Outdoor Living Spaces

While many folks long for a distant summer getaway, others are finding a relaxing retreat in their own backyard. Outdoor living spaces have grown in popularity for the past several years, and the American Society of Landscape Architects reports that 94.4 percent of residential landscape architects believe outdoor living spaces will continue to be popular [...]

Garden Ideas at the Southern Living Idea Home

Last week I headed over to historic Senoia, Georgia to visit the Southern Living Idea House – a charming 3.5-story brownstone on the site of the former McKnight Cotton Gin. This is the first time that Southern Living has featured a brownstone property as an idea home.  The model is an expanded end unit and [...]

Closet Freak

Let’s admit it…Closets are typically pretty boring.  You’ve got your shelves, your closet rods…throw in a few hooks and that’s pretty much it.  Simple, right?  But what if we really started to think about our closets, not as storage spaces for our clothes and shoes, but rather as rooms…extensions of who we are.  With pretty chandeliers [...]

The wallpaper comeback: big patterns take stage

Mauve hues and brass fixtures may have lost their luster since their overwhelming popularity in the 1980s, but another feature of 1980’s interior decorating style, wallpaper, is currently making a major comeback. However, the wallpaper being pasted onto foyer and dining room walls today is quite different from the muted florals and swirling ivy patterns [...]

The Christmas Centerpiece

The photo above is from a Christmas luncheon I attended last weekend.  I thought the centerpiece was elegant and did a nice job of adding a focal point to the table without overwhelming the table or getting in the way of the meal itself or the conversation around it.  It is important to consider the [...]

Filling the Home with Holiday Cheer

A few ideas for spreading holiday cheer throughout the home:      ·       Tie wire edged ribbon on anything around the home—candle sticks, chair backs, vases.  ·       Add greenery and berries to the chandelier in the dining room ·       Place candles on the dining table, on the mantle, on the coffee table and anywhere else [...]

A Cleaner Candle

      As we light candles in our homes this season to enhance the holiday aura, we might want to take a little caution, not just with the burning flame but with the wax.  New soy wax candles are hitting the market with many advantages over traditional paraffin wax candles.  To start with paraffin [...]

Making Winter Cozy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8276361@N06/2251683685 In the midst of the holiday season with cold weather and shorter daylight hours, it can be a great feeling to spend the evening indoors–curled up under a blanket with a book or watching a movie.  Here are a few tips for making the home cozy for winter. Lay some throws over the back [...]

Winter bloomers make wonderful holiday gifts

“Go green” with the gift of winter blooming plants this year. There are many beautiful indoor varieties that will continue to give joy long after the festivities are over.

The Christmas Tree Debate: Real vs. Artificial

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickbeeson As we prepare for the holidays, some may be wondering what the best ways to remain environmentally friendly are.  When it comes to Christmas trees there has been some debate as to which is more eco-friendly—an artificial tree or a live tree. About 80 percent of artificial trees are manufactured in China, where environmental [...]

Kitchen Trends

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancyhugo The themes of several posts here at Thoughts of Home lately have centered on kitchens—kitchen sinks, kitchen cabinets and track lighting for the kitchen.  A few future posts will also feature a specific kitchen theme.  Today, I thought we’d take a step back and look at a few general trends in kitchen design that [...]

Table Runners

Table runners can be a great accent to a holiday table. http://www.flickr.com/photos/via The most popular way to use a table runner is to have it run length-wise down the entire table.  In this arrangement, it can supplement the centerpiece.  It can also be a place to set candles or other decorations. A table runner can [...]

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