Halloween Scare Tactics
A good haunted house must be an complete sensory experience. Much like clowns, dolls have a scary quality to them, especially when piled up like this. Eerie scenes like this can be set up as vignettes for your guests to view while walking ... [... more]
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How to Choose an Oriental Rug
Conventional wisdom says that decorating a room should start with the Oriental rug. After all, there are infinite choices in fabrics and paints and a well-chosen Oriental rug will outlast most everything else in the room. For many people, the ... [... more]
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On the Carpet
Padding is sold in a variety of thicknesses, densitites and weights to provide the right feel and protect the carpet from premature wear. From left to right: prime urethane, rebonded urethane, natural fiber. Loop Piles: A level loop pile is tough ... [... more]
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Ceiling Medallion
You rarely notice one, but it has a big impact on every room. In fact, you look right at it when you do sit-ups or lie down for a nap. Give up? It's the ceiling. And stepping up to one of the seven improvements we'll cover here is one of the ... [... more]
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Fixing the Furniture Finish
Water rings can be removed by wiping with denatured alcohol. Clear nail polish can fill in a ding or a chip in a clear finish. Touch-up markers can make scratches and worn edges disappear. A gouge sometimes has a slightly raised burr around its ... [... more]
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Wallpaper Repairs Made Easy
FOR A PEELED SEAM, begin by applying a little seam adhesive to the wallpaper with a narrow artist's paint brush. SMOOTH OUT THE paper using a wooden seam roller, then wipe off any excess adhesive with a damp sponge. FOR DOUBLE-CUT patches, use a ... [... more]
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How To Choose the Right Colors for Your Rooms
When she hears people express a reluctance to paint their rooms in vivid hues because they believe it is inappropriate to the age or architectural style of their house, designer Susan Sargent waves away their concerns as though swatting flies. "I ... [... more]
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How to Install A Mantel: Overview
Lifting the mantel can be a challenge, but it's easily assembled and attached to the wall The stockings are hung by the chimney, but who cares? That mantel they're strung from is a joke. Its boring profile may have looked pretty festive dressed ... [... more]
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Installing a New Mantel
The design of the mantel—the decorative frame around the stone or brick surrounding the firebox—should harmonize with the style of your house. In a traditional setting, it might have additional woodwork, called an overmantel, above the shelf (see ... [... more]
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Houseplants for People Who Can't Grow Houseplants
These sun-lovers, including a medicine plant (top), a croton (middle) and a ponytail palm (bottom), thrive with at least a few hours of direct light each day. Place them next to a window facing east or west. Houseplants for bright, indirect light ... [... more]
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Working with an Interior Designer
Architects and remodeling contractors are the folks to call for structural planning, while interior designers work out optimal room size, traffic flow and lighting. When it comes to choosing and coordinating the color schemes, paint finishes, ... [... more]
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Interior Design for a Small Home
In July, the view from the top of the stairs showed the loft floor of the old barn to be a dark, cramped, and completely uninviting space. The low ceiling provided very little headroom, but Concord zoning laws prevented the owners from raising ... [... more]
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