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	Smart Bath and Kitchen Redesigns for Boomers Aging in Place Accessibility and safety are key issues for baby boomers looking forward to staying in their homes as they age. Increasingly, today's consumers are addressing these issues in two of the home's most-used and most accident-prone rooms - the kitchen and the bathroom.
	Why It's So Important to Winterize Your Home While it's still comfortable outside is a great time to winterize your home or business, especially since the U.S. Department of Energy is once again forecasting a huge hike in residential heating bills.
	Small Kitchen and Bath Projects with a Big Impact The guest-filled holiday season is quickly approaching, and many families are looking for simple solutions to update high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms used by company. This year, you don't have to break the bank just to make your home look its best. With a few easy steps, these projects can help modernize and brighten spaces and make a big impact on your kitchen or bathroom.
	Renovate Your Home with Lighting for Less Great lighting inside and outside a home can enhance the overall appearance and value while making it safer. With the right strategy, you can refresh your home's lighting for less than you think.
	Add Outdoor Space and Save Energy Adding onto your home adds value, but when economic times are tough, big home improvement projects are often not in the budget. However, there are ways to extend your living space to the outdoors with the added benefit of saving energy for less than the cost of an addition.
	Oh Baby! Expert Design Tips for the Little One's First Bedroom Of all the tasks to complete during pregnancy, decorating the nursery may be the most fun. Now new parents can have designer access to the hottest trends and nursery design tips from the master of good design, Ty Pennington.
	Give Your Kitchen a Facelift -- on a Budget With so much happening in the kitchen, it's important to keep it organized and updated, whether you're throwing a party, trying to sell your home, or just having a family dinner. Luckily you don't need to spend a fortune to refresh your kitchen as there are several easy ways to add value and rejuvenate any kitchen on a budget.
	A DIY Checklist for Winterizing the Exterior of Your Home The cold winter season brings destructive snow, ice and freezing temperatures to homeowners in the Snow Belt states each year and proper preparation is essential. There are numerous tasks that you, the homeowner, can do to protect and prepare the exterior of your home before winter sets in.
	Winter Prep for Your Outdoor Living Space Soon it will be time to leave outdoor living spaces and ride out winter's cold indoors. But before you batten down the barbecue and stow the patio cushions, don't forget to take care of wooden structures - like decks, pergolas and play sets - that must remain out in the elements.
	Remodeling Trend: Make Room for the Parents Think you have a crowded house? Maybe you're not alone. Surprising new data from the U. S. Census Bureau finds that many Americans are making room in their home for parents, followed by siblings and other relatives.
	Winterizing Your Home for Good Indoor Air Quality As the weather begins to cool, we start preparing our homes for the winter season. Closing up the house and using your heater can really have an impact on indoor air quality. The best way to keep the air in your home clean throughout the cooler months is to get your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system cleaned.
	Create the Kitchen of Your Dreams Without question, remodeling your kitchen is a daunting task. With the unlimited options in materials and styles, even those who are just starting to think about a remodel can begin to feel overwhelmed. The first step to putting such a project into perspective is doing your research.
	Add Warmth and Create a Healthier Bathroom The last place you want to be on a chilly morning is barefoot on your cold bathroom floor waiting for the icy shower to heat up. The last thing you want to think about while you're there is all the contaminants in the air. There are many ways to warm up the bath and make it a healthy place you look forward to luxuriating in as the weather turns cool.
	Hardwood Cabinets Enhance Universal Design Universal design makes homes practical and user-friendly, and whether remodeling or buying, as these active, older adults contemplate future health and mobility issues, they want to remain in their homes and continue to live independently. To satisfy their desire for a warm, beautiful space, incorporating American hardwoods into the homes makes them attractive and inviting places in which to live.
	Great Outdoor Lighting Brightens the Season for Holiday Guests From twinkling candles glimpsed through a window to trees and shrubs decked in brightly colored strands, light can be the warmest welcome for your guests during the holidays. And if you've been thinking about enhancing the lighting above and around your front porch or door, the holidays are a great time to put that thought into action.
	Winterizing: Easy Steps to Help Save Money and the Environment Cold weather is on the horizon, threatening to leak into your home and send a chill up your spine. With skyrocketing energy costs and a global movement to "go green," now's the time to help keep precious energy from going right out the window.
	Fireplaces are Heating Up with New Artistic Designs Today's modern fireplaces with stylized flames surrounded by colored glass and shiny metal are worlds away from the traditional brick fireplaces of yesteryear. Modern fireplace design is pushing boundaries with radical ideas that incorporate both function and beauty. Here are some of the top trends.
	Mini-makeover Tips for Your Bath In today's economy - and buyers' real estate market - it doesn't pay to go overboard and over-spend on a bathroom remodel. A mini-makeover can give you the beautiful bath you crave without breaking your budget.
	It's Not Hard To Be Green DIY. So last year. Now it's GIY. As in green-it-yourself. And just like DIY projects, there are plenty of easy GIY weekend home improvement projects that will save energy and money and add value to your home. Oh, and we should mention you can help protect the planet while you're at it.
	How To Stop Drafts and Save On Energy Bills Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding pull-down attic stair, a whole house fan, a fireplace or clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.
	Great Design is Possible Regardless of Age or Ability As we age, it can become more difficult to be as comfortable in our homes as we used to be. Things become harder to reach and open, we don't hear the noises we used to and tasks just get more difficult and time consuming overall. The principle of Universal Design is used to develop products and environments that are useful to everyone, regardless of age or ability.
	A Great Home Fix Up Starts with Your Garage Door What is the one home fix-up project that takes only a couple of hours and yields the biggest bang for the buck of any exterior home renovation? For most people, the answer does not immediately come to mind: it's a stylish new garage door.
	Seven Green Tips to Slash Soaring Home Heating Bills Record world oil prices will hit home heating this winter, with consumers likely paying high prices to heat their homes. Now is the time to give your home a "check-up."
	Revitalize Your Kitchen and Bath with Stylish, Affordable Cabinetry Even in a down economy, the desire for kitchen and bath remodeling doesn't go away -- especially if you've "had it" with cabinets that are old, falling apart and out of style.
	A New Twist on Home Economics Generations of American girls learned how to run a household in high school home economics classes. In the 21st century, girls are learning how to build the house -- and shopping malls, office buildings and virtually every other kind of structure on the American landscape.
	Beat the Winter Blahs with Home Decorating Projects For many of us, the return of winter means six months of snow, sleet and colder temperatures that force us to take cover indoors. Being stuck inside month after month can leave anyone a little bored. That's what makes winter an ideal time to tackle easy, do-it-yourself indoor home improvements.
	Hidden Pest Risks of Vacant Homes That vacant, foreclosed home next door isn't just bringing down your neighborhood's property values. It may also be a haven for a myriad of pests that can threaten the health and safety of neighbors, children and pets.
	Create a State-of-the-art Kitchen with Vintage Flavor Vintage or period motifs have become one of the hottest trends in home kitchen design, but your Old World kitchen doesn't need to feature modern looking faucets to take advantage of the latest technology.
	Redecorating and Keeping it Green The redecorating bug has bitten you hard, and you want to join the "green" society by making your home stylish but healthy and environmentally friendly.
	Remodeling Hints for a Tough Real Estate Market If you're selling your home, remodeling remains one of the best ways to set your home ahead of the competition. Keep these hints in mind when competing in a tough real estate market.
	Winterizing Your Home? Save Even More by Renting DIY Tools As the weather cools, homeowners see fall as the year's last chance to do home maintenance to lower heating bills. Of course, you will not save money if you spend more on home improvement than you will save in reduced energy costs. Here are cost-effective ways to winterize your home.
	Protect Your Home From Rising Energy Costs With high winter heating bills in the forecast, many homeowners are investing in home improvements that can help save them money by reducing their demand for home heating fuel and their home's overall energy consumption.
	A Greener Way to Expand Outdoor Living Space From the food we eat to the cars we drive, going "green" is a growing trend everywhere you look. And now, it's becoming a driving force in the home improvement industry as well. If you're interested in adding a new structure to your property, there is an option that is both earth-friendly and affordable.
	Family and Friends Can Stretch Home Improvement Dollars Homeowners today want big home improvement results ... but without big budgets they may not recoup. How do you achieve such lofty goals without the financial investment? Look no further than your friends and family.
	High-tech Innovations for Your Bath Recent advances in technology are coming home to your bathroom. They can add warmth, improve hygiene, and enhance your decorating style.
	Top Tips for Painting Your Home Painting the interior of your home can be one of the most rewarding and cost-effective ways to completely transform your living space. By following a few simple tips, you'll maximize your time and efforts, while ensuring the end result will look as if you hired a costly professional.
	Routers 101: The Do-It-Yourselfer's Top Tool The router is probably the most underutilized tool in the average home workshop. When attached to a router table, however, a router can become a do-it-yourselfer's most versatile instrument.
	Older Homeowners Have Option to Stay in Their Homes Homeowners who want to make their house their home for a lifetime, regardless of their age or functional abilities, have a friend in the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist program. It addresses the needs of the growing number of homeowners choosing not to move, but to make specialized modifications to their homes for long-term living.
	Personalize Your Home with Custom Cabinetry Custom cabinetry has become increasingly popular as homeowners look for ways to make their home feel more like their own.
	Home Organization Tips for the New Year "I just need to get organized." How many times have you heard yourself recite this familiar refrain? With the coming of the New Year, now is a good time to resolve to actually do it. This year, instead of just thinking about ways to get it together, use some simple tips for organizing your home -- and your life.
	Make Your Kitchen Wish List Come True This Holiday Season If the notion of cooking or baking holiday cookies has you already saying bah humbug, adding some new kitchen products may help make the job easier and lower your stress levels.
	10 Tips for Healthy Living With busy schedules and lifestyles, keeping your mind, body and soul healthy can be a major challenge. However, don't let the hectic pace of life keep you from living yours to the fullest. There are simple steps you can take that will leave you feeling energetic and upbeat.
	Underfoot at the Playground -- Smart, Safe Choices Ask any child about their favorite playground activities and they may mention the swings, slides, bars or various other playground games and equipment. What you are not likely to hear from anyone, though, is anything about the surface they play on. Yet it is the foundation of all safe play on the playground, and something parents need to pay close attention to as their kids trot off to swing, jump and play games.
	Above-Floor Plumbing: A Better Way to Build a Basement Bath It's a common basement renovation scenario: You want a new bathroom and your plumber recommends a sewage ejection system. That requires digging through the concrete: a messy and time-consuming job with a high price tag. Here's a better option.
	Don't Delay Home Repair Projects The cost of construction materials has risen more than 10 percent during the past year. If you are planning a home improvement, don't be discouraged by rising costs. Consider purchasing higher-quality products that may cost more initially, but can save you money in the future.
	How to Put the 'Family' Back into Your Family Room It's easy for your family room's purpose to get lost in the hectic pace and clutter of everyday life. If it's time for your family to rise up and reclaim this room, here are some tips for putting the "family" back into "family room."
	How to Cut Heating and Cooling Costs without Cutting Comfort Heating and cooling systems account for 56 percent of energy used in a typical home, making it the largest energy expense for most households, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Making smarter decisions about your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can help you save money on your monthly utility bills.
	Beautiful Kitchen Updates on a Budget Today's kitchens have evolved from a room where we simply prepared and ate our meals, to a place where we hold family discussions, socialize and entertain guests, work, study and even play with the kids. Here are some do-it-yourself projects to upgrade this important room for $200 or less.
	Re-energizing For Winter As cold weather advances, homeowners throughout the country can expect to see a substantial increase in energy prices. The price of heating oil, natural gas and electricity is projected to jump by nearly 20 percent. To maximize a home's energy efficiency, consider these tips.
	Big Ideas for Small Kitchens and Baths When you have a small kitchen and bath you're often pulled in opposite directions -- constantly looking for places to put things, yet longing for an open, uncluttered look. But you can achieve both if you combine sound organization principles with today's innovative cabinetry. Here are some big ideas for small kitchens and baths.
	How to Prepare for Power Outages During the winter months freezing temperatures, ice, snow and high winds can knock out power to your home. Not only is a power outage inconvenient, it can threaten your safety. Your power can go out without notice, so make sure you're prepared the next time you're left in the dark.
	Bathroom Safety Makeovers The bathroom may seem innocent enough, but it can be more of an obstacle than a convenience for some elderly folk. What can you do to make the bath a safer, easier place to visit?
	Make Every Day a Sun Day Sunrooms blur the lines between indoors and out, and can provide homeowners with the feeling that they are getting away from it all, like they are taking a vacation in their own home.
	When to Repair or Replace a Broken Heating System With the mercury already dropping and colder weather starting to settle in, the last thing any homeowner wants to deal with is a broken furnace or boiler. But when an old heating system fails in the middle of winter, homeowners will be faced with the tough and often expensive decision of whether to repair the existing system or purchase a new one.
	Bathroom Renovations: Safe, Secure and Stylish From slippery surfaces to cluttered collections of products, it's not a surprise that bathrooms are notorious for being the most accident-prone room in a house. For aging adults, using the bathroom shouldn't be a hazard. With the right renovations and some simple changes, you can create a bathroom that is safe and comfortable for everyone.
	Small Projects … Big Impact With home values continuing to decline, credit options contracting and sales in a slump, there's not a lot of good news for homeowners hoping for a huge return on investment for large-scale remodels. But what about smaller, yet significant, upgrades? These ideas will help update your home without breaking your saving's account.
	Trading Cobwebs for Crafts Americans spent more than $31 billion on arts, crafts and hobbies last year, according to the Craft & Hobby Association. All crafters have one thing in common - the need for good work space. Here are some tips for creating a crafting paradise in your home.
	Animal Invaders Can Increase Home Heating Costs Yes, improving insulation and installing programmable thermostats can help reduce home heating costs during the winter. But did you know that keeping rodents, birds and other unwelcome animals out can also help curb heating expenses? Or that it can be significantly cheaper to heat only the areas of a home that you actually use?
	Water Saving Measures Made Easy at Home Consumers who want to upgrade their homes are looking for new ways to be friendly to the environment. Here are tips to cut back on water waste every time you shower, flush, or wash vegetables.
	'Outrageous' Outdoor Spaces Start with Ceramic Tile Long gone are the days when homeowners were satisfied with a simple deck, a beat-up grill and some basic patio furniture. Now the trend brings living rooms, baths, home spas, full kitchens and even meditation rooms into the great outdoors. Stone fireplaces, built-in grills, water features, multiple levels for patios and decks, hot tubs and even flat-screen TVs - all the luxurious appointments of indoor life are finding their way into outdoor environments.
	Buying Eco-friendly Cabinets Brings Environmental Responsibility Closer to Home Kitchen experts agree -- cabinets likely will take up about half of the kitchen renovation budget, so it's vital for homeowners wanting to "green" their kitchens to choose a quality cabinet manufacturer with roots in environmental sustainability.
	Homeowners Warming Up to Solar Water Heating As fuel prices fluctuate and consumers struggle to cope with the rising costs of operating their homes, green-minded homeowners are turning to the sky for solutions.
	Water Coolers - Not Just for the Office Anymore Water coolers -- the machines with a bottle on top that dispense water -- are typically associated with offices. But drinking water is beneficial for everyone, not just office workers, and having a home water cooler is convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.
	Top Kitchen Design Trends Incorporating current trends into your kitchen design not only helps you create a stylish and updated room, but also increases functionality. From the latest colors to the newest materials, good design can ensure you enjoy your new kitchen.
	Add Warmth to Your Home with Hardwood Floors over Radiant Heat Hardwood floors add beauty, warmth and lasting value to any home. Combine that beauty and durability with the comfort, decorating freedom and the lower cost benefits of radiant heat, and you have a great combination. Add the overall environmental benefits and it is win-win all around.
	Custom Stairways Add Distinctive Style to Home Interiors Interior stairways help define a home's look. Today's stairway offerings include a wide selection of styles and accessories, allowing homeowners to express to express their individual taste with looks that are easily incorporated into any home.
	The Added Benefits of Environmentally-friendly Construction Two of the hallmarks of green building are energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Skylights can improve both, and incentives and rebates are available to help defray the extra costs and keep green building affordable.
	Smashing Lighting Upgrades on a Shoestring Budget It's possible to turn dark, dreary and dated decor into light, lively and "now" on just a shoestring budget. What's the secret to sprucing up on a shoestring? Lighten up - literally. Upgrading your home's lighting can impart a whole new atmosphere, and you don't need to spend big bucks on pricey new fixtures to do it.
	Time to Rethink Your Plumbing Options If you haven't built a new home or taken on a major bathroom or kitchen remodeling project in recent years, you might not be aware that today's plumbing options are very different than they once were.
	The Basics of Buying a New HVAC System Purchasing or upgrading a heating and cooling system can be confusing with so many parts, pieces, sizes and options to choose from. How do you know what's right for your home?
	How to Light a Room for the Ultimate Home Theater Experience After eagerly unpacking your cherished widescreen DLP, LCD or plasma TV, you'll see there are many different options, tweaks and adjustments to make in pursuit of the best possible viewing experience. One oft-forgotten detail is how to use lighting in your media room or home theater.
	Throwing the Traditional Deck a Curve When custom homebuilder Scott Gregory decided it was time to put a deck on his lake cottage, he did what many builders do when they have the chance to work on their own property: He tried some new things. The result is an amazing outdoor living space with multiple levels, designated purpose areas, built-in seating, curves and innovative use of color.
	Get the Midas Touch on a Minimalist Budget Do you dream of what you would do to your home if you only had the budget? Your resources may be limited, but your home decor doesn't have to reflect that. Here are some ways you can get the Midas touch and stretch your decorating dollars to make your home look like a million bucks -- even if you spend significantly less.
	Going for the Gold in Fall Home Decor There's an almost Olympian sense of excitement when it comes to home decorating this fall. Here are the trends leading interior designers and industry experts across the country have predicted will be hot this season.
	Top 10 Home Decor Trends for 2009 More and more Americans today are looking at their homes as a place of refuge in a stressful world of challenges and economic instability. Now, more than ever, their homes need to be restful and soothing, yet stylish at the same time. Designers have noted that direction as well and have come out with their top 10 home decor trends for 2009.
	Green Homes Attractive to Buyers Home buyers are looking for environmentally friendly properties, and in the difficult housing market of today, sellers are looking for new ways to attract buyers. Making a home greener with cleaner air quality may just be the answer to getting bids.
	Sprucing Up Your Home on a Budget With existing home sales lagging and new home construction sales soft, many Americans are making the decision to sit tight in their existing homes - but that doesn't mean they're taking their living space for granted.