Kitchens & Baths
Articles and information on Kitchens & Baths
Americans Are Snuggling and Struggling to Get to Sleep
While some may feel love conquers all, environmental comfort factors such as room temperature and uncomfortable mattresses, cramped sleeping conditions and noises are robbing many American adults of a good night's sleep.
Back to Cool
If you're a home "decorista" in search of some fabulous new feathers to dress your nest with, consider wallcoverings. Today's options can add color and visual interest, as well as wonderful texture.
Bare Necessities: How to Design a Bathroom, Minimalist Style
Is less more? Or is less a bore? That is the question designers have debated for centuries. Bathrooms -- and the fittings, fixtures and furnishings that designers develop for the most functional space in any home -- are subject to these same whims and questions that drive all types and tides of style.
Build a Cedar Window Box in a Weekend
Turning the backyard into an outdoor living retreat is one of the hottest trends among American homeowners. It makes sense; with televisions, computers and phones in nearly every room of the house, the backyard deck is the final safe haven from life's pressures.
Cheap Chic
Looking to change the style of your home while sticking to a budget? Get ready to roll up your sleeves. Here are some inexpensive, practical ideas that will save you time and money in your quest to add some personal style to your home.
Decorating 101: Making a Dorm Room Home
For parents getting ready to send their kids off to college, memories of dorms probably consist of tiny, cinder-block rooms with a set of bunk beds, two desks and maybe some posters on the wall for decoration. But today's dorms have come a long way, and so has the comfort and style level students expect.
Decorating to Stay
We've all heard the tips on how to decorate to sell your house -- keep colors neutral, get rid of clutter, and arrange furniture to make rooms appear more spacious. But what if you don't want to sell your home -- you want to stay? How do you decorate with that in mind? Luckily, there are no rules when it comes to decorating your own home.
DIY Fireplace Mantels
As the centerpiece of a room, the fireplace is both functional and attractive. It draws your attention with its warmth, and, with the style of mantel you choose, lets you express your interior design tastes and set the tone for the room.
Embrace Your Inner Color: Hints for Choosing the Perfect Paint Palette for Your Home
Using wall color is one of the most exciting and impactful aspects of home decorating. With paint, you can create a mood and atmosphere that expresses your personality and makes your home uniquely yours.
Entryways Provide Invitation to Home
Does your home's front entrance provide an invitation or just an entrance? Does it cause people to take notice or drive on by? Just like a finely manicured lawn and a well-maintained exterior add curb appeal to a home, so too, does the front entrance. A home's front entry is one of the first elements visitors see of your home.
Everything Old World is New Again
We may live in a new age, but we still clamor for old world styling in our homes. Today's interior design trends reflect our desire for looks that say "handcrafted" yet perform "high tech."
Flooring Surface that Lets You Be the Designer
When you decide it's time to replace your flooring, don't just put down new carpet or tile. Dare to be different and choose a new surface.
How to Create Your Dream Kitchen without Spending a Fortune
It's the busiest room in the house and one that often needs the most improvement: your kitchen. You dream of having a culinary oasis like those showcased in design magazines, but you can't imagine having to dip into junior's college fund to get this custom look.
How to Make an Elegant Fountain for Your Garden
You've weeded the flower beds, planted the vegetable garden and dusted off your patio furniture. Now comes the fun part: adding some decorative elements to your garden. And what better way to pull your design together than with an elegant fountain.
Make One Corner Beautiful at a Time
If you have the discipline to stick to it, this simple adage -- make one corner beautiful at a time -- can transform your decorating dreams from overwhelming to manageable and rewarding.
Make Your Dorm Room a Place Everyone Wants to Be
There's always one dorm room on each floor that stands out from the rest as being "the room" everyone wants to spend time in. Want to make it yours?
Mix and Match: Finding the Right Design Combination for a Bathroom
- Good design is about mixing and matching. We want our homes to reflect our individual tastes and interests. It should be practical and personal. We shy away from cookie-cutter rooms filled with furnishings all in the same scale and style. And, what "goes together" doesn't always need to match.
Nouveau Faux Takes Painting to a New Extreme
It's that time again -- the change in weather and the rush to redecorate before the holidays arrive means many do-it-yourselfers will soon find themselves preparing for winter with a paintbrush in hand.
Only the Rich Can Afford to Use Cheap Paint
Before you cut corners with your paint, you might want to think twice. Trying to save a few dollars in this area could prove to be a costly mistake.
Pain Keeping You Awake? What You Can Do
Insomnia often strikes out of the blue, sets up camp for a few nights and then vanishes just as quietly as it arrived. At least that's how it works for most people.
Paint Like the Pros
Mild days of 50 to 80 degrees with little or no wind and low humidity are more likely to bring thoughts of golfing than household chores. However, these are the perfect conditions for outdoor painting jobs. So grab your old clothes -- it's time to paint.
Painting Made Simple(r)
Are you tired of staring at four neutral-colored walls? Have you noticed that the 'mauve' you painted your room several years ago is no longer en vogue? Whatever your reasons, a new coat of paint is the fastest, easiest and least expensive way to add some pizzazz to your home.
Picture Perfect Holiday Gifts for the People You Love
The stores are packed every year around this time with people looking for the perfect gift for that special someone in their life. But how much of an impression is that serving platter, sweater or bottle of wine going to make?
Powder Rooms Grab More Attention
They might be the smallest rooms in many homes, but powder rooms today are getting more than their share of attention as evidenced by the growing number of homes being built with a powder room (approximately 84 percent according to research by Moen Incorporated) and the large percentage of remodeling projects focused around them.
Selling Your Home? Add Curb Appeal with a Few Simple Touches
Spring has sprung and 'tis the season for homeowners to put up "for sale" signs in their yard. If you want to add curb appeal to your home in time for selling season, a few simple touches can make a powerful impact in the eyes of potential buyers.
Sleep Well, Be Well
Many people are familiar with Ben Franklin's observation that "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This founding father clearly understood the connection between a good night's sleep and a better quality of life.
The 97-Percent Solution for America's Kitchens
The chandelier used to mark your arrival. Clad in crystal, it met you in the foyer of a well-appointed home, and then dazzled you from a power position over the diningroom table.
The Lap of Affordable Luxury: Lavish Baths Achieved by Focusing on Basics
Bathrooms are becoming one of the most luxurious spaces in today's homes. Often inspired by the lavish Grecian baths seen in prestigious spas and hotels, homeowners want to create a serene and relaxing retreat in their own home to escape for a few moments each day.
The Three "C's" Of Today's Upscale Home Decorating
Ask interior designers and industry experts across the country what the "hot" trends are in upscale home decorating, and you'd assume their responses would be as varied as the specialties they represent.
Tips to Get Through Painting Prep Faster
As cooler weather drives us indoors, projects left undone throughout the summer start to nag a little louder. Redecorating a home can be an exciting process for homeowners. However, many dread the process of getting started, especially when it requires prep work.
Warm Up to Fall
Cooler days. Longer shadows. Leaves changing colors. All signs that summer is ending and fall is beginning. As your wardrobe changes from short-sleeved pastels to corduroys and sweaters, your home should reflect the change in seasons as well.
