Here are some tips for setting up your kitchen around a U-shaped layout that will help you to make it functional, stylish, and enjoyable to use. Central Dining Table If your U-shaped kitchen is large enough, you can always install a kitchen island. But if your kitchen has enough counter space and storage around the periphery and enough depth or width in the center to add a seating area, some people find a dining table and chairs more comfortable than bar seating around an island....

This prevalent and aesthetically pleasing concept comes from three primary regions: Spain, Greece, and Italy. Each region has its own unique use of color, patterns, furniture, and décor. Here are some great tips on how to create a lovely Mediterranean-style bedroom.

How a 15-Minute Cleanup Works A 15-minute cleanup works because it recognizes that there are three types of items you need to clean up in a room. Everything falls into one of three categories: TrashThings that don’t belong in the roomThings that belong in the room, in a different place Having only a few categories to sort items into makes a pickup run more smoothly. The 15-minute cleanups also work because they are designed to maintain a room....

Earlier in February, Lowe’s launched their new exclusive home brand, Origin 21, which features a collection of patio furniture, home accents, decor, textiles, and more. And while Lowe’s has carried home decor and furniture in the past, this new collection has everything you need to create a modern, chic oasis in your home or for your outdoor space. Below, our favorite picks from the new collection, which you can shop now online and in stores....

Here are 18 summer party ideas that are fun, practical, and budget-friendly. 

The natural colors of the stone blend perfectly into the neutral color scheme of the rest of the room. Capping off the display is the floating wood mantel that beautifully complements the textured materials surrounding it. What exactly is bluestone? It is a generic term for describing limestone, sandstone, or even architectural concrete in blue-gray shades. 

These days many kitchen designers solve this problem by custom building cabinetry all the way up to the ceiling. But if you don’t have the luxury of building a custom kitchen from scratch, prefer a less tailored look, are working with existing built-in cabinetry from a rental, or don’t have the budget to renovate, there are plenty of ways to fill that dust-collecting kitchen neverland while adding visual interest or extra storage....

Fresh and contemporary, white spaces are clean, bright and easy to update. Add a dramatic accent color or change out your accessories, and you have a completely new look. Simple white décor also helps nurseries to look less cluttered, covering a magnitude of post-playtime sins. As for those grimy little noses and sticky, Crayola-wielding hands, a little bleach and a Magic Eraser go a long way in an all-white space....

Perennial gardens can definitely become very easy and low maintenance over time, but before that magical effortless look happens, there are plenty of plans and decisions to be made. Specifically, where you plant things is almost as important as what you decide to plant. Here are 22 suggestions and ideas to help you plan the layout and design of gorgeous perennial flower garden. How to Design a Perennial Flower Garden There are some specific things to consider when choosing what and where to plant:...

A back porch can be anything from a an outdoor dining area for family meals and entertaining to a romantic spot for unwinding with your partner, to a solitary spot for contemplating the view. Your back porch decor can be minimalist and designed to blend into the background, or packed with outdoor furniture and accessories that rival your interior or look like an extension of the inside of your home....

To keep things cohesive with your current décor style, we’ve rounded up 25 modern takes on the traditional hearth that offer the best of both worlds: Homey yet sleek and decorative yet functional. Whether you’re looking to update an original structure or add one to your contemporary build, here’s proof you don’t have to sacrifice cozy vibes in the name of clean lines.

Check out these Christmas bedroom ideas in a range of styles and moods that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own bed.

Rustic-Grade Unfinished Wood Rustic- or utility-grade unfinished wood flooring is true solid hardwood from top to bottom, so it’s great for high-impact environments. The kind of solid hardwood that you see when you first enter the flooring store is usually premium or residential grade. Yet lower grades of hardwood flooring may be best suited for your shop. Rustic hardwood’s surface is perfect for a shop because it can be sanded and sealed, and it’s smooth enough that lost nuts and washers can easily be found....

That’s too bad because there are exquisite flowers in the Liliaceae family that are indigenous to areas such as New England and Canada. Consider the flowers described here if you live in these regions and wish to try your hand at landscaping with native plants. Chances are there’s a nursery not too far from where you live that specializes in selling native species, and they might well carry one or more of these five lovely native lilies....

Here are five things that only people who identify as chronically, and unapologetically, messy can understand. There’s a Method to the Madness If you’re someone who self-identifies as messy, you know firsthand that there’s still a system being applied. Despite what other people may see as clutter or chaos, you know where everything is, and you don’t tend to have trouble navigating through things to find what you need. Where others might try to shame you into changing your habits, you prefer to focus your attention elsewhere....