Chair or stool: a seat with legs, for one person. A chair can be like a friend, there when needed. Or a chair may be like a familiar song that evokes a memory. But too often those oddball chairs and stools are discarded … read more

Not the second stage of the color wheel, but that backseat color you pay less mind to; the color that happened to be there, a whim decision, the jovial hue of gathered gadgets or the color one did not chose. Not to say … read more

When Irv and Sally Sauer built their dream house in McCormick Woods 20 years ago, it was perfect for their lifestyle. The couple designed the 3,400-square-foot house so well, in the two decades since then they hadn’t done any remodeling except for a … read more

Studying the color aqua was like being on a trampoline with 8-year-olds at a family reunion picnic: wild, silly, unpredictable and lovingly memorable. It is the chorus line headliner, the sleeping giant or the softest pillow. Aqua doesn’t steal the scene — it … read more

It rolls off the tongue like grapes on sand paper. The word is not only awkward to say, but orange is a poet’s dilemma. It may be a color always there but less thought of, perhaps like a stagehand whose presence is necessary … read more

Tillandsias are pretty much a no-fail plant. They thrive on neglect, with a little shower of water now and then. You’ll find more than 500 species of air plants (their common name). They are members of the Bromeliaceae family of plants. In their … read more

Studies show that the No. 1 complaint that consumers have about remodeling is not the cost but rather the time it takes to complete a project. Remodels by their very nature can be slightly unpredictable, in that you can never be 100 percent … read more

Tossing aside the old adage of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” this is too good not to share. Needless to say, with 650,000 square feet of contracted display space, 1,500 vendors, 75,000 attendees and sold-out presentations, there were undeniable signs that … read more

Size, price and features are at the top of the selection criteria when choosing new appliances. However, unlike cooking equipment, refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers have two more selection criteria to consider: energy and water efficiency. Size matters. It is important to size … read more