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Small touches create a great master bathroom

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press It’s easy to design a gorgeous master bathroom if you have a huge budget. But with the right choices, says interior designer Gabriel Anderson, you can have an exceptional master bath without overspending. “Having huge expanses of marble is amazing and wonderful, but you don’t have to have that to have an amazing bathroom,” says Anderson, co-founder of the New York design firm Dean and Dahl. There are “little touches you can incorporate that really bring a master bath to life.” We’ve asked Anderson and two specialists in bath ...

Housing construction slumps 7% in July to 1.53 million units

WASHINGTON (AP) — Home construction fell a sharp 7% in July as homebuilders struggled to cope with a variety of headwinds. The July decline put home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.53 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the slowest pace since April but was 2.5% higher than a year ago. Applications for building permits, which can forecast future activity, rose 2.6% in July from the June level to an annual rate of 1.64 million units. It was the first monthly increase in permit applications since March. Construction starts for ...

Til decor do us part? How couples can decorate together

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press Sharing a home with someone you love can be wonderful. But decorating together isn’t always easy, especially when your tastes aren’t the same. If one partner loves filling every space with mementos and the other is clutter-averse, who gets their way? It can be hard to find good compromises when one loves bold colors and patterns, while the other favors calming shades of gray. Interior designer Penny Drue Baird draws as much on her doctorate in psychology as on her design training when she works with couples decorating a home. “I’m ...

Ask a designer: Choosing the right rug for the room

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press A warm, cozy rug can make a room look and feel more appealing on even the chilliest fall night. And the right rug can be a source of comfort year-round. “They’re also great in the summer, if you think about it, because your shoes are off, you’re in your shorts, the house is air conditioned,” says designer Michelle Gerson, founder of Michelle Gerson Interiors , based in New York. “You love to put your toes in a big cozy rug.” How do you choose the perfect rug for your space? The latest options include everything from century-old ...

Home improvements that may not pay off when you sell

By Kate Wood NerdWallet You spent the holidays binging on HGTV, and now visions of shiplap accent walls and freestanding soaking tubs are dancing through your head. Donít let your desire to upgrade your home downgrade your home’s market value. Before you make a renovation fantasy a reality, consider whether the project will pay off when you’re ready to sell. Plenty of home improvements add value, but others — like these five — can hurt it. 1. A CHEF-QUALITY KITCHEN If you love to cook, a high-end kitchen could be the ultimate gift — for you. But if you think a massive ...

US home prices surge 17% in May

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices for U.S. homes rose faster in May than they have in 17 years as surging demand for housing outstripped the supply. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index soared 17% in May from a year earlier on top of a 15% jump in April. The May increase was the biggest since August 2004. The hottest markets were Phoenix (where prices surged 25.9%), San Diego (24.7%) and Seattle (23.4%). All 20 cities reported faster year-over-year growth in May than they did in April. The U.S. housing market has been hot. Many Americans, tired of being cooped up at ...