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Some affordable ways to refresh your home

By Lauren Schwahn NerdWallet Home improvements can rejuvenate a stale dwelling. But remodeling and renovations could set you back thousands of dollars for each room. A “midrange minor kitchen remodel” — including hardware, countertops, flooring and a refrigerator — is about $21,000, on average, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2018 Cost vs. Value report. But with the right approach, you can give your abode some TLC without busting your budget. “If you’re strategic with the planning, especially if you’re willing to put in a little sweat equity, there are definite ...

By Melissa Kossler Dutton Associated Press Storage pieces are not what they used to be. Changes in home design and technology mean that boxy, old-fashioned armoires, dressers and china hutches are being repurposed or are making room for cabinets, shelving and sideboards in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles. Today’s decor embraces an eclectic look, and rooms might serve more than one function. Walk-in closets and wall-mounted TVs are hot; formal dining rooms are not. All of these trends mean there’s more freedom in choosing storage pieces, including “wow pieces” ...

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 ...

Easy ways to brighten rooms in winter

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press When home designer and builder Marnie Oursler talks with clients about building their dream homes along the Delaware coast, their No. 1 request is having bright spaces with lots of natural light. But at this time of year, it can feel like that brightness and light is in short supply in most any home. The sparkly holiday decorations have been put away, and the daylight hours are still way too brief. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can “do in a single day to hedge against the winter doldrums,” says Washington, D.C.-based ...

Ask a designer: Options abound in flooring today

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press A stunning sofa or a beautiful wall color might catch your eye when you enter someone’s home. But flooring is the key to any room, says interior designer Elina Cardet. As the visual base for every other design choice, “flooring is the most important decision,” says Cardet, interior design director at Perkins and Will’s Miami office. Beauty matters, as does durability and also comfort: “You’re going to be barefoot on this floor,” she points out. Recent technological innovations have created a wide variety of flooring options ...

Simple steps toward a healthier home

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press Can your home help you get healthier? Interior designers say clients don’t just want help creating a more beautiful home anymore. They want to create living spaces where they will cook healthier foods, breathe healthier air and improve overall wellness. Here, three interior design experts — Jon Call of Palm Springs, California-based Mr. Call Designs, and New Yorkers Young Huh and Carolyn DiCarlo — recommend general approaches to creating a healthy home. CONSCIOUS CLEANING “The first thing I do when I go into a client’s home is ...