Outdoor Living Spaces from Wish List to Reality

Comfort levels about socializing indoors vary during our current state of pandemic life. New York has proven that wearing a mask and safety protocols work. Not everyone is on board which has affected our traveling locally, nationally and internationally.

Define your space based on purpose. With some creativity for simple projects or remodeling, here are some ideas to create a staycation.

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Art

There is nothing more personal and representative of style than the artwork displayed in your home. Art evokes emotion and connection and can be subtle or makes a statement.

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Is your house a home or a storage facility?

Question: “We will be selling our home and moving to a new home. We need to declutter, get rid of some ‘stuff’ but don’t want a yard sale. How can we get rid of perfectly good new gently used stuff before a move?”

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Preparing for nesting at home

September feels like the start of a new year whether dealing with a school schedule or not. My family’s back to school days have ended yet it still feels like it’s time for a fresh start without the January pressure of New Year resolutions.

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Keeping a cool house on hot days

Question: What are some active and passive ways to keep your house cool in the summer?

As temperatures rise during the summer months, keeping cool becomes a priority. Air conditioning is ideal, but not all homes have it. When my former house was being building in the late 80’s, we added central air with multiple zones and the builder thought we were crazy. Crazy or not, it is a necessity in my life and well worth the investment. In my new house, which is 3 levels with one zone, I’m getting adjusted and finding ways to cool my house. Here a few of my tips followed by shared tips from readers.

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Reclaimed Wood Adds Texture and Warmth to Walls

A few years ago I featured Stikwood in this newspaper column after seeing the product at the Architectural Digest Home and Design Show. In a high-tech world, people are craving more natural elements inside. Stikwood makes the high-design trend of bringing the outside in more accessible.  Read more

Landscape with good bones

Attractive landscapes need good bones. Look around your neighborhood to notice what this means. The hardscape of good-looking properties is well designed and developed with natural landscape to enhance it.

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Go to your room!

The master bedroom is the most important room of a house and often the most neglected. By the end of this column, I hope you will be inspired to make your bedroom your sanctuary.

Your bedroom should be a relaxing comfortable space. It should not be cluttered or filled with things that cause stress. You may not see the pile of paperwork or laundry but your body picks up on that energy.

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The 2019 Colors of Year

Every paint company announces their color of the year along with Pantone, the global color trend forecaster. Based on trends and color psychology, here are a few color trends for 2019.

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