Archives for April 2015

9 Tricks to Boost Your Home’s Appeal for Less Than $400

April 21, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Whether you’re redecorating or just doing a quick update, check out these ways to enhance your home on a budget

Following my story on ways to boost your home for less than $75, I’m upping the ante and exploring some tips and tricks around the $400 mark. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home anytime soon, these touches could help you make a welcome change to your home environment for a relatively low price.

9 Tricks to Boost Your Home’s Appeal for Less Than $400

Filed Under: Blog, Furniture, Home Care, Home Remodel

Kitchen Ideas: How to Choose the Perfect Backsplash

April 20, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Backsplashes not only protect your walls, they also add color, pattern and texture. Find out which material is right for you

The humble backsplash has come a long way. Once upon a time, its purpose was purely functional: a tiled area behind the stove and sink to protect kitchen walls from stains and splashes. Today the availability of all manner of materials in a wide array of finishes means your backsplash can make more of a statement. To help you decide which material would work best for you, we offer expert advice on the 10 most popular backsplash materials.

Kitchen Ideas: How to Choose the Perfect Backsplash

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care, Home Remodel

5 Steps to a Fun and Practical Kids’ Bedroom

April 19, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

There’s no need to overcomplicate decorating your little one’s bedroom — here’s a simple guide

Designing kids’ bedrooms can be fun. For designers it’s typically the room in which we get to turn the decorating volume up and go a little crazy. At home it’s important to keep in mind practical elements, including storage and future use, while also making sure your little one’s personality shines through. These five steps will help you create a room that is just as rewarding for you as it is for your child.

5 Steps to a Fun and Practical Kids’ Bedroom

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

How to make any room look bigger [infographic]

April 18, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Care

11 Ways to Work With a Windowless Room

April 17, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

See how to use French doors, white paint, draperies and more to brighten a space and trick the eye

They say you never know what you had till it’s gone, and that’s certainly true for windows. When dealing with a windowless room, you really start to miss the natural light and appreciate the openness they bring. But whether you’re planning a little corrective construction or just a quick fix, there are plenty of ways to bring that same feeling to your basement, den, kitchen and more.

11 Ways to Work With a Windowless Room

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

6 Lessons Learned From a Master Suite Remodel

April 16, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

One project yields some universal truths about the remodeling process

Some good friends of ours just finished a master suite remodel. On the whole it went well: on time, on budget and generally to their satisfaction. Still, the process and execution were less than flawless, and as I listened to what didn’t go exactly to plan, I realized that other people could benefit from considering many of the lessons my friends learned before they embark on their own projects.

6 Lessons Learned From a Master Suite Remodel

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

15 Fun Features for Family Rooms

April 15, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Put the family back in your family room with a colorful mural, photo gallery or table ready for your gang’s favorite game

The family room is where you go to relax, watch movies, play games and hang out with friends — which makes it a great place in which to loosen up, decorating-wise. Create a fun, welcoming atmosphere in your family room by incorporating one or more of these 15 playful features, from photo murals to game tables.

15 Fun Features for Family Rooms

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

10 Pretty Ways to Refresh a Gray Palette

April 14, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Energize your favorite gray shades with pick-me-up accents as fresh as a spring day

Gray has proved to be one of our collective favorite color picks for the home in recent years. We’ve been strutting our gray stuff for a few seasons now, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. But with the spring sunshine, it’s definitely time to uplift our beloved palette of charcoal, pebble and dove with a few dashes of color and print. Be inspired by these 10 gray refreshes, guaranteed to put a spring in your step.