Design-Savvy Kitchen Remodeling On the Rise
CalFinder Blog
“We’ve noticed a huge trend among homeowners lately—that design-savvy kitchen remodeling is on the rise. Whether they’re taking to the web for self-taught strategy, or consulting with budget-smart designers and kitchen contractors before construction begins, homeowners are increasingly involved in the design process. … Some of the trends that we have seen—and loved—include these three design styles.”

15 Posts on Decluttering and Organizing Your Home
Re-Nest
“What’s a better way to start off a new year than to to organize, declutter and simplify your home? Whether you’re looking to live with less or are simply rethinking your space, check out these tips to kick off an organized and clutter-free new year!”

Best of 2011: Before & After
Centsational Girl
Whether it’s decorating or painting or organizing or anything else related to making a house look like an elegant, comfortable home, this woman knows what she’s doing. Get some ideas from her round-up of some favorite projects from the past year.

20 Green Building Innovations of 2011
Jetson Green
“Our team had the great opportunity to report on hundreds of green building innovations in the form of new technologies and advanced materials. We see these innovations as contributors to a world where it’s important to reduce waste and resource consumption. I hope you enjoy this unordered review gathered from our archives of the last year.”

Why Window Replacement is Cheaper Than You Think
CalFinder Blog
“If your home’s heating isn’t running as efficiently as you’d like it to this winter, then you might consider window replacement. Inefficient windows can leak a huge percentage of heat from your home—as much as 30%—and cost you a lot of money every month. … But the idea of window replacement may seem daunting, complicated and expensive. The good news is that you can avoid all of those words by going through the window replacement process intelligently.”

ZipToGreen: How To Reduce Your Home Energy Use
Re-Nest
How’d you like a planning tool lets you create a personal action plan for reducing home energy, thereby saving money and doing a little to help save the planet? For free. Sounds nice, eh? Well, we might have just that with ZipToGreen, a new site that offers greening recommendations, including costs, incentives and a personal calendar to schedule it all out.

Before & Afters of 2009
Centsational Girl
A quick, photo-heavy recap of 30 of this wonderful blogger’s favorite around-the-house upgrade and overhaul projects from 2009. A salvaged dresser, some thrift-store chairs, a bathtub update, a fireplace makeover and more. You’re sure to get some inspiration from this one.

Taking Design to Bed: 6 Beds that Will Rock Your World
CalFinder
These beds will almost certainly change the way you think about the piece of furniture on which you sleep. A couple of these beds are a bit on the wild side, but many are certainly reasonable to put in a bedroom near you.

Solar Energy at Home
HomeIntel
If you like the idea of solar energy but don’t know where to start, this article has some good suggestions. Try an electronic book reader that runs on solar energy, or perhaps some outdoor lawn lamps. Every little bit counts, after all.

Photo courtesy of Centsational Girl