Foreclosed homes draw crowd, but more investors than homeowners
The deals came fast Saturday as more than 500 homes across the Carolinas went on sale for bargain prices that, in some cases, amounted to less than half their previous asking prices.
View ArticleChic, smart accessories for the home office
By choice or necessity, more and more workers are doing at least some of their job from home these days.
View ArticleGas, electric or push? A look at lawnmower options
Love it or loathe it, lawn care season is upon us.
View ArticlePreparing your property can reduce storm damage
Effective storm proofing borrows a page from football: Offense is the best defense. A little well-timed prevention goes a long way toward reducing weather-related damage.
View ArticlePerennials less costly if you start with seeds
Taking on a new flower bed can be an intimidating project. But if you have been to the nursery lately, the cost of plants might be the biggest deterrent.
View ArticleModern home decor with an outdoorsy yet urban vibe
As warmer weather arrives, there are lots of ways to soften the boundaries between indoors and out.
View ArticleRealtors pick up hammers to mend homes in need of repair
In Charlotte's Villa Heights community, volunteers will reshingle a roof that lets in rain for kitchen pots to catch in the living room.
View ArticleComposting a technique to improve home's eco-friendliness
A popular way to increase a household's eco-friendliness is to start composting.
View ArticleConcord farmers offer basic gardening tips
If you're tired of making trips to the grocery store, why not take matters into your own hands.
View ArticleGardeners exchange seeds and know-how at swaps
Kathy Tinius is growing some unusual sunflowers in her yard this summer, and has good reason to believe the varieties will thrive.
View ArticleAnticipated hurricanes leave coastal homeowners exposed
As the 2009 hurricane season arrives, many homeowners are finding insurance is either more expensive, or harder to get.
View ArticleGarden journal can go beyond the practical
On Oct. 22, 1994, I was on my knees, planting daffodils and glory-of-the-snow beneath an oak tree, when I paused for a moment and lay back on the lawn to take in the beauty around me — bright sun,...
View ArticleFor an easy new look, try painting old furniture
Got the do-it-yourself itch but little time or cash to spare? Look around at the furniture you've already got. Some of it probably could use a refreshing coat of paint. In fact, a new color may put the...
View ArticleDesigners find common cause with global artisans
In Africa, Asia and Latin America, gifted craftspeople who can express age-old traditions in beautiful ways often lack access to raw materials and distribution venues. And they may have no expertise in...
View ArticleUse incentives to attract your favorite songbirds
Backyard bird watching is a fairly simple exercise. Provide enough food, water and cover, and birds will come flocking. Playing favorites, though, calls for using the right kinds of incentives.
View ArticleIn home decor's cyclical world, wallpaper is back
This spring, Oprah declared that wallpaper is back.
View ArticlePatience rewarded: Climbing hydrangea takes time
For about 15 years, a big yellow garage marked the south boundary of our backyard garden. It set off the blue bigleaf hydrangeas very nicely, but it wasn't exactly the look we wanted.
View ArticleShrubs can be 'great green furniture' for the yard
Blooms may be losing some luster among cash-strapped gardeners weeding out nonessential spending. A practical option is investing in an assortment of low-risk, high-return shrubs.
View ArticleA bright idea: Philips lets flat lights out of lab
Someday, our ceilings and walls might radiate light, illuminating indoor spaces as brightly and evenly as natural daylight.
View ArticleRoses have their problems, but still...
Read about roses, talk to other gardeners about growing them, and insect and disease problems seem inevitable.
View ArticleWant designer looks at big-box prices? Try hacking
Home decorators who once would have dropped thousands of dollars on designer furniture are now, in a down economy, looking at inexpensive, self-assembly pieces from big-box stores as a jumping-off...
View ArticleHome decor this fall: 'Perfect' is out, real is in
Perhaps the biggest theme in home decorating going into fall is comfortable, real, personalized style.
View ArticleLetting it slide: accepting a clean enough house
When Amy Herendeen first became a stay-at-home mom, she dedicated a lot of time and effort to keeping house. But the chores were often interrupted by her daughter's needs. Trying to be the "perfect...
View ArticleSewing surges in popularity
The rules in the sewing lounge read like metaphors for good living: Know where your fingers are at all times. No running with scissors. Look before you cut.
View ArticleFour kitchen basics can clean entire house
A little digging in the kitchen cupboards is all that's needed to round up enough supplies to polish, clean and disinfect every room in the home.
View ArticleTips on creating an instant home office
Job-seekers, take note: You want to be productive in planning your next move, and writing cover letters on your bed probably isn't going to cut it. That's why more and more people are thinking about...
View ArticleFilling your toolbox with the essentials
If you're looking for the perfect housewarming gift, check out a hardware store. People moving into a new place will probably want to hang a few things and change a few things.
View ArticleIn kitchens or clothes, moths are hard to rout
A couple of years ago, when my daughter was about 3, she delved happily into a container of freeze-dried strawberries and yelled over the "prize" she found inside.
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