Classical Ideas, Tips & Guides

Annie Schlechter

Walmart

Ketchup, soy sauce, and hot sauce are condiments you’ll find in most anyone’s pantry. These pantry essentials are the basics; more adventurous or globally oriented palates might also stock products like fruit chutney, gochujang, and harissa (to name a few) to keep around the house as add-ons to delivery or key flavor punch-ups for homemade meals. The next condiment that probably deserves a place on your pantry shelf? Hot honey.

Magnolia Network

Annuals are a topic that elicits strong responses from many gardeners. With the word come visions of manicured plantings, most frequently including foliage obscured by a lavish floral display. While some folks love the bright and reliable spreads of color, others meet them with disdain for their intensive use of resources and stiff appearance. Typically, when I think of annuals, I think of a different group and look entirely: increasingly, I usewater-wise annuals as texture-rich fillers that compete with weeds in new or revamped plantings, and as filler color where I expect to have a dull spot in the perennial beds and meadows. I’ve begun using them also as cut flowers, complementing the smattering of perennial blooms I cut for the kitchen counter. Such annuals blend effortlessly with naturalistic and cottage plantings, and reliably reseed each year. Many of these plants aren’t what come to mind when someone says “annuals”; if you’re more interested in annuals that complement your beds rather than replace them, read on.

Walmart

Anyone who appreciates a cute front door knows what a great first impression a beautiful color makes. That's why selecting the perfect color to don your door can be a big task—but thankfully, we have some expert help.

Selecting the best exterior paint color for your personal sense of style, neighborhood, natural surroundings, and landscaping setup can feel overwhelming— and picking the color you will be painting your entire house in is a big commitment.

I have been watching and admiring the white antirrhinum, A ‘Liberty Classic White’, in the cutting beds for a few weeks, not wanting to cut any stems until all our garden visitors had departed. Now that they have indeed all gone, I was at liberty to use the stems in today’s vase, where they form the mainstay of an all-white arrangement.

KATIE CHARLOTTE FIEDLER

Walmart

Walmart

We really love the creative cheese recipes taking the world by storm. But many of these viral videos lean on the sweet side (for instance, air-fried Oreos, peanut butter cups, and crème brûlée), so having a savory option like the beloved whipped feta is a nice break. When we made and tested the recipe, it just took one bite, and we were hooked.

Claire Hoppe

Patrick Biller

Carson Downing

Collaborative post

Lillian August

IKEA

If you're designing a room in your home that doesn't receive much natural light, by no means is all hope lost. There are several creative ways to brighten up a dark room that don't require much time or money and will make a lasting impact, according to the interior designers we spoke with.

The kitchen is the heart of the home—but for those of us on budgets, it sometimes gets overlooked, thanks to the high price tag a full-scale renovation can come with.

Kelsey Hansen

Whether it's blocking a busy street just beyond your property line or hiding from a nosy neighbor who pops by every time you step outside to water your plants, you may find yourself in need of a quick solution for privacy in your own backyard. While you could put up a sky-high fence, there's an easier, less expensive, and more aesthetically pleasing solution. Fast-growing privacy trees will give your yard a natural barrier that makes it feel like a private getaway.

Olive branch tats are steeped in history and symbolism, and they can look super cool. We’re talking about some design ideas that will inspire you, whether you’re a peace-loving hippie or just someone who digs a classic look!

DAVIDsTEA; Design: Better Homes & Gardens

PeopleImages / Getty Images

KAITLIN GREEN

What makes red root vegetables a must have on your platter is their nutrient composition! Being rich in beta-carotene, several vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, calcium and antioxidants, they offer plenty of healthy benefits that you just can’t ignore!

Trader Joe's

Bryce Jones

Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight, Alone and palely loitering, The sedge is wither’d from the lake, And no birds sing. John Keats You could be forgiven for thinking that today’s vase was a bit of a cop-out, that I had spent next to no time preparing it, but you would be wrong. It took several circuits and a fair degree of thought to come up with the vase and its associated prop. It may only be a single stem in a vase, but I am more than satisfied with the combination and the title and prop.

After seeing the once-beloved all-gray and minimalism trends take a backseat in recent years, it was no surprise another firm favorite might be slipping away, too.

If you think bark is solely a holiday treat, think again. We’re talking edible bark—think peppermint bark, chocolate bark, and other variations of this crisp, chilled treat that so often make appearances in holiday cookie swaps and gift boxes. Many of us might associate bark (mainly peppermint bark) with cozy holiday memories, but bark is actually also the perfect warm-weather treat: As temperatures climb, a cool treat is sometimes exactly what you’re craving.

Jell-O

If you love something, make it flat—that’s how the saying goes, right? When it comes to flat croissants, at least, that’s definitely the case. We all know (and love) the classic flaky croissant, but bakeries and home chefs have taken the pastry to new heights (or lows?) by flattening it and frying it to make it even crispier.

Anthony Masterson