Blog
DIY Weekends That Work
It’s Friday night and you’re ready for some quality time with your toolbox. Tape measure in hand, you dive into your next do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement project. Based on the tutorials online, you should be done by Sunday night. Whether…
Get Rich Quick: Decorating With Jewel Tones
While we still love a neutral color palette and subtle accents, the design world is going crazy over rich jewel tones like emerald, sapphire, and fuchsia. Jewel tones are most often used as accents to a neutral color palette in the…
6 Ways to Make a Home for Your Hobbies After You Retire
Retirement is all about doing what you love in the comfort of your own home. But is your home set up to help you with the hobbies you love? With all the extra time you have to relax, your home…
4 Home Improvement Jobs You Should Always Hire Out
Whether you’re flipping a house or renovating your current home, hiring private contractors is nearly unavoidable. If you’ve seen “Flip or Flop,” you know Tarek and I can’t do everything ourselves. We’ve built relationships with contractors we trust, and they…
Why You Need to Get Serious About Going Solar
The decision to add solar panels to your home can seem daunting. The unknowns and assumptions of costs and installation tend to leave homeowners uneasy about going solar. However, just as home automation once seemed overwhelming, adding solar panels to…
7 Ways to Self-Sabotage Your Organizing Efforts
Have you ever heard the saying, “You are your own worst enemy”? Self-sabotage exists for all of us in one way or another – and we usually notice it when our homes and lives become too disorganized to manage. It…
Designer Lookbook: Urban Dwellings' Breezy Maine Remodel
Only one thing really mattered to the young family who tapped Urban Dwellings, a New England design firm, to upgrade their late-1960s ranch house: killer views of the water. “They were living in a house that was very dated, and…
3 Home Upgrade Options for a $3,000 Budget
The top priority for most buyers when house hunting is function. While charm and character go a long way, they can’t overcome a bad layout, lack of storage, or a poor use of materials. To really love the home you’re in…
Designer Lookbook: Ryan White's Los Feliz Modern Makeover
The mission was simple: Transform a run-down 1930s Los Feliz, CA craftsman into a modern-day dream home fit for a young family. Los Angeles interior designer Ryan White was up for the challenge, especially because he agreed with developers Jamie Davis and…
Five Tips for Spring Lawn Prep
Even if your lawn is made up of weeds more than actual grass, you can turn it around with some basic preventive spring maintenance. Try these five tips to get your lawn ready before the weather warms up and the…
Designer Lookbook: Marc-Michaels Creates Stylish Minimalism
The team at Marc-Michaels Interior Design knows how to create stunning spaces – even when the objective is to keep the space simple. Senior Marc-Michaels designers Jessica Lee and Rachel Ortiz share the elements they used to give this new construction,…
3 Home Upgrade Options for a $1,000 Budget
Whether you’re hoping to make your home more comfortable to live in or trying to broaden its appeal for a quick sale, small updates can be a win-win. But home improvement projects can be tricky because if you spend too much,…
Designer Lookbook: Brooke Wagner Design's Beachfront Beauty
Located in the beachfront neighborhood Corona del Mar Village in Newport Beach, CA, this contemporary three-story home takes inspiration from its seaside setting with a color palette of soothing neutrals and blues paired with natural finishes. Designed by Christopher Brandon…
5 Tips to Declutter Your Closet in a Day
I recently had a closet collapse. I came home from a day at the office to find heaps of once-neatly-hung, color-coordinated clothes in one giant, messy mound on the floor. Worse than picking up the pieces of chipped drywall? Admitting…
Color Quiz: Test Your Design Instincts
It’s no secret that wall color can dramatically change the look and feel of a room. And the same color can have very different effects in different rooms. Dramatic dark walls can make one room feel cozy and another seem…
3 Celebrity Color Schemes to Covet and Copy
Folks who are in the spotlight often love to surround themselves with dramatic colors and furnishings. See the shades three celebs chose for their homes, and learn how you can get the look, too. Zooey Deschanel: ship-shape navy Photo from…
3 High-Impact Spots to Use Bold Color
The next two years are all about the big, the bold, and the beautiful. While neutrals and metallics will always dominate interior color palettes, the new color trends are paving the way for a rise in fearless accents. Adding…
3 Rules for Avoiding Common Color Mistakes
Choosing colors for your home can be overwhelming. From neutrals to bold accent colors, the shades and intensities of each color can be confusing, especially after staring at a few hundred paint swatches. To help you avoid common color mistakes…