While the world often feels chaotic, noisy, and overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to take intentional pauses to look back and appreciate the best aspects of our lives.
Whether that’s your family, your friends, your CrossFit subscription, or the dog sleeping next to you, identifying the things that make you happiest, the things that make you feel thankful, is an important practice!
And now, as we approach a national holiday celebrating those same things, we’d like to take our own intentional pause to appreciate and give thanks for the things that keep us feeling fulfilled.
TO OUR DC FAMILY:
We’re so thankful for each and every individual who makes up the DC team. You show up with 110% dedication to your craft, every single day, with the same level of heart, commitment, and care to your respective role as you did on day one.
Our team, and the families who support them, are the reason we’re able to dream big, design boldly, and keep growing year after year. Thank you for your expertise, humor, and heart that shape the culture we’re so proud of.
TO OUR CLIENTS, PAST AND PRESENT:
Thank you for trusting us with the spaces that mean the most to you. Every home, barn, cabin, and workshop we’ve helped bring to life carries a piece of your story, and it’s an honor to play even a small part in it. Your ideas push us to grow, your enthusiasm keeps us inspired, and your support allows us to do what we love every single day. We’re deeply grateful for the relationships we’ve built and the memories we’ve created together.
TO OUR PARTNERS:
And finally, thank you to our partners for being the steady, reliable, and talented collaborators who help transform our ideas into reality. Your expertise and commitment to quality make every project stronger and every challenge more manageable. We’re grateful for the trust we’ve built, the goals we’ve shared, and the many wins we’ve accomplished together!
To put it in fewer words, we’re simply grateful: Grateful for you existence, and the positive, creative, and delightful energy you put out into the world.
From all of us at DC, we wish you a warm, joyful, and restorative Thanksgiving!
When renovating your home or designing a new space, the smart home features you include can really shape how you live day to day. They aren’t just fun gadgets; they’re ways of making your home feel safer, more comfortable, and more responsive to how you actually live. And with nearly 60% of U.S. consumers projected to adopt smart technology by the end of 2025, companies are racing to get the best and the brightest technologies developed to stay ahead of ever-changing trends and consumer needs.
We love seeing how our clients incorporate brand-new technologies into their builds, and we bet you do too. As you plan your next project, here are five of our favorite smart home trends that we believe are worth investing in for your space.
1. Monitoring & Security Systems
Putting a modern monitoring or camera system in your home allows you to keep an eye on things even when you’re away. A doorbell camera, a common and accessible technology, is linked to your phone and gives you visibility into your property and peace of mind.
What homeowners are liking: The sense of control, safety, and remote connectivity. With smart security you don’t have to worry “what if I forgot to lock that door” or “what’s going on outside while I’m gone.” It brings practical safety into everyday life rather than being an afterthought.
2. Unified Ecosystems & Interoperability
As your home gathers more “smart” bits—such as lights, locks, cameras, and climate controls—the challenge is making them work together. That’s why ecosystems built around a unifying technology are gaining steam; they help devices from different brands speak the same language and be controlled in a simpler, more unified way.
What this means for your property: Fewer individual apps, less “device A works but device B doesn’t,” and more chance that your smart home setup grows with you rather than being locked or isolated. In a new build, it’s smart to plan wiring, hub placement, or infrastructure with that interoperability in mind.
3. Predictive AI & Automation
This is one of the coolest smart home developments we’ve seen in a while! Instead of simply turning devices on or off, your home is increasingly able to anticipate what you’ll need. These new systems are using AI and sensors to learn your habits—such as when you tend to arrive, what your lighting preferences are, and when your HVAC should kick in—and then act accordingly.
For homeowners, the appeal is the hands-off experience: Your home begins to feel like it knows you—automatic adjustments happen without you pushing a single button. From a build-planning standpoint, this means thinking ahead about sensor placement, wiring for automation, and systems that can expand over time rather than being one-and-done.
4. Smart Energy & Sustainability Systems
Energy management is becoming a smart-home pillar. From monitoring usage, integrating solar or battery storage, and smarter HVAC/lighting scheduling, these systems let your home do more than consume; they can track, respond, and optimize, saving your wallet and the planet on energy costs.
What homeowners appreciate: Lower bills, less waste, and a home that aligns with longer-term sustainability goals. From a design and construction perspective, this means prepping the infrastructure—conduits, zones, smart breakers or panels—so that the energy tech you install isn’t an afterthought, but built-in.
5. Design-Smart Integration
Smart-home tech doesn’t have to feel “techy”! The trend now is toward devices that disappear into your architecture or finishes. We’re talking hidden sensors, integrated lighting, and controls that blend into the space rather than dominate it.
For your home, this means the look and feel stays high-end and cohesive while still delivering smart-home capability. If you’re working on a new structure, planning for finishes that accommodate built-in smart tech ensures it feels intentional, not retrofitted.
Smart Homes: A Summary
As you plan or build, each of these trends contributes something slightly different: safety and visibility, system cohesion, automation and comfort, energy intelligence, and aesthetic integration. They’re not one-size-fits-all, but they’re worth thinking and getting excited about. The goal is a home that feels right for your lifestyle today and remains adaptable for tomorrow.
Ready to build a home designed for the future? Every DC Structures kit can be customized to support the smart-home technology and energy systems that matter most to you—so your space works as beautifully as it looks.
Give us a call at 888.975.2057 or request a catalog to get started on your journey!
Today is Adventure Day—a day dedicated to living life to the fullest, embracing bravery (sometimes in scary, adrenaline-seeking ways), and venturing into the unknown in all our passions, travels, and personal journeys.
It’s also International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day, but that’s neither here nor there.
The point is that today is cause for celebration, and maybe a little reflection on what it means to be adventurous—both in our pursuits and in the everyday adventures of work, family, and life itself.
While many of us dream of traveling the open road and experiencing the world, the reality is that sometimes life’s circumstances make this type of bold adventure less frequent. And even though that can feel limiting in the moment, there’s a beauty in having a sense of home and rootedness. It’s what makes the adventures we do get to take all the more meaningful.
For those who may not always be able to hit the land, sea, or sky at a moment’s notice, having a barn, garage, or barn home with a garage that houses your most prized vessels of freedom—from ATVs and RVs to jet boats, dirt bikes, and kayaks—can make those bold impulses feel thrilling and achievable.
Feeling inspired? Explore our gallery to see how other adventure-seeking clients have seamlessly combined their passions, hobbies, and homes.
Whenever you’re ready to take the next step toward your life’s next adventure—or keep it close until the right moment—feel free to call us at (888) 975-2057 or request a digital catalog.
Backyard cottages, granny flats, and tiny homes are no longer niche—they’re the future of housing. With demand for flexible living spaces and affordable housing at an all-time high, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our very first accessory dwelling unit (ADU) kit line—designed to meet these needs with customizable, compact models.
For years, our team has crafted pre-engineered building models that meet the evolving needs of modern homeowners. We’ve seen barndominiums surge in popularity and responded with our own line of wood-framed barndominium kits, delivering the warmth, durability, and value that set us apart. Now, with ADUs on the rise nationwide, we’re proud to bring our expertise to this new frontier in housing design.
ADUs aren’t just a stylish addition to your property; they’re also one of the smartest investments a homeowner can make. In some markets, studies show that building an ADU can increase property value by as much as 30%. Beyond the financial upside, ADUs offer incredible flexibility for your vision, with these designs often used as backyard retreats, guest cottages, rental units, music studios, or even resort cabins.
As innovators in the design and prefabrication space, our goal with this new line is simple: make it easier than ever to bring your ADU project to life. By offering pre-engineered models that are highly adaptable, budget-friendly, and efficient, our clients can take advantage of a straightforward, design-forward path to creating a new living space—one that’s both beautiful and entirely their own.
Meet the Sitka ADU Kit
The Sitka ADU Kit is the first of several pre-engineered ADU models we’ll be rolling out in the coming year. Versatile and thoughtfully designed, Sitka blends the latest ADU trends with the timeless character our clients love from our existing kits.
Available in two distinct styles—Classic and Modern—the Sitka offers five different size options, ranging from a studio-sized 405 sq. ft. floor plan to a much larger 884 sq. ft. layout. Each model offers studio and one-bedroom layouts that you can adapt from our samples or fully customize to suit your vision. Whether you’re planning a granny flat, backyard guest suite, tiny home, or vacation rental, the Sitka is designed to flex with your goals.
And because every kit comes with our premium material options, modifiable structural elements, and endlessly customizable layouts, you can make your Sitka ADU as distinct as you are.
Ready to Build Your ADU?
If you’re ready to start designing your dream ADU, our team is here to help you launch your project. Call us anytime at (888) 975-2057 or request a quote here.
You can also explore our ADU Inspo Pinterest board for fun, helpful planning. Whatever your vision, we’ll make your ADU journey seamless, creative, and rewarding.
Technology today can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Having instant access to news, shopping, and endless design inspiration is a luxury we can all appreciate, but with so many options at our fingertips, it can also feel pretty overwhelming. Where do you even start when you’re trying to bring a creative concept, like a personalized ADU, to life?
That’s where emerging tools like AI and online visualization platforms come in. For homeowners who already have a vision but struggle to put it into words—or for those who just want to play around with possibilities—these tools make it easier to see your ideas take shape. As part of our ADU kit launch, we wanted to share a few of our favorite ADU design software tools that can help you sketch out your dream space before our designers step in to refine and perfect it.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your build, here’s where we recommend starting:
MyArchitectAI
One of the most powerful AI home design tools for architects and design enthusiasts, MyArchitectAI lets you create exterior and interior spaces that match your vision, goals, and location. Using a few of our ADU renderings, we tested the platform and came away with several inspiring concepts—each highlighting just how flexible the platform really is. With a wide variety of photorealistic styles and editing options, you can tailor each detail to your needs and watch your imagination take shape.
HomeByMe
Another great—and free—tool for experimenting with your ADU floor plan is HomeByMe, a 3D design platform that helps you build 2D and 3D layouts from scratch or adapt existing ones. Whether you start with one of our pre-engineered ADU models or a quick sketch of your own, you can design and furnish spaces in a way that makes handing plans off to our team seamless. And if you’ve ever played The Sims (or watched your kids play), the interface will feel familiar—just without the quirky characters and their constantly depleting needs.
Renovate AI
The last (but certainly not final) tool on our list is Renovate AI, which allows you to upload a rendering or photo of your space, pick a style, and instantly visualize new possibilities for your interior or exterior. While this software leans toward remodeling and interior design, its playful features make it worth exploring. Right now, for example, you can choose from multiple Halloween themes—including a “Witch’s Cottage” mode. Whether or not you use it for your final plans, it’s a fun way to test out bold styles and spark new ideas for your custom ADU design.
Bring Your ADU Vision to Life
Ready to bring your ADU vision to life? Tools like MyArchitectAI, HomeByMe, and Renovate AI are a great place to start, but the real magic happens when your ideas meet expert design and engineering. Our team specializes in turning inspiration into buildable ADU plans—tailored to your property, lifestyle, and budget.
