Tree decorations lean more traditional this year

By Kathy Van Mullekom Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

It's beginning to look a lot like a classic Christmas with tree ornaments trending toward the holiday colors of red, green and white.

Dec 13, 2009 | 1:00 am | (0) Comments

Cyclamen counterparts provide holiday sizzle

By Norman Winter McClatchy Newspapers

Those of you who have never grown a cyclamen are missing one of the great pleasures in cool-season gardening. The cyclamen is one of the most popular Christmas plants in Europe, but it lost its place on the pedestal to the poinsettia here in the United States. That's OK because we have ro…

Dec 13, 2009 | 1:00 am | (0) Comments

Farmer grows plants for green roofs

By Lindsay Gsell Capital News Service

STREET, Md. -- It is a crisp fall day on Emory Knoll Farms as John Shepley stops at a raspberry bush, picks a few berries and pops them into his mouth on his walk to the greenhouses.

Dec 06, 2009 | 12:15 am | (0) Comments

Expansion plans fit couple's growing lifestyle

By Lisa Boone Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES -- When architect Rebecca Rudolph and her husband, designer and builder Colin Thompson, bought a 1923 cottage northeast of downtown, they faced more challenges than the 500-square-foot home's size.

Dec 06, 2009 | 12:15 am | (0) Comments

More homeowners looking to stoves for heat

By CARYN ROUSSEAU Associated Press

For 23 years, Julie Gore has heated her Ada, Ohio, home with a wood-burning stove. When the old one wore out, she didn't hesitate to buy another for her family room.

Oct 17, 2009 | 10:20 pm | (0) Comments

Open up

Jessica Abels

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Green 3.0

Margaret Littman
CTW Features

Cadee Wilder was a fashion designer who specialized in print textiles. She wanted to spruce up her office, and, thanks to her profession, had high standards. "I was looking for cool wallpaper that was eco-friendly. I couldn't find it. So, I started making designs for myself and from that …

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

The Great Cover-Up

Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

If the economy is keeping you from buying new furniture for your home, maybe it's time to give your old furniture a new identity - or even a new purpose. From South Dakota to South Carolina, designers, inventors and upholstery experts are employing creative tactics to revitalize old furni…

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Make your mark

Genevieve Knapp
CTW Features

A new stove can make a kitchen look cleaner. But a glance at the checkbook can make updating your kitchen seem like a bad idea.

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

More bathroom for your buck

Sally Farhat Kassab
CTW Features

Aaah, the bathroom. Not an exciting place to talk about, perhaps, but a room we spend about 45 minutes a day in, according to a recent survey conducted by Charmin. It makes sense to make it look, and feel, warm and comfortable.

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Rest Easy

Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features

Which piece of furniture or household appliance do you use most? The television? The perfectly broken-in sofa you sit on to watch it? Another good guess: The kitchen island? The kids eat and do homework there, and guests crowd around it when you entertain. And let's not forget your computer.

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Flat and Sassy

Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

With more than 20 percent of American households owning one, flat-screen televisions can be found in nearly every type of room - from living rooms and kitchens to garages and man caves.

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Back in black

Taniesha Robinson

Sep 14, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Organic gardener goes for drought-tolerant look

Mariana Greene
The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS - The very day that Barbara Young's grown daughter remonstrated her for the informal look of her mother's wildflower plot in the front yard - "Mother, your yard looks terrible. What are you thinking?" - Young won yard of the month.

Aug 09, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

You Oughta Know

Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

When someone mentions "greening" the bathroom, most people think of changing the wallpaper color or adding a fern.

Jul 15, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

Jessica Abels
CTW Features

Forget the days of the solitary porch swing - today's front porches are hubs of full-fledged outdoor living. With five simple ideas, you can make yours the hottest spot on the block.

Jul 15, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Room to Grow

Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features

An all-adult brainstorming session is what the parents of a 3-year-old expected to take place when they hired Judson Beaumont to help them create a whimsical, one-of-a-kind bedroom for their daughter. Brimming with ideas of their own, they were bewildered when Beaumont got down on his kne…

Jul 15, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

What's Cookin'?

Barbara Ballinger
CTW Features

The good news from the National Kitchen & Bath Association's annual show held recently in Atlanta was that homeowners still want to build snazzy new kitchens and baths and remodel existing ones, despite the downturn in the economy. But in many cases, they want to do so less expensivel…

Jul 15, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments

…And Everything in its Place

Jessica Abels
CTW Features

The bedroom is meant to be a sanctuary, a place to retreat for relaxation and escape. "[But] it often isn't a sanctuary;it's a dumping ground," says Vicki Norris, a Sherwood, Ore.-based professional organizing expert, speaker and author.

Jul 15, 2009 | 12:00 am | (0) Comments