Interior Design & Decorating

Made in America is more than a slogan. For some, it signals a desire among home decor consumers and retailers alike to buy and sell items that came from this county. “People want to buy…

The only thing better than a chocolate chip frappuccino is a double chocolate chip frappuccino made right at home. Make a double chocolate chip frappuccino at home with help from the owner of a coffee…

Green products are more popular than ever, where the eco-friendly movement has gone from fringe to mainstream. But going green isn't just about the product itself. It entails other aspects, like the…

You don't have to run out to the nearest cafe to make a nice cafe espresso. Make cafe espresso at home with help from a longtime coffee industry professional in this free video clip.

Just because you want to make a frappuccino at home doesn't mean you have to use coffee. Learn how to make a frappuccino at home without coffee with help from a longtime professional in the coffee…

Sunporches create the perfect outdoor space during the spring and summer months. You can entertain guests on your porch, enjoy a cool drink or relax with a good book. But if your sunporch lacks style…

Faux finishing allows you to create the look of a certain material or surface without dealing with the cost or labor involved in using the actual material. A plain wooden table can be made to look…

Perk up your home and enhance its curb appeal with a front porch overhang. This addition to your home can give your family an additional space to spend time together as well as give your house a more…

Louvers are parallel, angled, usually horizontal slats or flat strips placed at regular intervals in a furnishing. They are most commonly seen in window treatments such as shutters and blinds. A pine…

Refinishing your home's exterior with a rough finishing technique can bring new life to old, worn-looking masonry. Whether you want to improve the weather-resistance of your walls or give your house a…

Veggie smoothies are a great snack that you can make right in the comfort of your own home. Make veggie smoothies at home for kids with help from a food expert in this free video clip.

Gunmetal is similar in appearance to the natural bluing that occurs to metal, including firearms, after years of exposure to heat. Achieving this dark blue, oxidized finish on the metal products…

Moving into a new apartment can be an adventure, but it can also feel limiting, as most leases bar any big design changes. Even though you don't own the property and can’t make drastic…

The English language can be quite confusing, particularly when it comes to words that sound the same but mean two entirely different things. It can be tricky to use a word in the correct context. With…

Save space in small storage areas by installing sliding doors to close up an open storage space or to eliminate the need for opening doors outward. Sliding doors are easy to install in an existing…

The arrangement of desks in a classroom is one way that a teacher can help add variety to the students' experience. Rearranging the desks can help students work in groups and facilitate interaction.…

A front porch harkens back to a gentler time of year, when the evenings were cool, but not cold and the daytime sun was bright and hot. There's nothing quite like sitting out on the porch protected…

Commercial denture cleansers can be costly, and many of them have mysterious ingredients. Using a homemade denture cleanser erases all of your concerns since you control the products that go into it…

Plum has a rich, romantic and sophisticated look, making it a favored color for walls, furnishings, pottery and floral arrangements. Deep plum shades stand out even more when paired with other…

A fireplace mantel, not a big-screen television, should be the focal point of the room. Creating an architecturally interesting mantel ensures that whenever the living or family room is entered, what…

Cultures across the world began using mosaics as decorations thousands of years ago. Colorful bits of broken tile, arranged randomly or crafted into pictures then glued in place or set in mortar,…

Besides finishing the look of a fireplace, a mantle serves as an area to display pictures, trophies, knickknacks and other items. If you are ready to install a mantel above your fireplace, you must…

If you're looking for a way to make your outdoor living more comfortable or you'd like to make use of space surrounding your front porch, expanding the porch can accomplish either of these things.…

For many families, the front porch is an extension of home -- a place to welcome guests or gather on summer evenings. Wood and concrete are the most common materials for porches, and both have their…

In a rustic room design, the charm of a fireplace provides a natural focal point. For the fireplace to coordinate with the simple and unpolished decor of the room, the mantel and the hearth must have…

A handrail adds character and safety to a front porch. Although railings vary in styles and designs, constructing and installing a basic assembly that features an upper and lower horizontal rail and…

A doorbell consists of little more than a switch, a power supply, and a bell or buzzer. Electricity flows down one wire from the power supply to the bell or buzzer and back to the power supply along a…

Drywall panels feature beveled edges on their long sides and flat edges on their shorter ends. Where the flat ends of two panels meet, there is no beveled seam recession, so the joint compound can…

Arches not only provide additional support to doorways, but can also liven up an entryway. Installing an arch doorway takes very little time and contributes greatly to the appeal of any room,…

Cottage porch architecture is as varied as cottage architecture itself. Many styles are referred to as "cottages," ranging from the streamlined sophistication of Craftsman architecture to…

The front of a home is very important. It is the first thing to convey messages to visitors about the style of the occupants -- that famous “first impression.” When selling a home its…

Whether you're setting up for a post-game picnic or celebrating a baseball-themed wedding, there's more than one way to decorate a baseball-themed table. With the right decor, you can combine your…

Design and decoration inside of a house can alter the way in which the house appears. Optical illusions created through lighting, color, arrangement and spacial positioning can make an area appear…

No matter what your home decorating style is, neutral colors will complement it. Neutral colors are versatile in that they blend with both light and dark hues. Neutrals are often used in home…

Before the emergence of Victorian design styles in the mid-19th century, the British embraced the geometry, order and symmetry of classic Greek and Roman architecture. Neoclassicism was an antidote to…

Audio racks come in a variety of sizes and space heights to suit user application and equipment needs. Used to mount audio components adhering to industry width and height standards, racks serve to…

Design conventions evolve over time because they work either in terms of physical convenience or safety. Eventually, they end up in standards or building codes and are used, not just because…

The color combinations you use when working on your computer are largely a matter of personal preference. There are also ergonomic considerations, however. If your work requires you to spend long…

When fireplaces were a necessary part of dwelling construction, the mantel was an important part of the design. It provided the support to hold the bricks or stones around the top of the opening.…

Enclosed terraces allow you to enjoy the outdoors even when the weather isn't optimal. The enclosure protects you from rain or heavy wind while you enjoy the view or the fresh air. While the terrace…

The '80s were all about music, movies, big fashion and even bigger hair. The girls wore leggings while re-enacting Molly Ringwald movies, and the boys played the latest gaming device called Nintendo…

Rental properties can offer many investment and residual income opportunities, but only when the property generates income. If you find a property you own isn’t renting out as quickly or easily…

Wordle is an online flash application that allows you to create word art from text that you type or text pulled from a website RSS feed. The application provides a number of pre-created color palettes…

Soffit, generally, is an exterior ceiling area, such as the sealed bottom of a roof eave. A kitchen soffit, though, is the space between the top of the kitchen cabinets and the ceiling. Similar to…

Moving a shed from its longtime location is sometimes necessary. In other instances, it is practical to build a small shed in one spot and move it to its final location, especially if you want the…

The color of your dress is as important as its style. And just as your dress' style should complement your personality and suit the occasion, the color should enhance your body's natural color and…

Loft areas provide more floor space in a home, but an open-living concept often comes without privacy. Many loft areas are constructed with an open view to rooms below with nothing more than an…

Grapevines are traditionally used in making primitive country crafts such as woven baskets, door swags and wreaths. Small grapevine roots are a thinner, more delicate part of the grapevine itself.…

While the allure of completing all of your home improvement projects on your own can be strong, the realities of some projects are such that you need to hire a professional. Even so, if you have it in…

A fireplace mantel often attracts people to the fireplace. It is common for guests and friends to look closely at the woodwork, particularly if the mantel is new. For that reason, finishing the mantel…