Dumpster Diving Decor: Upcycling and repurposing are today's high-end design

Where most people see a broken stereo cabinet, the artisans at Junk Evolution in South Bend see a mobile bar.

Pulling Away? Curtains fighting for a window treatment comeback against blinds

Melissa Neuberg shares what she calls "some of her mom's design tastes."

Decorating year-round with roses

Floral fads may ebb and flow, but the rose's appeal remains constant, well beyond a Valentine's Day vaseful.

Midwest Wind & Solar

Let prospetive home buyers see for themselves that solar installations need not detract from the appearanc of a home. The DeSantis home in Milton, Massachusetts, sports an 8.4-kilowatt solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) system manufactured by Evergreen Solar of Marlboro, Massachusetts, and …

Midwest Wind & Solar

The 2.04-kilowatt grid-tied solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) system on the Edwards home in Colorado generates clean, carbon-free electricity. Generous utility and government rebates make PV systems affordable for many homeowners and builders in Colorado. Namaste Solar Electric of Boulder,…

Decorating year-round with roses

Floral fads may ebb and flow, but the rose's appeal remains constant, well beyond a Valentine's Day vaseful.

(De)Code Green

Made in Northwest Indiana

Whether it is a side job or a full time career, crafters and creators have found a new market in the internet age. And Northwest Indiana boasts some of the most creative and interesting independent designers in the country.

Right at Home: chic gifts that give back

Gift giving feels good, and can feel even better if you know your purchase is helping those less fortunate. Luckily, a number of home décor retailers partner with charitable organizations; many do so year round, with additional initiatives during the holiday season.

Hobart official gathers input, works on master plan update

HOBART | City Planner A. J. Bytnar likened rewriting the city's new comprehensive master plan to completing a college term paper.

Hobart residents will discuss master plan's goals Tuesday

HOBART | The city will hold a public meeting to gather information for the city's master plan at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Festival Park Community Center, 111 E. Old Ridge Road.

OFFBEAT: Chicago's Lux Cafe menu pays tribute to New Orleans

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Hobart seeks residents' input on master plan

HOBART | The last time the city's comprehensive master plan was written was nearly 10 years ago.

Home decor, design fans share ideas on Pinterest

Looking for new home design trends or fresh ways to brighten up your living space?

Endless Vacation

The ripple effect: Swimming pools a popular landscape statement for a backyard oasis of summer fun

Aleksandar and Sharon Desancic of Munster spent Wednesday uncovering their inground swimming pool and testing and preparing the water for the first time this season.

Making a splash: Kitchen and bath trends customized to fit the family

Michelle Bagull of Schererville, wonders if the name for the traditional rooms known today as "the kitchen" and "the bathroom" will one day change.

Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry

Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry, a 43-year-old family-run kitchen cabinetry company known for the quality of its handcrafted workmanship and the wide range of its superior products, opened its first stand-alone Chicago showroom in September 2011 at LuxeHome. The new showroom, called Plain…

Celebrated Chicago designers debut eco-chic wine tray

When the Chicago design duo Bruce and Stephanie Tharp were selected to create a piece for Newton Vineyard's 2012 Eco-Chic project, the husband and wife pair quickly flew to the Napa Valley winery.

HGTV's Great Rooms (Design Star 6 Winner series)

From good to great: By removing a wall that once divided this home's kitchen and den, HGTV "Design Star" winner Meg Caswell created a more open, usable space. Bold yellow, grounded with black and gray, gives the space some wow. "Push color. It will pay off," she says.