by Steve & Cathy Lambert

What’s cooking in your backyard? Today we pick up tips for designing outdoor kitchens, from our Garden and Landscape Design Experts and Contributors Steve and Cathy Lambert. Steve and Cathy share with us great advice for creating beautiful gardens and outdoor living spaces.

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Many homeowners view their yards as extensions of their homes, creating separate spaces and rooms for specific purposes. [...] Read more »

By Angela Min

Today our new Kitchen and Bath Design Expert and Contributor—Angela Min—joins us! Happily, the pencil is being tossed only over the kitchen island, as Angela is taking over writing duties for her design co-conspirator at The Kitchen Designer, Susan Serra, CKD.

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Breakfast rooms are often the afterthought of the kitchen, a “leftover” space often neglected by both homeowners and designers alike. But what a [...] Read more »

There’s still time to make Mom smile, when she sees the handmade Mother’s Day gift from you or the kids. We are lucky enough to be enjoying Mom’s company this Mother’s Day, as she has flown in for a visit with the California family.

A quick, fun reuse project is our Sweet Stands. Put some together by Saturday and you can host Mom for a beautiful [...] Read more »

Design Expert: Michael Green

Being in Northern California, I really do need to learn more about wine. To Wine & Spirits Expert and Educator, Michael Green, finding a fine wine can be a parallel journey to finding good design.

Gourmet Magazine’s Wine & Spirits consultant for 19 years, Michael’s knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject is vast. Visit Living in Color With Sonu to watch Michael’s lively [...] Read more »

Design Expert: Jenn Sbranti

Entertaining guru Jennifer Sbranti, Editor-in-Chief of the hip party planning resource, Hostess with the Mostess®, shares with us—in her own words—how to create memorable times with those closest to us, as we Make Time for Family and Friends in the

New Year….

“The idea of “making time for family and friends” seems like something that should be a no-brainer, right? Certainly it’s a different [...] Read more »

by Diana Durkes

Today we beautify a thrift-store find with our furniture and accessories makeover specialist, Contributor Diana Durkes. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving in Chicago.

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For last month’s makeover, I used a thrift shop resource to turn old sweaters into a throw rug. This month, I thought I’d continue the idea of giving new life to [...] Read more »

by Leona Gaita

Today we are joined by Leona Gaita, HomeWorkshop.com Interior Design Expert and Contributor. Leona shares with us her inspiring ideas and advice to help us enrich our homes and lives with beauty and elegance.

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It’s that time of year! Friends and family will be coming over, sharing good food, good cheer and good times… AND THEY’LL BE USING YOUR BATHROOM! Of course you’ll have [...] Read more »

Designer Nancy Van Natta brought a room in the sky back down to earth. Van Natta’s dining room for the Icons of Design at San Francisco’s Millennium Tower is an aerie saturated in comfort.

Other rooms in the space have jaw-dropping views of the San Francisco Bay and surrounding city, but this room is different. “I wanted it to be an intimate and cozy nest in [...] Read more »

What’s one way to add drama to a masculine space? Ground the rooms with graphic area rugs. That’s what Jennifer Jones did with the living and dining rooms she designed for a San Francisco bachelor/CEO.

“Using graphic area rugs in both spaces was a fun way to tie the rooms together conceptually,” said Jones. “They bring pattern and movement to the rooms, creating [...] Read more »

by Susan Serra, CKD

Once again, today we are joined by Kitchen Design Expert and Contributor, Susan Serra, CKD. Known to many as “The Kitchen Designer” for her popular blog, Susan is an award-winning Certified Kitchen Designer, with a national clientele.

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The social kitchen has an important role to play in the home every day, under so many different scenarios. Whether it is two people sitting down [...] Read more »

by GraceAnn Simoni

Once again, today we are joined by Contributor GraceAnn Simoni, Interior Redesign and Staging Specialist and Instructor from the Chicagoland area. GraceAnn shares with us budget tips and advice for decorating with your existing furniture and accessories.

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The holidays are fast approaching. Is your guest room ready or has it become the place where everything that does not have a home lands? Assuming [...] Read more »

The other day my buddy Diane said she wanted to set a gorgeous table for the holidays this year. She was taking stock of what she had on hand, and planning to score a few new things to spice up her tablescape.

Leona recently gave us inspiration with the luscious scenes in her tinted glassware post. My daughter and I jumped in and created this fall [...] Read more »

by Leona Gaita

Today we are once again joined by Leona Gaita, HomeWorkshop.com Interior Design Expert and Contributor. Leona shares with us her inspiring ideas and advice to help us enrich our homes and lives with beauty and elegance.

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A great way to add some rich color to your table for fall, without changing dishes, or breaking the bank, is to add some colorful tinted glassware.

Thanksgiving Table [...] Read more »

Patriotic Peeps Placemats

Looking for a fresh take on your July 4th picnic table decor? Whip up some Patriotic Peeps Placemats. Easy to make and fun for the whole family, these are personalized with each family member’s handprint reverse-appliqued in stars and stripes fabrics.

Materials for Four Placemats:

One and one-half yards 45-inch wide off-white cotton canvas

One-quarter yard each 45-inch wide blue and white stars & red and [...] Read more »

As summer blows closer, enjoy a little light browsing in beachy aquas, silvery greys and seashell whites. The flip-flops and lemonade are just around the corner.

Cottage and Bungalow’s 40″ Facing Mermaids

Clockwise from above left: West Elm’s Origami Shells, and from Seaside Inspired, their Beach Stone Placemats, Nautilus Shell Plates, and their Coral Candelabra.

Cottage Home Maine’s custom-made Aqua Trestle Table:

Seaside Inspired’s Embroidered Coral Pillow:

Carl Woodland’s made-to-order [...] Read more »