Gorgeous Guest Rooms
Architectural Digest
For a weary traveler, a stylish, well-appointed guest room gives a sense of comfort hotels can’t match. We’ve gathered a dozen chic examples from AD’s archives that would make any visitor want to stay awhile.

Mini Kitchen Makeover
Centsational Girl
“…prepping and cooking in this kitchen made me realize I was not in love with the color of the cabinetry, so I decided while I was up there, I might as well just refinish them. I also swapped out the light fixture and add a much needed window shade.” Stunning results.

Book Turned Lamp
Curbly
“Etsy seller, typewriterboneyard, turns hardback books into table lamps. The bulbs used are ‘Radio’ reproduction bulbs (like this one). The maker notes that that bottom of the books are intact, which means you could stack the lamp on other hardbacks to give it some verticality.”

Add Style, Function to Your Outdoor Space with Carpet
Charles and Hudson
“With summer in full swing, your home’s outdoor areas are likely getting a lot of use. We’ve already talked about how to create a year-round outdoor living space, complete with furniture and seasonal elements. When you’re creating such an area, you may also want to consider adding flooring–and what better than outdoor-friendly carpet?”

Unexpected Renovation Treat: A Note From the Past
Shelterrific
“When the salvage team removed a lintel, they found a note dated 1973 and addressed to ‘Future Man’ from Jack Barbour, the man who originally worked on the space. The website doesn’t share the whole story, which is that Jack was a first-generation American from Belgium who passed away 20 years ago.”

High Design With Solar Panels
Houzz.com
“Living off the grid may not be as easy as slapping some solar panels on a roof or side of a building, but it definitely helps reduce those electricity bills. But if one decides to add solar panels to a house, how to do it? While the panels have slimmed down in size and are making strides towards looking less solar-panel-like, most homeowners do not want to call attention to them. And integrating them into an existing house requires some consideration and skill. What follows are some examples of various ways solar panels are being integrated into home design.”

Six Sensational Seaside Bedrooms
Curbly.com
“From straight up modern to a little bit British Colonial, bedrooms by the sea rank up there with some of the most romantic imaginable. And, yes, sometimes it’s more about the view than the decor!”

Breaking design rules
Centsational Girl
“A reader recently wrote in and asked an important question when it comes to designing a space. Leah W. wondered whether some design rules were made to be broken and were there a few examples or illustrations for successfully breaking those rules?”

Builder Magazine Presents Universal Design Must-Haves
Charles and Hudson
“The great thing about Universal Design is that it’s smart, functional design that makes sense–whether you’re aging or not. We’ve talked about UD before here at C&H, and with the latest round-up of UD-friendly products released by Builder magazine, we thought it was prime time to revisit the subject. If you’re looking to incorporate UD into your home, this list provides an excellent starting point–and much of it is DIY-friendly, too.”

Karim Rashid & Soda Stream: A Bubbly Match
Shelter Pop
“The award-winning designer has a new kitchen device — and he’s giving his only US interview to ShelterPop! With the at-home soda craze in full swing, it’s only natural that SodaStream — maker of the DIY soda maker — would bring some design cred to their machines by teaming up with award-winning designer Karim Rashid. Together. they’ve created a fun and bubbly limited edition home soda maker that us seltzer-aholics here at ShelterPop are crazy about. So when he agreed to give his one US interview to us, we jumped at the chance to talk not only about the DIY soda trend, but inspiration and good design as well.”

3 Smart Ways to Pay for Your Home Remodel
CalFinder
“As you may have noticed, the remodels with the greatest return often come at the highest price tags. Window replacement, for instance, costs an average of $11,066, bathroom remodels go for $16,634, and minor kitchen renovations ring in at $21,695. If you lack the cash up-front to cover materials and labor, how can you afford the work your home needs this year?”

Rooftop Gardens
Design*Sponge
“Outdoor space is most New Yorkers’ ultimate real estate wish. We initially hunt for more light, bigger rooms and better locations, but even after you’ve found a great apartment, it’s impossible to not eventually hope for a place to plant a garden to sit outside. While the reality of an amazing rooftop garden feels about a hundred years away for me, for some New Yorkers, it’s sitting right in front of them.”

DIY: Make a Sewing Kit in a Mason Jar
Casa Sugar
A picture guide to keeping sewing equipment for clothing emergencies in an adorable mason jar.

Why You Should Get an Energy Audit
Old House Web
“The right place to start is with an energy audit, a top-to-bottom look at your house by a trained professional who can then make suggestions on which upgrades can do the most good.”

Home cleaning checklist and cheat-sheet
Curbly
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve been offering free, downloadable check lists and cheat sheets to make your spring cleaning efforts simple and effective. First, we shared a list of tasks and DIY, green cleaners for the kitchen, and last week, an easy way to make it through that most dreaded of rooms, the bathroom. Today, we’re tackling everything else: carpets/rugs, windows, furniture, walls, and odors.”

Modern Kitchens Worthy of The Jetsons
CalFinder Blog
“We’ve shown how a kitchen renovation can give you the biggest return on investment in your home. Yes, even simply replacing your dishwasher and oven can majorly revolutionize the function, efficiency and beauty of your space. Well. These kitchens go above and beyond in their modernization. Not only do they incorporate the latest and most efficient appliances (steel, think steel), but they have added cabinetry and other beautiful materials to make the entire space positively out of this world.”

A sink made of leather
DigsDigs
“What is that? A sink made of leather?! It’s not, actually, this sink is made of copper. This sink is made by a California-based company Native Trails. The sink is manufactured of special copper, it’s recycled copper from pipes and wirings which are melted down. The rest of the process is made by an artisan, so it’s hand made.” And it looks like leather!

Home safety tips for travelers
DIY Life
“In the craziness of planning for our holiday travel and vacations, we often forget to take the necessary steps to safeguard our home from intruders. It’s not necessary to have a home security system such as a home alarm or security camera, although those types of precautions are a great deterrent. Here are some tips for homeowners who don’t have home security systems but want some piece of mind before locking up.”

FSC Reclaimed Teak by IndoTeak Design
Jetson Green
“California-based IndoTeak Design has what it calls “the greenest teak products on the market.“ Its FSC-certified, post-consumer, recycled teak products — flooring, paneling, siding, and decking — come from Indonesian structures up to 300 years old.”

Why You Should Plan Your Spring Remodel Now
CalFinder Blog
“Spring season is the best time to kickoff the planning phase of your remodel. It typically takes a few weeks to find a contractor, sketch out a plan and shop for home improvement products, and then weeks more for installation to wrap up. If you’d like a project completed by summer, it’s best to start this month. Homeowners that delay are often left with lower-quality contractors, as the most sought-after companies get booked up first.”

Pioneers of Small Living: Sarah Susanka
Re-Nest
“It’s been over 10 years since Sarah Susanka wrote her first best-selling book, The Not So Big House. Since then, she’s published eight more books which expand on her small living philosophy, including those dedicated to remodeling, landscaping and even how to live a ‘not so big’ life. … Her mantra of ‘build better, not bigger’ has had wide-spread influence and garnered legions of fans who are embracing this different way of thinking.”

Home Upgrades That Don’t Pay Off
Real Simple
“Five renovation projects that experts say just aren’t worth your time (or money).”

Why You Should Schedule A Home Inspection
Charles and Hudson
” ‘Owning a home remains one of the most significant financial investments most people will make in their lifetime,’ said Kurt Salomon, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors, in an ASHI press release. ‘Periodic inspections conducted by a qualified professional are one of the best ways to protect that investment.’ ”

Six Easy DIY Bathroom Remodeling Ideas
Remodeling Guy
Another example of one of the Remodeling Guy’s favorite tricks: Find a nice photo of a gorgeous home and point out nice little home improvement lessons anyone can learn from that photo.

Crazy Rooms (That We’re Crazy About) From New York Magazine
Shelter Pop
“This week’s issue of New York focuses on extreme design…and we’re extremely excited. Check out our five favorite spaces.”

Do You Dance While You Iron?
DIY Life
“Everybody, at some point, has busted a move while cleaning. These people were kind enough to share their methods on YouTube. ”

America’s Most Decadent Kitchens
MSN Real Estate
“Forbes compiled a list of some of the most luxurious kitchens in homes now for sale, with help from Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Sotheby’s International and Coldwell Banker.”

How Much Can You Save with Green Remodeling Tax Credits?
Calfinder
“Happy Earth Day, folks! In honor of the 41st anniversary of this greenest of holidays, I’d like to share a breakdown on energy-saving home improvements, and the federal tax incentives that make them affordable.”

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Gardeners
The Daily Green
“Gardening for the first time? You can’t go wrong with these time-tested techniques.”

Making tax time a little more bearable
Design*Sponge
Maybe these tips will help you be more efficient next year: “Confession: this year I’ve become a total tax failure. It’s April 12, and I still haven’t filed. I’m only halfway through my receipts and feel like I need to psych myself up. In an attempt to rally, I rounded up just a few things that would make tax time a little more bearable.”

The Worst Paint Colors for a Home Exterior
Charles and Hudson
“We’ve all seen them. Maybe you’re out for a leisurely stroll, or a relaxing drive. You decide to check out some of the nearby neighborhoods. And then, without warning … you encounter one of THOSE houses. You know what we’re talking about–a home painted with a color so garish, so horrible, that you can’t help but admire the homeowner even as you laugh and question his or her mental reasoning skills.”

5 Examples of Bigger Being Better (In Small Spaces)
Apartment Therapy
“Bigger is better for many circumstances in life. Take umbrellas for example or how about bank accounts or a theoretical big heart? When it comes to small spaces it’s easy to scale back on size, but we’re here to reassure you that these 5 things arealways better bigger when it comes to home decor!”

‘Fake Clean’ Your House in a Hurry
DIY Life
Yes, the context for this tips article is Super Bowl, but the advice is timeless. This article from Francesca Clarke encourages homeowners to focus their cleaning time on the parts of their house where they’ll get the most impact for the energy they expel.

Interior design: Nicole Hollis
Dwell
“To call interior designer Nicole Hollis’s portfolio ‘eclectic’ is an understatement. On one page you’ll find a modern man-cave with a colorful LED-lit staircase and on the next, a rustic kitchen outfitted with copper pots and wicker baskets. Each project has its own merits, but Hollis’s greatest strength as a designer lies in her chameleonlike ability to channel her clients’ desires.”

18 ways to make a small space look larger
Houzz.com
“Lots of people live in a small home, a small room, or just a small space. Others want to live in an intimate way versus dealing with the maintenance and cleaning of a large square footage space. Small is beautiful, easy, and practical, too. No matter what your reason for living in a small space, you’ll undoubtedly have to make some compromises in your decorating, get really organized, and make some adjustments to your lifestyle in order to live efficiently. With color, strategic furniture buying, space planning and interesting lighting, your place will feel wonderfully YOU with all the space you need. See if some of our tips will work for you.”

10 Architecturally Wondrous Staircases
Curbly
“A friend forwarded me one of those emails her husband got at work. It was full of photos of amazing staircases plus some strange magic eye type puzzles. Being the visual person that I am, I became completely fixated on the staircases and even went so far as to search for more and more visually indulging photos of creative staircases. I couldn’t get enough. Who thinks of these designs?”

Early Spring Maintenance Checklist
Charles & Hudson
“We may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves, but it’s time to think spring! Even if you’re not quite out of the winter weather woods, we’ve got a short list of tasks you can tackle to get your home–both inside and out–ready for warmer months.”

Ice Castles Grown by a Minnesota Man Using Geothermal Heating System
Inhabitat
“Winters in Minnesota are cold and the best way to get through the bone-chilling season is to have fun with it, just like Roger Hanson does. For the last four years the ice builder has been growing ice castles in his front yard with the help of his geothermal heating system, some fancy sprayers and a computer program he created himself.”

The $200 Microhouse
New York Times
“For ingenuity, thrift and charm, Mr. Diedricksen’s tiny structures are hard to beat. Made of scavenged materials, they cost on average less than $200 to build. They often have transparent roofing, which allows a fine view of the treetops, particularly in the smallest ones, where the most comfortable position is supine. They have loads of imaginative and decorative details: a porthole-like window salvaged from a front-loading washing machine, a flip-down metal counter taken from the same deceased washer.”

How Many Recycled Cans Does It Take to Make an Airplane?
The Daily Green
“The good news is that my yearly office cleaning gives me a chance to sort out the hundreds of press releases and news clippings I’ve saved during the year for my annual Top Ten Shocking Eco-Facts blog post. Remember, being the Green Cheapskate, that’s “eco” as in ecological as well as economical.”

DIY Home Humidifiers: Humidify Your Home for Less
DIY Life
“The cold winter weather outside, coupled by indoor heating systems, easily sucks all the moisture out of your home. Low humidity levels can also lead to a host of problems including dry skin, sore throats, along with cracks in paint and wood furniture. Adding a humidifier is an easy way to replace this lost moisture in your home, but at times humidifiers can require high maintenance and more space and money than you would like to expend. Luckily, even on the tightest of budgets, there are inexpensive tricks to humidify your home.”

Recession Buster: DIY Wall Art
Calfinder
“There are some great things you can do in a weekend to revolutionize your living room—and installing affordable wall art is one of them. Check out how.”

diy project: homemade leprechaun spirits
Design*Sponge
“Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner; it will sneak up on you before you know it, so you might want to prepare! The tradition of drinking on the holiday comes from a legend called Patrick Pot. This project honors that tradition.”

Spring may be on its way, but we’re only in mid-February: plenty of time for winter’s last icy gasp. To help you out, we’ve assembled a few wintry things you can do in your own backyard. These may take some work, but think of the neighborhood bragging rights!

How to Build Your Own Backyard Luge
Popular Mechanics
A detailed guide picturing every step of the luge-building process. You’ll be ready for the Olympics in no time.

How to Make a Backyard Ice Skating Rink
eHow.com
Ready to play some hockey but don’t want to pay for ice time? Play under the stars in your own backyard! This guide covers materials needed as well as the how-to.

How to build an igloo
Boy’s Life
Who needs a treehouse when you have an igloo (Marvin window optional)?