The main thrust of this issue – as it usually is at this time of year – is to provide you with a glimpse of how your peers view the passing year, as well as the coming year. Read the industry sections carefully and you should be able to sense consensus on some issues facing us in 2020.

In early November, Hearth & Home faxed a survey to 2,500 specialty retailers of hearth, patio, and barbecue products, asking them to compare October 2019 sales to October 2018. The accompanying charts and selected comments are from the 209 usable returns.

The blending of Balinese pod-style architecture with contemporary design aesthetics, then placing it in a desert landscape with towering saguaros and views of Pinnacle Peak, was a challenge for the folks at Tate Studio Architects in Cave Creek, Arizona.