How to Host a Winning Super Bowl Party

2014superbowlScore with football fans by offering great seating, viewing and snack options and a touch of team spirit

Coming from a family of football lovers, it pains me to admit that I’m not the biggest football fan out there (unless we’re talking about my kids’ league — then you can totally give me that title). I do, however, love big game days like Super Bowl Sunday. The Super Bowl gives me a chance to do what I love to do: spend time with loved ones while they enjoy one of their favorites pastimes.

My goal in throwing a successful Super Bowl party is keeping everyone happy, well fed and comfortable. Here’s how I do it.

 

Kitchen designs, bathroom designs, and more ∨Before starting a bathroom remodel, search for bathroom ideas and interesting products, including a one-of-a-kind tub, vanity and bathroom sink.
Search for fun bar stools, clocks, sectional sofas and storage chests to spice up your basement.

How to Get a Built-in Outdoor Grill

 

New project for a new year: Put fresh-air grilling on the menu with a built-in setup that suits your patio or yard

Screen Shot 2014-01-21 at 7.39.56 AMIf grilling is one of your favorite outdoor activities, consider creating a built-in grill on your patio or in your yard that allows you to be a chef out in the fresh air.

Grills can make a house party easier by getting everyone outside. Your family and friends will feel more relaxed, because they can really kick back on lounge chairs and let the kids go crazy on the lawn or in the pool, and everyone can enjoy the aroma of delectable dishes sizzling over the fire. Could this be the year for a built-in grill?

Kitchen designs, bathroom designs, and more ∨Hire residential landscape architects to help with all aspects of landscape design, from selecting or designing patio furniture, to siting a detached garage or pergola.
For small bathroom ideas, browse photos of space-saving bathroom cabinets and clever hidden medicine cabinets.

Big Home Changes On A Budget

big-home-changes-on-a-budget

How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse

New project for a new year: Add shelving and containers to get your stuff off the garage floor — and still have room for the car

Screen Shot 2014-01-16 at 7.48.40 AMGarages often turn into repositories for everything from sports equipment to holiday decorations. But with planning you can turn your garage into a harmonious space with room to actually — wait for it — park the car.

Project: Get professionally designed garage storage.

Why: “The garage is definitely the most underutilized space in the house,” says Amanda Le Blanc, a professional organizer (she owns The Amandas in Birmingham, Alabama) and spokesperson for Organized Living. “I prefer the garage to the attic for storage, because a garage actually has less temperature fluctuation.”

 

General contractors, home builders, and more ∨Before you throw your next party, browse a wide selection of barware, glassware and serveware.
Browse top designers interior portfolios, from high-quality cook ware and a decorative plate set to ideas for remodeling bath and kitchen.

History of Interior Design

Everyone wants their homes to look nice. From the cavemen to the Egyptians and the Baroque to Regency, people across the ages have witnessed a remarkable transformation of daily life and domestic decoration. Indulging in lavish décor and rich colors, interior design has seen a fine array of styles as homeowners look to transform the look in their homes. This infographic from Terrys Fabrics looks back in time and explores the history of interior design according to the trends at the time.

Interior Design

Upgrade Your House With New Interior Doors

New project for a new year: Enhance your home’s architecture with new interior doors you’ll love to live with every day

Screen Shot 2014-01-14 at 8.10.43 AMInterior doors play a more important role than you might realize. While they are minor elements in the grand scheme, they add architectural detail and style to a house. As something we use every day, doors create a tactile experience that leaves a significant impression. Closing a solid wood door, for example, feels very different than closing a hollow door made of synthetic materials.

For a house with modest detail, beautiful doors may add enough interest to make the spaces feel more stylistically specific. Even if your house has significant architecture, upgraded doors can complement and complete your design. For example, gilt, intricate details and the best stained wood finish make this Italian door remarkable. (We’ll get into looks for modern and other home styles soon.)

Kitchen designs, bathroom designs, and more ∨Use the help of top home decorators to select a matching nightstand and new lampshades for your own bedroom design.
Find new home builders who can help you create a dream kitchen, complete with multiple kitchen island cabinets, a large dining table and a creative kitchen cabinets design.

Heating Your Home: The Furnace Cheat Sheet

Typically, over 50% of total home energy use goes towards heating. Here are some helpful hints to reduce those costs.

furnace-cheat-sheet

How to Design a Family Photo Wall

Screen Shot 2014-01-06 at 8.36.46 AM

New project for a new year: Display your favorite images of loved ones for the most personal gallery wall of all

In the digital photo age, not only do most of us have cameras on us at all times, but we have printers that can turn them from pixels into paper. There’s been no formal study I can find, but it only stands to reason that people have more photographs of friends and family in their possession now than at any other time in history.

How to display them? Interior designer Emily Mughannam of EM Design Interiors in Sonoma, California, says technology may change, but the desire to surround ourselves with family images seems to stay the same. “An interior should tell a story,” she says. “A photo wall can show us where we have been and where we are going. Frankly, when I’m in a home without one, it can feel a little sterile.” Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional, once the photos are 2-D, the process of creating a photo wall can be decidedly low tech.

Architecture, interior design, and more ∨Before starting a bathroom remodel, search for bathroom ideas and interesting products, including one-of-a-kind tubs, vanities and bath sinks.
As you get ready to host an event, be sure you have enough dining chairs and dishes for dinner guests, as well as enough bakeware and kitchen knives for food preparation.

Shovel Snow with a Home Made Push Plow [video]

While here in Seattle, shoveling snow isn’t something we do in the winter. However, I have done my fair share (being from Montreal, Quebec, Canada). It’s back breaking, boring and just not fun. I went to my favorite place to search for tips, YouTube, looking for ways to reduce the time it takes to get this dreaded job done and think I found a gem.

Screen Shot 2014-01-03 at 8.49.48 AMCheck out the genius DIY project YouTube User Jim Shaw came up with.

[pb_vidembed title=”” caption=”” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgEHEyz3oKw” type=”yt” w=”680″ h=”385″]