5 Compelling Reasons to Mix Metals in the Kitchen

A winning combination of metallic finishes can enhance kitchen styles from historical to contemporary

For those who love a matching look, the thought of mixing metals can be intimidating. But mixing metals is a wonderful way to layer in texture, help create a historical or collected look and make a room more interesting. Here are five reasons to consider mixing metals when choosing finishes for your kitchen.

10 Easy Ways to Give Your Entryway and Front Yard a Holiday Boost

Make your entry inviting this season with decorations, lighting, furniture and more

Whether or not we’re hosting guests this fall and winter, we want our entries and front yards to feel welcoming. We’ve covered holiday porch decorating ideas to use from fall to New Year’s; now let’s dive into more quick updates that can help create an inviting entry this time of year. Getting a new doormat, investing in outdoor lighting or porch furnishings and tending the garden can help boost curb appeal for the holiday season and beyond.

Why a Sofa Makes a Room and How to Find the One for You

With TV and movie season ramping up and cozy weather coming, here’s what to consider as you pick your perfect couch

Football season kicks into high gear, your favorite shows return for fall sweeps, and chilly weather takes your cocktail party from the patio to the family room. It’s the humble sofa’s time to shine.

“From the very beginning [the sofa] was a synonym of relaxation,” says Agata Toromanoff, author of the new book, Sofas: 340 Iconic Designs.“Just like the preceding piece of furniture, the daybed, sofas allowed positioning the body comfortably and obviously enjoying the company of others who could join you,” she says. “Today, due to our sitting lifestyle, the sofa is, in many homes, the center of family life.”

But when a piece of furniture plays such a vital role in your everyday life, choosing the right one can be daunting. There’s a lot to consider.

10 Smart and Stylish Home Offices

These spaces combine good looks with hardworking design features

There are stylish home offices and there are practical home offices. But a home office that’s stylish and practical? That’s a winning combination, and these 10 home offices hit the mark. See how the designers, architects and builders who helped create these rooms did it, and take away ideas for your home office remodel.

20 Tips For Preparing Your House For Sale This Fall

15 Smart Ideas From Beautifully Organized Pantries

See shelf, bin, drawer and lighting setups that can help keep your food items and supplies in good order

The pantry is the workhorse of the kitchen. It helps you when you need to get dinner (or breakfast or lunch) on the table and keeps ingredients fresh and cool. But like all hardworking spaces, it can get a little (or a lot) disorganized. Gather inspiration from these beautifully organized spaces, and pick and choose from 15 takeaway tips to get your own pantry in shape.

How to Light Your Living Room

Add these 5 layers of lighting to create a bright, functional and stylish living room

When I was growing up, my childhood living room was strictly off-limits to kids and reserved for my parents and their friends. In my current home, however, we do quite a bit of living in our living room. Therefore, having a lighting plan that covers all of my family’s activities in our living room is essential. My plan for a well-lit living room requires five layers of light.

How to Paint Your Front Door, From Start to Finish

Learn what you need to know about this weekend project, such as the best paint to use and the right time to do it

Maybe you want to give your home’s exterior a color makeover. Or you’re ready to paint the front door that bold color you’ve been eyeing. Perhaps it’s time to refresh paint that has faded over time. Regardless of your reason for doing it, painting the front door is an easy and effective way to update and enhance your home’s exterior. It’s a home improvement project that can take a day to finish, won’t cost too much and can be done on your own or with the help of a professional.

Painting the front door is a seasonal project, depending on where you live, as you can’t paint in winter if it’s too cold outside. (Paint cans will state their minimum temperature requirements). You also don’t want it to be too hot, as the paint will be at risk of drying too fast and will be more likely to leave roller or brush marks. “We always try to paint doors when they are in the shade and are cool,” says painting contractor Michael Murray.

Read on for more tips on how to paint the front door.

The 10 Most Popular New Bathrooms

Furniture turned into vanities and floor tiles resembling rugs are among the highlights of these popular bathrooms

Customization and creativity stood out to Houzz users who saved their favorite bathroom photos over the last three months. Furniture transformed into vanities, colorful mosaic-tiled floors and living walls are all great features that can add a creative, custom touch to a bathroom. See the most popular bathroom photos on Houzz in this top 10 countdown.