Home Improvement Web Directory

'Cool' Ideas for Reducing Energy Bills This Summer
Along with summer's extra hours of sunshine, blooming flowers and green lawns, comes the heat. Whether bright and blazing or hot and humid, escaping the heat means turning on the air conditioner.

A How-to Guide for Kitchen Remodeling Projects
Now that summer is here, a lot of people are starting home remodeling projects, and according to Remodeling Magazine, revamping the kitchen will continue to top the priority list for many homeowners this year. Kitchen remodels are popular not only because they improve the functionality of the space but because they add value to your home

A Place for Family, a Place for Self
Today's families are a whirlwind of activity, running to school and work, to and from meetings, events and get-togethers. Research has shown that because today's families are so busy, home has become a retreat, a place to escape and relax. The desire to be at home -- sometimes referred to as "cocooning" -- has driven many of the architectural and design changes seen in today's new homes.

A Simple Way to Increase Outdoor Living Space
For those homeowners looking to add to their living space, improve their lifestyle and increase the resale value of their home, the perfect solution is to extend your living area outdoors through the addition of decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas.

Add Affordable Luxuries to Your Home Now and Reap the Benefits at Resale Time
The consensus of opinion among realtors is that there are a few key improvements that can be done to substantially increase the value of your home when the time comes to sell it. But why wait to make repairs and enhancements until you want to sell when the upgrades will improve the quality of your life today?

Bare Necessities: How to Design a Bathroom, Minimalist Style
Is less more? Or is less a bore? That is the question designers have debated for centuries. Bathrooms - and the fittings, fixtures and furnishings that designers develop for the most functional space in any home - are subject to these same whims and questions that drive all types and tides of style.

Bedrooms for All Kinds of Living
The way we use our bedrooms has evolved over the years. Just as kitchens are now much more than rooms where food is prepared, bedrooms have transformed from simple places that house a mattress into retreats where residents relax, unwind, entertain and work. It may be the place where the family gathers to watch Saturday morning cartoons, or where couples sit by the window and enjoy a cup of coffee before work

Black, White and Beautiful All Over
Remember the old joke: What's black and white and read all over? Although that joke, along with its punch line, the newspaper, as well as black and white television, may all be obsolete, the fashion cach? of black on white and vice versa is never out of style. Like the little black dress, this distinctive combination reeks of sophistication.

Body and Soul: Hot Tub Trends
There's no time like the present for a soothing soak in a hot tub. Really, who isn't stressed these days? But a hot tub is more than just a place to relax and unwind. There's a noticeable trend in hot tubs toward integrating sensation, sight and sound to achieve a total sensory experience that is extraordinarily easy to enjoy.

Celebrating a Century of Arts and Crafts Style: Decorating with Wallpaper
The emergence of the Arts and Crafts movement at the dawn of the 20th century represented a truly revolutionary shift in home d?cor, and this "revolution" is having a renaissance today. It was revolutionary, not only because it emphasized the sheer beauty of design that is created around function and utility rather than mere ornamentation, but because it was steeped in a shift in ethics.