This interior design blog has been my passion project for the past ten years. That’s right, Creating Spaces recently celebrated a major anniversary. And all of us at A. Houck Designs are so incredibly grateful that you’ve followed along on the journey, as we’ve chronicled our projects, inspirations, obsessions, and tips.
To recognize this milestone, we thought we’d look back at our five most popular posts (judging from the analytics) over the last decade. Join us on this walk down memory lane – and be sure to click over to our newly redesigned website and check out Creating Spaces’ new look.
Why Investing in High-Quality Upholstered Furniture Makes Sense
There’s a world of difference between high-quality upholstered furniture and pieces sold through major retailers. Relying on the expertise of furniture-industry executive Alex Shuford, a 2025 post laid out those differences and why it pays to buy quality. The message (delivered, in part, through informative and entertaining videos) obviously resonated with our readers.
During a presentation in the Century Furniture showroom at the Washington Design Center, Shuford pled his case by deconstructing an armchair with dramatic flair.
His talk – and our post – emphasized the importance of quality craftsmanship and materials. It explained key terms such as density and compression. It also demystified eight-way, hand-tied suspension, which is the industry gold standard.
We’re big believers that paying a bit more up front for well-crafted furniture definitely pays off in the long run.
How to Design a Billiards Hangout for the Whole Family
The lower-level billiards hangout we showcased in 2023 certainly struck a chord – coming in as our all-time most-viewed blog post. Created for an Arlington family with young children, it indulges the husband’s love of pool, while providing a comfortable gathering space for family and friends.
We positioned a billiards zone at one end of the large space and a seating/TV-watching area at the other – and even tucked a reading nook in the niche beside the stairs.
The design aesthetic is contemporary and fun. We embraced the lower level’s existing industrial-chic details but warmed up the space by installing a coffered-wood wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries on two walls.
This party + pool room caters to adults and kids alike. From friendly pool competitions to family movie nights, it offers something for everyone.
Creating a Hotel-Style Bedroom at Home
Vacation vibes all year round? For many of our readers, the answer is apparently, “Yes, please!” You clicked-through in large numbers to see our tips for establishing a hotel-style bedroom at home. Four bedrooms we designed for clients, including the serene Fairfax space below, served as illustration.
In this luxurious scheme, we mixed a new Hickory Chair bed – boasting a tufted headboard custom-covered in a worldly print and layers of bespoke accent pillows – with the clients’ existing nightstands.
Other homeowners, this time on Capitol Hill, wanted to breathe new life into their existing furniture set and tasked us with creating a primary bedroom full of Southern charm – like you might find in a boutique hotel in Charleston or New Orleans, for instance.
With those goals in mind, we employed lively colors and patterns, tempered by a calm blue paint color on the walls.
Big Reveal: All-Season Porch Design
What’s better than a screened porch for comfortably enjoying the great outdoors? How about a climate-controlled, all-season porch, such as the one we revealed in 2022? A collaboration with Lyon Architecture, this porch addition off the back of an Arlington bungalow can be enjoyed almost year-around.
We created a cozy seating area in front of the jaw-dropping, stacked-stone gas fireplace. Behind that area sits a separate dining zone, which was important to our client since his bungalow doesn’t have a designated dining room. We populated the porch with stylish furnishings from Summer Classics.
This summer – and way beyond – you’re sure to find the homeowner relaxing and entertaining friends in his all-season porch addition.
Great Room Challenge: Puzzling Out a Large Space
Our vision for a great room redesign resonated with readers. This blog post (Part 1 of 2) described how we addressed the space-planning challenges of a large room and embraced (or worked around) several architectural features, including a load-bearing column that divided it. To maximize the footprint, we created a layout with three distinct conversation/seating areas
We then presented two color schemes; the clients chose the one mixing various shades of blue with eye-catching patterns and rich textures.
We can’t very well tease you with the work-in-progress details without reminding you how the end result turned out. So here’s a link to the great room reveal.
It’s hard to believe that I started A. Houck Designs over 25 years ago. So, yes, both Creating Spaces and our firm recently celebrated major milestones. And, as I mentioned above, we just launched a new, improved website to mark these momentous occasions. Please check out its fresh look, improved navigation, and added features such as Signature Stories under the Portfolio page.
Through the years, we had been privileged to work with amazing clients and trusted partners. And you, our loyal Creating Spaces followers, mean the world to us too. It’s an honor to share my passion for interior design here. Thank you for coming along!
Instilling Transitional Interior Design Throughout a New Home