A pile of pillows can transform a sofa from boring to beautiful and add both style and comfort to a room. But arranging sofa pillows to look their best is not the easiest task. Follow these guidelines to achieve pillow perfection. Choose a color scheme first Before buying pillows, decide on a color scheme that… Read more »
Popular home furnishings stores and design magazines increasingly feature curved furniture. Pieces with sloping lines and rounded forms echo the past and add both comfort and sophisticated style to home decor. Here’s what you need to know about the curved furniture trend. Everything old is new again Curved furniture was initially popular in the 1970s… Read more »
We all grew up hearing that stripes don’t go with plaids. But in home decor, a mixture of patterns and prints can take a room from blah to beautiful. Here’s how to mix patterns and prints like a professional when decorating your home’s interior. General rules for mixing patterns and prints Decorators emphasize that to… Read more »
If you live in an older home, you could be residing in a place rich with history. Research can yield a treasure trove of information about past owners and momentous events that happened on or near your property. Are you ready for some historical sleuthing? Public records of a home’s history One of the simplest… Read more »
Windowsill gardening is a great option if you want freshly grown herbs, vegetables or flowers but live in an apartment or other situation with little outdoor garden space. Even if you have outdoor space, you may like the convenience of snipping fresh herbs at your kitchen window. Here’s how to convert a small, sunny space… Read more »
One simple action — closing your bedroom door before going to bed at night — could save your life. A practice known in the fire safety field as “close before you doze,” that simple act gives you precious minutes to escape in a catastrophic house fire. The facts about fire Today’s building materials and furnishings… Read more »
When baked-on food spills coat the inside of your oven, it’s time for a cleanup. You can avoid noxious oven cleaner sprays and mad scrubbing with a self-cleaning oven. But there are important things to know about using your oven’s self-cleaning feature. How self-cleaning ovens work There are two types of self-cleaning ovens: steam cleaning… Read more »
Robust plant life inside your home adds color and vibrancy. Plants break up straight lines in furniture and accessories and literally add life to your home décor. They also recycle air, removing carbon dioxide and adding back oxygen. There are many great choices to bring the outdoors in, but here are six of the best… Read more »
You can only work from your dining table or your couch for so long, and you may not have a bedroom to give over to a full office. Tucking an office into a closet space carves out a dedicated workstation but uses minimal space. Here are some tips for creating a “cloffice.” Closet size If… Read more »
The Covid-19 pandemic closed workplaces for much of 2020, sending millions of people home to conduct business. Even as restrictions have been lifted, many employers are continuing to allow their employees to work from home. If you are one of these workers, an appropriate workspace is essential to a good experience for you and those… Read more »
Luxurious leather furniture never goes out of style and has a timeless appeal. Here’s how to clean leather furniture so that you can enjoy it for years. Regular leather cleaning At least twice per month, clean your leather furniture’s cushions with a microfiber cloth or your vacuum’s hose with a soft bristle brush attached. Don’t… Read more »
You pull out your favorite wool sweater only to find it has holes in it. Are clothes moths the cause? Possibly, but there are several suspects that could have chowed down on your cardigan. Here’s our guide to cloth-eating insects and getting rid of them. Clothes-chewing critters Cloth-eating insects choose fabrics made from animal hair… Read more »
Some people have the proverbial “green thumb” and can make any plant thrive. Others watch their houseplants begin to shrivel the moment they bring them home. Let’s get your greenery growing with this guide to selecting and caring for houseplants. Work with your decor Choose and place houseplants as part of your overall plan for… Read more »
Recent U.S. wildfire seasons have been particularly brutal, especially in the western states. Staying inside may help you avoid the worst of the smoke, but it will find ways to infiltrate your home anyway. If you live near an area prone to wildfires, here’s how to fight indoor pollution from wildfire smoke. Outside and inside… Read more »
Tired of the all-white design aesthetic so prevalent on Instagram, some millennials are resurrecting their grandparents’ decor in their own homes with comfy, colorful results. Introducing grandmillennial style! Do you see a pattern here? For years now, white has been the “it” color in home design. We’ve seen it throughout the house: white shiplap walls… Read more »
Safety needs to be the first element in a child’s bathroom design, but don’t forget to add a splash of fun. Knowing how quickly children grow, keep versatility in mind, allowing for quick and easy changes. From babies to teens, here are some ideas for creating bathrooms kids will love. Let them have a say… Read more »
Numerous options exist at every price point, but what’s the difference in pillows? Keep reading for a breakdown of sizes, shapes, and materials and how they affect your sleep quality. Why does a pillow matter? Believe it or not, your pillow can benefit your health and enhance your quality of life, not just improve your… Read more »
Faux finish painting became popular in the late 1990s as a way to break the monotony of flat wall colors. Sponge or rag painting, the “dry brush” technique, Venetian plaster, glazes…options are varied! But are faux paint finishes in or out? Most interior designers would agree, it is based on the application technique used and… Read more »
A living wall consists of plants hung vertically on a wall instead of on horizontal surfaces like tables, shelves, or the floor. Whether indoors or outdoors, living walls benefit your health and the ecosystem. If you want to include more green living in your home, here’s how to install a living wall. Where to begin?… Read more »
When it comes time to clean an area rug, particularly an oriental or antique one, can your carpet cleaner do the job? The answer is probably not. Here are the key differences between carpet and area rug care. Area rug and carpet differences More than 90 percent of wall-to-wall carpet is made of nylon fibers…. Read more »
