Sheen affects the appearance of your paint. Know the various types, and when to use them. By Diane Franklin Flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, gloss: You’ve likely encountered all these names of sheens on the paint store shelf. You may wonder which sheen works best for which surface or which room in your house. Here are some [...]

As your child heads off to college, here are some ways he or she can give a dorm space some personality and more livability. By Diane Franklin August is the month when many new high school graduates head off to college for the very first time. They’re away from home, ready to face new adventures, [...]

The best outdoor spaces flow seamlessly from the inside ones and are just as cozy. By Tammy Adamson-McMullen We all know that living spaces don’t end with the exterior walls of a home. Over the last decade or so, decks, porches and patios all have become esteemed living spaces—and are being decorated to look just [...]

How can you create the ultimate master bedroom?? Here are some elements to consider. By Tammy Adamson-McMullen If your home is a sanctuary, then your master bedroom is the inner sanctuary, a peaceful and restive place where you can relax, rejuvenate and cast off the cares of the day. If your master bedroom is less [...]

Area rugs are everywhere in home decor. Here are some tips for finding the perfect one for your space By Tammy Adamson-McMullen No doubt you’ve noticed that area rugs are everywhere! This isn’t only because wooden floors are everywhere, too, but because area rugs do so much to enhance the spaces around them. An area [...]

Kids relate to pop culture more than ever before—and they want their rooms to reflect that. By Diane Franklin Who does your child want to be the star of his or her room? For your son, it could be the newest iteration of Spiderman—or perhaps he is a basketball fan who suddenly can talk about [...]

Wainscoting adds visual interest to your walls. Here are various ways you can create the effect. By Diane Franklin “Wainscoting” is one of those words that conjure up images of English parlors or formal libraries, but in actually wainscoting is appropriate for many different homes and many different decorating styles. When people use the term [...]

How can you keep your home looking spic and span outside? We offer some tips… By Tammy Adamson-McMullen Summer is a great time for outside fix-up projects, like painting the exterior of the house, staining the deck, pressure-washing the driveway, repairing fences, spray-painting patio furniture and so on. Once you’ve spruced up the outside, how [...]

Here’s how to spruce up walls, cabinets, countertops and more in your kitchen without spending a fortune. By Diane Franklin The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home, so of course, you want it to look its best. The average cost of a kitchen remodel tops $20,000, however. A daunting price tag [...]