Archives for February 2016

How to Remodel Your Fireplace

fireplace thumb 3Bring your fireplace design up to snuff with this makeover lowdown

The fireplace is often the most commanding element in any room it’s in. Size and abundance of material are often factors, but as renovation specialist Ron Parko points out, our eyes are naturally drawn to the darkest object in a room anyway. Oftentimes, that’s the firebox when it’s unlit.

Naturally you want this element, and everything that surrounds it, to complement the rest of your home. In many older homes where large brick fireplaces prevail, this can pose a challenge. What do you do? Cover it, paint it, rip it out? Here’s what to consider.

33 Magic Household Cleaning Tips

cleaningHouzzers from around the world share their tips for transforming housework into child’s play

Household chores are a fact of life — no matter how we tackle them, there’s no getting around them. Sometimes we divide them up among family members and try to turn them into a game; at other times, we simply integrate them into our weekly routine. Either way, we’re eager to make them as easy as possible, and we want our tactics to be both cheap and effective.

Because 33 opinions are better than just one, we’ve asked the global Houzz community for household cleaning tips that will transform the novices among us into veritable pros. From herbs for deterring insects in Australia to green tea for banishing bad smells in Japan, these magic tips have one thing in common: They’ve been tested and approved by the best experts around — you!

Where Are Americans Moving?

MovingAcrossAmerica

To-Dos: Your February Home Checklist

february to dosGet busy indoors this month with some time spent cooking, improving air quality and prepping for spring

Outsmart winter weather by making your home inside a clean, cozy and healthy haven. Put a pot of soup on the stove, plan a trip or get a jump-start on spring cleaning with a whole-house refresh, from the air you breathe to the floors underfoot. And since this is a leap year, you’ll have an extra day this month to get it all done.

SEATTLE: THE EMERALD CITY IN HD

2014-01-04 17.57.06It took videographer Edward Aites 12 months and thousands of sequences to capture a series of time lapse videos of the Seattle area, one of which is below. Ed explores a new way of thinking, seeing, moving, and capturing the style and elegance of the Emerald City.

This dynamic video will change the way you see how the incredible city of Seattle functions with all of its moving parts.

7 Things to Know When Considering Adding a Bathroom

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