Barbara Bellesi Zito

Outdoor DIY projects can be fun, but there’s always a bit of pressure to finish them quickly. After all, you can easily hide that half-finishedaccent wall inside your home, but that partially constructed cinder block garden is on display for the neighbors to see.

Picture it: You’ve planned the perfect gallery wall only to realize you neglected to account for the unsightly fuse box in the middle of it all.

If you have a fully operational garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, you’re likely in one of two groups. The first is comprised of conscientious individuals who know exactly what they should and should not toss down to prevent those blades from grinding to a halt.

While you can decorate and enjoy a private backyard just the way you like—or at least within the confines of an HOA’s rules—the elements of a shared courtyard or patch of grass should consider the group rather than the individual homeowners. «While some may not find this ideal, fostering a sense of community in these shared outdoor spaces can provide a sense of enjoyment,» says Joe Raboine, VP of Design at Oldcastle APG, parent company of Belgard Here are some tips on how to make the most of communal space. 

So you’ve hit the jackpot at the thrift store and found the vintage sofa of your dreams at a deep discount. But then you spot something that could turn this scene into a nightmare—an ugly stain on the fabric that looks at least half as old as the furniture itself. With a bit of patience and the right cleaning technique, there’s an excellent chance you can remove the stain, revive the fabric, and enjoy your “new” furniture for years to come. Below, we're sharing six foolproof ways to remove stains from thrifted store finds.

Summertime means shopping time if you’ve got a kid heading to college in the fall. Whether they’re moving into the dorm or an off-campus apartment, a stylish, comfortable bedroom offers the home-away-from-home they crave.  Designing a space where students can study, sleep, and hang out with friends might be a tall order given the not-so-aesthetic design of traditional campus residence halls. But with some creativity and savvy shopping, it’s possible to help your student create the dorm room of their dreams without a price tag to rival the tuition bill.

Thrift store shopping often requires more imagination than money—a challenge easily accepted by many DIYers. But don’t let a lack of tools or advanced know-how keep you from giving secondhand furniture a glorious new life in your home.

Moving is stressful. But moving into a cramped dorm room you’ll be sharing with a roommate for studying, sleeping, hanging out, and eating ramen noodles is next-level hectic. Not only do you have to quickly unload a carload’s worth of stuff to get you through the semester so someone else can take your parking spot, but you’ll likely have to deal with weepy family members while at it.

Planning some house parties this summer? As you compile your guest list, give some thought to those who will not be welcome—notably mosquitos, ants, wasps, and other nasty pests. 

Decluttering your space is simple in theory: just sell, donate, or discard/recycle anything you don’t use or need anymore. But it's the practice of that simple theory that can be hard. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard deck, you likely want to maximize that extra square footage. But before you purchase new seasonal furniture or decor, keep in mind that if you want them and your deck to last, some items should only earn a temporary spot outdoors. 

Aside from the dryer itself, dryer sheets make doing laundry that much easier—they are basically liquid fabric softeners in sheet form. Both add softness, remove static, and imbue your dry clothes with a hint of fragrance.

As the temperature starts to rise and the days get a bit longer, it’s easy to skip from spring into a summer frame of mind. But to enjoy the most that summer has to offer when it does arrive, there are some tasks homeowners should tackle now.

Color choice is important, but timing is actually everything when it comes to painting your home’s exterior. If you’re tackling this project as a DIYer, now's the time to get to work.

Whether you're on a personal mission to curtail the use of plastic bags or you happen to live in one of the handful of states that have enforced bans on them, chances are you might still have a few floating around your house.

Keeping your entire home tidy can seem daunting with families, pets, and even just daily messes that pop up. That’s why having an organizing strategy you can replicate for each room is critical.

When was the last time you cleaned your dishwasher filter? If your answer is never, then you're in the right place.

When it comes to organizing your space, are you on Team Decant or Team I Just Can’t?

During winter your garden and yard might be out of sight, either dead or under a blanket of snow, but spring will come again and everything will be in bloom once more. Though you've likely assumed you're probably just do the same thing next year with your outdoor green space, look to the 2024 yard and garden trends experts are predicting for some ideas of how you can switch it up.

If traditional Christmas carols were given a modern spin, «Deck the Halls,» would really mean deck the halls, roof, porch, and lawn. While a Christmas tree in the living room is still the star of interior holiday decor, front yards are often the next hot spot for holiday decor displays.

As 2023 draws to a close, you might already have resolved to refresh the look of your home. If that means a new furniture purchase is on the horizon, you might be wondering what trends are waiting—or will be continuing—in 2024.

Autumn starts off with a delicious crispness in the air, but as sunrises start to occur later and sunsets earlier, no amount of pumpkin spice can make up for those additional hours of darkness that pierce your soul. 

Every time you clean your toilet, be grateful we no longer hang toilet brushes on a hook on the wall. Now you can store it in a toilet brush holder (that is, once you're done using it to clean your toilet from a safe distance away). You can even find a sleek one that matches your bathroom's design style and enjoy displaying that caddy in the corner. But before you wrap up your next toilet cleaning—don’t be in such a rush to stow that wet brush back in its container.

Some of us are born with a green thumb, while some of us need a bit of help to keep our plant friends happy and healthy. So it's just as well there are so many products and gadgets available that make plant care easier. Here, we’ve rounded up 14 items both you and your plants will appreciate.

If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, chances are your car needs a good tidying up. Maybe you’ve amassed a collection of wadded-up napkins in your glove compartment from frequent drive-thru outings (hey, no judgment here). Or perhaps there’s a bunch of coffee cups and water bottles left over from your work commute. Suffice it to say, you’ve got a lot of stuff that’s hitching a ride—and it’s time to part ways. “As a professional organizer, I've learned that many individuals treat their vehicles as an extension of their homes, leading to unintentional clutter,” says Aaron Traub, owner and lead organizer at My Professional Organizer Dallas. “While keeping certain items in your car for convenience is tempting, some can create messes, odors, or even deteriorate due to temperature fluctuations.” Below, experts weigh in on what needs to be kicked out and stored elsewhere.

Summer was made for fun, but those long, hot days at the pool, beach, or lake can be tiring, and sometimes sneaking in a quick nap is in order. Whether you curl up in a shady spot outdoors or a cool space indoors, here are 18 products we love that will take your warm weather snooze to the next level.

When the weather is fine, a backyard patio becomes an outdoor living room for many homeowners. But when the weather is not fine, the poor furniture bears the brunt of it.