Home Improvement

What if you’re a fan of vivid orange, lime green or a luscious shade of lavender? These colors can be tricky to use successfully in decor. But you don’t need to avoid them.

By David Wilkening, Contributing Writer REGION - The housing situation in Boston and most of Massachusetts these days is best described as “sizzling.” Big demand...

The sun-drenched colors and inviting textures of summer provide plenty of decorating ideas. The trick is doing it right.

From airy beach houses filled with light to rustic retreats tucked into the mountains, vacation homes can lead to inspired decorating.

Besides walls, there are stencils with intricate medallions for ceilings and other designs perfect for floors: Think of a curling vine pattern on an outdoor concrete porch.

Aimee Beatty, in-house stylist at Pier 1, said lively outdoor pieces give people a way to make a statement: “Incorporating pops of color with furniture and accessories adds personality and flare.”

Too much or not enough water and never when you need it. That seems to be the long time plight of gardeners. Add to these extended droughts, flooding and watering bans. What is a gardener to do? Become a waterwise gardener.

When we furnish a room, many of us carefully measure to be sure the couch isn’t too wide or the dining room table too long. We draw a horizontal map, determined to fit everything in without crowding.

Koehl, a master gardener from Waller, Texas, bought secondhand windows and doors to construct the building that houses his roses and vegetables. Using old materials saved him money, and added interest to the structure.

If your home was built within the last decade, odds are it was designed with an open plan. The kitchen flows seamlessly into the family room, and few walls separate the living and dining areas.