With all the coming and going in life, it seems no area of the home experiences more tumult than the entryway. Piles of shoes, mussed rugs, various scattered debris — it doesn’t take long for a clean entryway to go awry.

Think about the importance of an organized entryway, how it can be both inviting and functional at once. How can you find calm and refuge when the first few feet inside your home looks like windblown yard sale?

Over at Houzz, Erin Lang Norris offers some tips to bring order to your entryway and — just maybe — your fast-moving life. Here’s some highlights:

• Add a mirror. “Zinging back and forth through the house before leaving for the day will only be increased if there’s not a mirror next to the doorway. I’d suggest keeping it small and above the shoulders, as a larger one may contribute to second guesses and outfit changes.”
• Consider a cubby storage system. “When you think about how many things you lug to and from work, school and extracurricular activities, it only makes sense to have a place to drop everything when you get home for the evening. Bag, shoes, hat, umbrella, water bottle — the list goes on. And if there are sports involved, you’re probably well aware of the difficulties behind keeping everything together. Improve organization by giving everybody his own cubby.”
• Catchall — a space for everything. “A place to ditch things such as your keys, bag and mail can be a huge help. Not only do you have a place to set things when you’re toting an armful of groceries, but you’ll also save time in the morning when everything is in one place.”

What’s your secret to combatting a cluttered entryway?

In a recent episode of HouseSmarts, Lou Manfredini and a crew from Woodland Windows & Doors of Roselle, Ill., demonstrated the window replacement process from start to finish using replacement windows by Marvin. We learn how the homeowner spearheaded the project by shopping around meeting several contractors before agreeing to work with Woodland.

Ken Mariotti, president of Woodland Window & Doors, encourages consumers to consider starting small with window replacement projects, focusing on rooms that can be revitalized with as little as a single replacement.

Watch as the Woodland crew shows how to replace a window in a single day:

Torn screens are a fact of living in everyone’s home. I re-screen our front screen door twice a season — four children and lots of friends pushing on the screen. After removing the old screen, buying a roll of new fiberglass screen (the easiest to use), and some new spline and a spline tool, you can do it yourself without too much trouble.

Lay the torn screen’s frame on the ground and remove the old rubber spline while holding the screen in place. Then spread the new screen over the frame insert the rubber spline rope into the groove and press in place. Use the spline tool, which looks like a pizza cutter, to secure the rope. Hold the excess firmly but not too tightly as you can bow the frame depending on how big it is.

Once the rubber spline is in place and your new screen is tight and flat, cut the excess with a sharp utility knife and replace the screen into its window opening. If it’s a problem screen like my front door, consider aluminum screening, which it a little tougher. And if you have a large pet who likes to stick its snoot in the screens, there are thicker pet screens that are the toughest around.

Sure, you could take this to a hardware store and have the work done for you, but this is an easy one that you can do yourself and keep the bugs from entering your home.

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For those of you who haven’t seen it, Marvin Windows and Doors is sponsoring a Window Wisdom series on Charles & Hudson. So far, we’ve shared tips for evaluating a window’s condition, cleaning and upkeep and shopping for the correct window. Here’s a glimpse at some of the tips we’ve offered up thus far:

Watch the Flame
“We use this same tip to check for drafts around a door. Hold a lighted candle 2-3 inches from the edge of a closed interior window and slowly move it around the window. If you see the flame flicker in a particular spot you know you’ve got a draft.”

Weather Beater
“If you live in a particularly extreme climate that gets extremely cold or hot or wet, you should check the condition of your windows more frequently than those who live in moderate weather areas. Water damage is a frequent cause of window failure and the expansion and contraction of window frames from hot or cold weather can also be detrimental. Not to mention UV rays which can break down untreated or damaged wood causing further damage.”

Before You Buy
“Be sure to check the wall thickness before ordering doors and windows. Manufacturers will customize the frame jambs to match whatever wall construction you have. Find your wall thickness by measuring the jamb width on an existing door or window.”

Ditch the Dirt
“Dust and dirt can quickly accumulate in and around the moving parts of a window. If it’s really bad start with a vacuum and and clean the tracks. Use a toothbrush to get in deep between the tracks. Then clean and lubricate all of the mechanical parts using a silicone spray.”

For the next post in the series, Charles & Hudson will take readers on a visit to a Marvin Windows & Doors dealer.

When it comes to gardening, planting and growing is only half the battle. Too often, insects, rodents and weeds spell the demise of a late summer’s harvest.

For those who prefer chemical-free gardening – no pesticides or herbicides – DIY Life recently featured tips on companion planting, a gardening strategy that thwarts common pests by pairing specific plants together. The most common garden defenders include:

• Marigolds – ward off animals, mosquitoes and aphids
• Peppermint - prevents ants, white cabbage moths and aphids
• Garlic – repels Japanese beetles, fleas and aphids
• Basil – fights flies and mosquitoes

From the same article, expert gardener Patti Moreno showcases the “three sisters” gardening method, a planting strategy credited to Native Americans that groups corn, beans and squash alongside one another take leverage each plant’s unique benefits. Corn absorbs nitrogen from the soil and beans take nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil while squash provides shade to cool the soil.

Companion planting is about putting your plants to work. The result? A delicious late-summer harvest that’s completely organic and free of chemicals, pests and unnecessary labor.

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The blog Home Design Find brings up an interesting challenge: decorating a vacation home. Perhaps you hadn’t thought much about it, but the situation can provide some unique hurdles.

If you’re fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you may have already experienced the daunting question of how to decorate it. On one hand, you want your place to be comfortable and stylish. You also want furniture that is of high enough quality that it can withstand punishment from guests but not of so expensive that you’ll be worrying about stains and scratches every time someone sets a glass down. And if you rent out your vacation home, there’s another factor to consider: your decor has to appeal to people other than yourself.

HDF recommends hard-working, durable floors; adding a personal touch; and keeping things casual and simple. Another website, RoFx.net, offers some further tips on decorating a vacation home. Enough with the tips, though; how about some nice photos to ogle?

Sunset magazine offers some lovely photos (and some related decor tips, too) of a modern cabin in northern Washington. Along with the photos are some recommendations on where to find certain products and pieces of furniture that appear in the cabin. Carsmach.com shares some more nice photos from another gorgeous cabin in eastern Washington (what’s in the water out there?). Maybe you can find some design inspiration in these photos.

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If you are feeling especially crafty, and want to give your bathroom an inexpensive new look, consider sewing your own shower curtain! Our friends at Design*Sponge show us how.

You can do either a patchwork curtain (a great way to empty out your scrap bag!) or a solid one. If you have a basic knowledge of sewing, this is a great way to get crafty! Here’s what you will need:

• Fabric: five yards for a solid curtain or one to two yards of seven different fabrics
• Thread that matches your chosen fabric(s)
• Scissors
• Pins
• Tape measure
• Seam ripper
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Optional: cutting mat, rotary cutter and straight edge

Once you’ve gathered these things together, you can begin! Check out Design*Sponge’s post for extensive instructions.

With just some time and a little know-how, you can give your bathroom a whole new look!

Image courtesy of Design*Sponge.

With flowers beginning to bloom, it’s time to think about what to do with your garden’s bounty — or the bounty of the florist shop! Design*Sponge has some cute ideas for how to arrange flowers with the aid of a tea pot.

Sarah Brysk Cohen of Blossom and Branch gave Design*Sponge the tips. They’re perfect for spring floral arrangements for bridal and baby showers, Easter brunch or just to add a little flair to your home. Here’s how to go about it:

• Find a teapot! Use what you have, or hit up an antique store for a unique find.
• Clean the flowers.
• Cut the stems at the appropriate angle.
• Start with your main bunch of flowers (Brysk Cohen uses roses), followed by smaller blooms and foliage (mint and jasmine in this case). Let some of the herbs and vines flow over the side of the for a casual springtime look.
• Place your flowery teapot anywhere where your house needs a spot of spring!

Check out Design*Sponge for more floral arranging tips and pictures.

Image courtesy of Design*Sponge and Maggie Harkov Photography

‘Tis the season for spring cleaning. As you’re organizing and cleaning out closets, you may find boxes of old slides. What to do? That technology has long since passed into oblivion, but slides can represent many cherished memories. How do you make use of them without letting them sit in a box?

Inhabitat has an idea: make them into curtains! Unlike many DIY projects, the final product looks cool and modern–easily something that could fit in in the family room or front doorway.

And it’s simple: buy some aluminum chain rings, gather your slides and grab a small drill. You’ll be organized and decorated in no time!

Images courtesy of Inhabitat.

I have been building and renovating homes for more than 20 years, and the comment I get a lot is how people are so surprised by how expensive remodeling can be. While this is true, the real spending comes after we builders leave and the decorating starts. The furniture, artwork, lamps and the piece de resistance: window treatments.

I would come back to a home that we had built and see these beautiful window treatments with custom valances, and layered shades that cost thousands of dollars. What always irked me was that we spent all the time building or renovating the home and the guy who put up the window treatments got all the glory. Well, that has changed over the last few years. Nice looking window treatments are now available to the do-it-yourselfer and at truly affordable prices.

Now, of course, the sky is the limit as to what you can do, so I narrowed it down to four of the most popular choices, which you can customize them any way you desire. You should consider three things when selecting window treatments:

1. Style: What’s the room’s general décor? Contemporary, traditional or something else?
2. Color and design: Will it blend with the room or become a focus?
3. Function: What kind of light control are you looking for? Do you have safety concerns or want more energy efficiency?

Here is what’s hot these days in window treatments:

Cellular shades. These are one of the most versatile treatments around. They come in a variety of colors, fabrics and cell sizes. These two-sided shades offer great accents to your rooms, or you can match the fabric to the room color to really get that custom look. These shades are also available in cordless setups, which are easy to operate and are a safe alternative in homes with children and pets.

Mini blinds. They continue to be a great choice but more interesting options have been available for quite some time. Larger slat wood blinds were the rage a few years ago but some issue occurred with the wood being exposed to all the sunlight and sometimes warping would occur. So faux wood blinds came along and look great and stay true under almost any condition. They can also be used in moist application like bathrooms.

Woven wood shades. Look in just about any home magazine and chances are you’ll see these window treatments being featured. A rise in popularity has occurred recently that accents textures both in the material and the light that is shown through. Many of these window treatments are actually made from real bamboo reeds and can come in a variety of patterns and colors.

Plantation shutters. This treatment definitely will be a focal point in your rooms. These custom fit units when sized correctly will be an extension of your trim-work and will change the look of your room. These by far are the most expensive window treatment and also expect a lead time of at least five weeks, but boy does it look sharp!

All of these do-it-yourself window treatments have one thing in common: You are the one doing the measuring. This is important because the size you give to whatever company you choose to do business with will be the size they send you. Here’s an overview of some key terms that will come up when measuring a window for new treatments:

Inside mounting: emphasizes the actual size of the window and allows the trim work to be visible; can make the size of the window seem smaller

Outside mounting: lengthens and widens windows and makes narrow windows look wider; might be necessary if buying a stock item that will not fit within the inside measurement or if the window is not deep enough to contain the mounting brackets

Here are some other items you will need to do it yourself and get it right:

• A good tape measure that will stay straight to give you exact measurements
• An electronic stud finder to locate framing behind the drywall or plaster to ensure a strong hold
• A level to make sure what you are installing is level to the rest of the house; laser levels do a great job if you are hanging multiple window treatments in one room, helping to keep them all consistent
• Quality hollow-wall anchors if finding the stud is not available; this is key because there is a lot of junk out there that claims it can do the job

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