Ask a Designer: style in a small outdoor space

Design magazines and home decorating catalogs tend to feature sprawling backyards with big wooden decks and room for everything from decorative fountains to artificial ponds.

Decals can transform a wall cheaply, easily

During a recent home remodel, Diane Wright decided the stairway leading to her garage needed some perking up. So she went online and found a wall decal — roosting love birds on a branch.

Successful design strategy starts with clear vision

It was just over an acre of rolling land dotted with trees-the perfect site to break ground for their 5,000-square-foot house

From vintage to vavoom, some fall decor trends

With nods to nostalgia, exotic motifs and tailored contemporary looks, the fall season in decor has lots to inspire home decorators.

At Home: Talking with the editor of Do It Yourself magazine

Deep down everyone wants to create. The smallest kids want to create a mess. Men have a particular need to create something tangible, often big, like skyscrapers, because they have so much catching up to do compared to women.

Ask a designer: How do you use purple?

Home furnishing catalogs and décor magazines tell us that purple is all the rage, and top designers have been filling clients' homes with everything from purple wallpaper and furniture to purple lampshades and throw pillows.

At Home: DIY rug is a blank slate

We writers know the tyranny of the blank page. Painters know the pressure of a blank canvas. And this week I discovered terror in another type of tabula rasa: a blank rug.

Home decor, design fans share ideas on Pinterest

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

So you want to recreate 'Mad Men' style at home?

Now that another season of "Mad Men" is ending, lovers of the 1960s Mid-century Modern style are going to miss eyeing the sets for inspiration.

Home in a home as families live together longer

It's a home within a home — and it could be coming soon to a home near you.

Jeff Lewis shows his 'softer side' with new show

Fans of Bravo's "Flipping Out" know that designer Jeff Lewis makes good TV. He's blunt, set in his ways and obsessive-compulsive.

Staying in: Spruce up your home for date night

Although Valentine's celebrations have come and gone, many still have romance on their mind. But have you ever considered whether a few changes to your living space might help you land the perfect mate?

At Home: The New American Home showcase

Excuse me. I'm going to get personal for a minute. I just toured the New American Home, the showcase house for the 2012 National Association of Home Builders, which met this past week in Orlando. I left with a bad case of toilet envy.

Staying in: Spruce up your home for date night

After Tuesday's Valentine's Day celebrations, many still have romance on their mind. But have you ever considered whether a few changes to your living space might help you land the perfect mate?

Manage your foyer clutter

To determine how much havoc winter will play on your foyer, do the math. Take the number of people in your home and multiply by three. Three, of course, represents one heavy winter coat, one light winter coat and one ratty hoodie for unseasonally balmy February days. Double that figure to ac…

Your home's age important for child lead exposure

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you've been putting off repairing a peeling windowsill, or you're thinking of knocking out a wall, listen up: Check how old your house is. You may need to take steps to protect your kids from dangerous lead.

How do you use purple?

Home furnishing catalogs and decor magazines tell us that purple is all the rage, and top designers have been filling clients' homes with everything from purple wallpaper and furniture to purple lampshades and throw pillows.

Ask a designer: How do you use purple?

Home furnishing catalogs and décor magazines tell us that purple is all the rage, and top designers have been filling clients' homes with everything from purple wallpaper and furniture to purple lampshades and throw pillows.

Furnace free: How to turn a drafty, decades-old house into an engineering marvel

MINNEAPOLIS — Sometime in the next few weeks, Paul Brazelton will move his family into a 1935 Tudor in south Minneapolis that has no furnace. He's just finished a massive renovation of the family home and even though winter's bearing down, he removed the boiler and plans to use that basement…

Modular homes can be a cheaper, greener alternative to traditional custom builds

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — When Jack and Gina Sheehan wanted to demolish and replace their 1952-built waterfront home in Yorktown, Va., they didn't choose the custom-built route.