As you've heard me lament time and again, I have a love-hate relationship with plants. I love them. They hate me. Botanical prints to the rescue!

I haven't broached the topic of fabric on the ceiling since I nearly got booed off Apartment Therapy a few years ago. However, after drooling over the upholstered ceiling panels at Plein Sud in Tribeca, I couldn't help but revisit the concept.

As a decorator I'm pretty excitable about beautiful materials, but even so, it has been a long time since I've found myself completely gaga over an entire collection and the company behind it. Known for stone, Charles Luck is a LEED certified, style-minded source of natural stone products, ranging from tile to furniture, that suits a range of budgets.

I've long dreamed of having a cute little potting shed...and the cute green thumb to go along with it. However at the moment any extra storage space is a luxury, so the thought of a having a whole shed designated for plants is a bit of a stretch. These small space potting shelves, tables, and benches, on the other hand, are looking pretty doable.

Many of our most popular house tours are ones that exude a sense of casual comfort. They looked "lived in" and inviting, not staged or sterile. If you're hoping to cultivate that feeling in your own home, there are a few helpful tips to glean from recent house tours.

One of the highlights of the DC Design House is the chance to enjoy fresh local talent. This year, Christopher Patrick Interiors — launched in August 2011! — transformed the tiniest room in the house into a gem of a bath that's part secret hideaway and part good ol' boy luxe, all shaken up by a modern edge.

Just about this time last summer I somewhat sheepishly shared our back deck and the modest makeover cover-up that I attempted to pull off with $150 and a can of paint. This year, we've poured a bit more thought, time, and money into the space, and it has totally transformed our summer!

There is a stubborn debate over the purpose of a design house: is it to showcase cutting edge ideas, or inspire beautiful real life living? Opposing sides write each other off as either too bland or too impractical. Thankfully, this year's DC Design house, which opened April 14, has plenty to please both camps.

Aside from soaring ceilings and gigantic windows, there is no better friend to a small space than a well-placed mirror. Expanding walls, amplifying light, breaking up visual clutter, mirrors can be used to solve most any design dilemma. Perhaps that's why we feature their awesomeness so often.

I don't know of any creative type who wouldn't kill (ok, pine) for an expansive place to devote to artistic endeavors. Throw in soaring ceilings, beautiful views, and an impossibly sweet commute, and we're moving dangerously close to criminal envy.