Amassing a front closet collection of post-holiday clutter including 17 scented candles, three pairs of fuzzy pink slippers, two juicers and a Snuggie, all still in boxes with the tags attached? You’re not alone. Here’s where to donate post-holiday clutter. Collectively, we are drowning in stuff. Transcending crowded houses and complicated lives, the insatiable desire […]
The truth is that no matter how organized we may be, life, as well as our families, can be messy, and maintaining a home can be a real challenge. Here are the practices I use to make sure that—no matter what—order can be restored in my house quickly, painlessly and without the assistance of a […]
The real estate market is improving, homes are beginning to sell and you’re thinking once more about that long-delayed remodeling project. With the recent plummet in home prices, is it a safe time to invest additional monies into the luxury bath you’ve always wanted? Howard Miller of Howard Miller Kitchens, Baths, Additions in Northbrook, would […]
After the nationwide transition to digital television earlier this year, Santa no doubt has flat-screen TVs among the toys and goodies on his sleigh. Homeowners across the country have seized the switch as a chance to upgrade to newer, larger high-definition television sets. Many television viewers are realizing, however, that their old entertainment cabinets cannot […]
If you’re anything like me, you have two sets of Christmas decorations. There are the “keepers”—those that always go up and those you hold dear. Then there are the “others.” The plastic Pier One snowman circa 1990. The pair of raffia angels you swore matched the powder room that has been painted twice since you’ve […]
So much to do before the holidays, so few weekends to get it all done. Ah, and, so many homes waiting to wow you with their holiday finery, so little time to see them. What’s a garland-lover to do? First, relax, because we’ve got this one figured out for you. Pick one of the half-dozen […]
Everyone knows the holiday season is not the time to think about putting your house on the market—that was true even during the height of the housing bubble. Buyers and sellers turn their attention toward shopping, entertaining and traveling. And let’s not even talk about the lousy weather. Real estate agent Sharon Friedman has helped […]
As we head into the holiday season and get ready to deck those halls, Tony from Chalet gives his top 10 tips on keeping things green throughout the winter holidays. Keep your formerly live cut tree after the holidays. Cut the branches off and use them as a winter mulch for perennials or dehydration protection […]
People often ask Wilmette-based interior designer, Laura Soskin, where she finds all the interesting accessories she displays in the home she and her husband, portrait and abstract painter, Dave Soskin, share with their teenaged son and daughter. But those people haven’t yet seen Soskin’s garage, which is chock-full of enough merchandise to open her own boutique. “I […]
Scientists study animal characteristics to help them develop useful new technologies. For example, observing how geckos climb walls is yielding new advances in materials, which may soon enable firefighters to leave the ladder at home. As it turns out, looking to nature for your decorating inspiration is also a terrific way to spice up a […]
