Anjulie Rao

Chicago

Journalist and Critic at Freelance

I write about the built environment. bylines in a lot of places. anjulier at gmail or anjulierao at bsky (she/her)

Articles

Why the Average Home Buyer Needs a Realtor

4 days ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

The much-discussed National Association of Realtors lawsuit reconfigured fees, revealing exactly what first time buyers are up against. It’s already difficult enough to buy your first home. Between legalese, inspections, financing—and the high interest rates and home prices—prospective new homeowners enter the process with a lot to learn and a multitude of risk factors. This is where having a competent, dedicated buyer’s agent can be particularly helpful.
Why the Average Homebuyer Needs a Realtor

1 week ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

The much-discussed National Association of Realtors lawsuit reconfigured fees, revealing exactly what first time buyers are up against. It’s already difficult enough to buy your first home. Between legalese, inspections, financing—and the high interest rates and home prices—prospective new homeowners enter the process with a lot to learn and a multitude of risk factors. This is where having a competent, dedicated buyer’s agent can be particularly helpful.
Can Micro-Units Help Gen Z’s Loneliness Epidemic?

2 weeks ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

View 4 PhotosA stable and connected future for young people could lie in an extremely small-scale intervention. View 4 PhotosStudies show that Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—are not doing great. Having inherited a "fundamentally broken world," says Newsweek, Gen Z is dealing with a host of "social, digital, and developmental factors" that have led them to experience higher levels of loneliness than their elders.
How Trees Destroyed by the L.A. Fires Are Being Recycled Into New Lumber

2 weeks ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

Angel City Lumber says it will likely be able to produce enough low-cost, millwork-grade board for 500 rebuilt homes—and provide some closure along with them.
How to Navigate Renovation Costs in the Age of Tariffs

1 month ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

Stop panic-hoarding building materials and get familiar with one word: contracts. In January, a colleague was remarking on an ongoing renovation project to transform her attic into a primary bedroom and bath. When the word "tariff" started leaking into the home renovation lexicon, she began chatting with neighbors about how she might avoid fluctuating prices, material delivery delays, and going over budget.
How to Navigate Renovation Costs in the Age of Tariffs

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Anjulie Rao

Stop panic-hoarding building materials and get familiar with one word: contracts. In January, a colleague was remarking on an ongoing renovation project to transform her attic into a primary bedroom and bath. When the word "tariff" started leaking into the home renovation lexicon, she began chatting with neighbors about how she might avoid fluctuating prices, material delivery delays, and going over budget.
How a Former NFL Player Made This Beloved ’60s Shelving System Even More Modular

1 month ago | dwell.com | Anjulie Rao

View 4 PhotosPost-gridiron, Kevin Jones took an internship with USM. Now he’s given the company’s famous Haller pieces what might be their most radical update yet. View 4 PhotosFormer NFL running back Kevin Jones is full of surprises. Twenty five years ago, as the number-one college draft pick in the country, Jones was suspected to be choosing between Penn State and Virginia Tech.
Neuroaesthetics Has Been Around for 25 Years. Are Architects Paying Attention Yet?

1 month ago | untappedjournal.com | Mark Byrnes |Diana Budds |Anjulie Rao |Peter Shire

When Susan Magsamen’s two-year-old granddaughter needs a nap, she brings her to a quiet room, pulls down the blackout curtains, and turns on a white-noise machine, creating the just-right setting to comfortably lull her to sleep. This type of ritual will sound familiar to caregivers of young children, but Magsamen wonders why, for the most part, we neglect how our environment makes us feel as we get older.
How Great Lakes Cities Are Transforming Dump Sites into Thriving Landscapes

1 month ago | azuremagazine.com | Anjulie Rao |Elizabeth Pagliacolo

Landscape designers, community activists and birders are breathing healthy new life into the repositories of dredged lakebed silts – known as “confined disposal facilities” or CDFs, for short. Posted Apr 24, 2025 SHARE We rely on advertising revenue to support the creative content on our site. Please consider whitelisting our site in your settings, or pausing your adblocker while stopping by.
Furniture That Supports Us, When and Where We Need It

1 month ago | untappedjournal.com | Mark Byrnes |Anjulie Rao |LinYee Yuan |Peter Shire

I’ve never had an “eye for design.” It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I first truly noticed a piece of furniture: Walking into a friend’s apartment, I observed a skeleton of what might have been a love seat. There were no cushions; cross-hatched wood slats were laid bare, and the grain, illuminated by the sunlight, was dulled from use but still striking. It was not large, but simple, streamlined. I asked if it was meant to be a couch.