about the people who live in them. This year’s reader favorites — as measured by the number of times stories were viewed — include a renovated ranch house, a historic farmhouse, a backyard shed made habitable and even a shipping container-turned-waterfront home. Thrifted finds, family antiques, personal art collections, DIY projects and colorful furnishings were just a few of the things that attracted us to these homes. But perhaps it’s the sense of well-lived lives that drew us in the most.
10. Honking geese wake up this homeowner around 5:30 every morning, but it’s a small price to pay for living on a marina in England. Max McMurdo — a designer, TV presenter and owner of upcycling company Reestore — repurposed this shipping container into his waterfront home in just 3½ months. Doors across one side of the structure open up completely, helping the space feel much larger than its tight footprint. Clever moves like using vintage gelatin molds as pendant light shades, fold-down shelves and a hidden closet under the bed make the space livable and satisfy his strict standards.
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9. After their youngest child left for college, this Fresno, California, couple decided to create the open kitchen they had always dreamed of. They took down walls and raised the roof to accommodate a pine board-paneled vaulted kitchen ceiling. This transformed the ranch home completely, opening it up and providing the room they’d always wanted for gathering and cooking.
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8. This backyard shed in Melbourne, Australia, served as rustic temporary housing for a couple who wanted to save money while their apartment was being built. After moving piles of boxes and old mattresses, and evicting spiders and mice, they resanded the floors, brought in a wood stove, created a small kitchen, bargain-hunted for French cottage-looking furnishings and added a comfortable bedroom. They clean up in this outdoor shower and enjoy sunsets from the front porch.
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7. It’s hard to judge which is more charming: the English cottage-style house furnished with an eclectic mix of Scandinavian modern furniture, bold artwork and musical instruments, or the inviting yard that includes a rose garden, pool and tucked-away spaces up the hillside. When you look at all of it, it’s easy to see why the 1920s Hollywood Hills development was dubbed the “Hillside Homes of Happiness.”
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6. Antiques dealer and interior designer Vanessa Brennan is always on the hunt for something great. Her 750-square-foot home in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, is full of her favorite treasures that she’s collected over the years including artwork, books, and antique barware and cutting boards.
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5. Utah’s stunning Emigration Canyon inspired architects John Sparano and Anne Mooney’s home design, where they are raising their twin daughters. They analyzed the site for a year, experiencing how it felt during each season and noting how the natural light moved throughout the day. The home is environmentally friendly and earned the state’s first residential LEED Silver certification. While they kept the footprint small, the open living-dining-library area is expansive and opens up to big views of the beautiful surroundings. This library wall along the dining area houses their collection of architecture and travel books as well as some favorite drawings and sculptures.
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4. A thoughtful renovation kept the beautiful historic details of this 1890s colonial revival home in Newton, Massachusetts, intact while making it livable for April and Peter Nannucci and their daughter, Zinnia. One prime original detail they preserved can be seen to the right: the unique rounded corner molding around the doorway. The home is filled with their favorite things, from antique heirlooms to flea market finds.
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3. A major renovation transformed this run-down ranch house into a beautiful farmhouse for a mother and her little girl. Elements like the cypress ceiling, stone floors, shiplap walls and a mix of interesting light fixtures give the home loads of character, while careful editing of antique pieces and a serene neutral color palette lend a calming and pleasingly simple feeling to the home.
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2. This creative family of four let their love of art, music and the outdoors inspire their Cape Neddick, Maine, home. Artwork by family members and local artists inspired them to place other colorful pieces throughout the home, like this orange love seat. The bookshelf behind it, anchored by two reclaimed beams, adds age to the new build and provides a pleasing divider between the kitchen and the living room.
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1. The allure of the farmhouse continued its reign in 2016. The most popular My Houzz story focused on this idyllic example in Wenatchee, Washington, that was built 1908. The couple who live here preserved the historic charm of the home while updating the kitchen and getting everything else in shipshape. Features like the original beadboard walls, vintage bathroom fixtures and antiques collection maintain a historic feel that’s warm and welcoming. An enchanting new deck out back is a favorite gathering spot and earned a place on this year’s most popular deck photos as well.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
See the rest of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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Thank you, Houzzers, for making one of the homes I covered #1. The homeowners will be thrilled!
All nice for different reasons. Particularly like the bath in # 3.
Thank you, Houzz Readers! We are honored to be your #1!