Decorating

Nantucket style is something I became aware of at a very young age -- and that's when I fell in love with it. I grew up in Boston, and a trip to Nantucket in the summer was a treat. I loved seeing the weathered gray shingle houses with their shiny, brightly colored doors, and the pretty arbors draped with...

I used to look at the powder room on the first floor of our house as an inconvenient challenge. It's so tiny you can't really walk around in it, yet it's the one we point guests to when they come over. It drove me nuts. So I combed through loads of interior design websites to get the best small bathroom decorating ideas....

I've always admired how interior designers can whip up beautiful, original dining room table centerpieces, often with so little. And that's what I love about these 10 examples. They prove that you can easily add a striking element to your room without needing to spend a ton of money. A lot of it comes down to pretty ways to...

When walls are decorated with dark paint or wallpaper, it can add a crisp, gorgeous quality to a home like nothing else. The intense contrast with the objects in it highlights every detail, much like a black stage in a theater highlights the scenery. Plus, it can give a modern edge to even a highly traditional design.     But, dark walls can also make a room feel...

‘Tis always the season to turn your house into a cozy home! And the cool thing about cozy is that you can do it without breaking the bank. After much research on Houzz, I came up with these 15 great ideas from interior designers. You can put them into place in any season. 1. Keep stacked wood on hand Seeing the logs ready and...

Who says that a small bedroom has to look small? Bah humbug! You don't need vaulted ceilings and loads of extra floor space to make your bedroom look bigger. What you need is an understanding of perspective, and how to alter it in subtle ways, so that your room can feel spacious and comfortable at the same time. I wish...

Happy paint colors are the ones that make you feel, like Goldilocks, just right--and unhappy ones can do just the opposite. If you find yourself waking up and feeling uninspired, or even tired out, it may not be a lack of sleep. The colors you surround yourself with can profoundly affect your mood on a subconscious level, draining your energy...

A gallery wall is one of the hardest things to DIY when it comes to home decorating. Should you include photos and artwork? Should you match sizes and frames, or get more creative and mix things up? If you do want to branch out from a simple row or grid pattern, how do you do it without it looking messy? And should...