Be sure not to overlook dining room decor

There’s a lot of home decorating advice out there on how to create the perfect kitchen. But what goes into designing a truly great dining room? As the holiday entertaining season approaches, it’s worth re-examining the dining area. In homes that . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Pirates of the Caribbean star sells off final L.A. penthouse

LOS ANGELES — Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has officially pulled up anchor from L.A.’s Historic Core district, selling the last piece of his five-unit penthouse collection atop the Eastern Columbia Building for US$1.425 million. Depp originally listed the . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Deceptively bright, delightfully stylish

Bridgwater Trails home has a smaller footprint, but massive appeal

Whether a home is big or small, three essential components determine how high it scores on the livability scale: space, light and style. Should a home be on the smaller side, properly balancing those components is critically important. Spencer Curtis and his . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Movin' on up

Well-kept home will impress young families

A young family needs to weigh its options carefully when looking for a move-up home. Of course, the first — and typically most desirable — option is a new house. For around $400, 000 to $500, 000, you get a contemporary . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

How to sell your home in the winter

As the cold weather and snow settles in, it may create a challenging landscape for home sellers. Traditionally, the winter is one of the hardest periods in which to sell a home. For those looking to sell their homes this winter, here’s . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Ash, sand or rocks?What to put in the garden

Pro answers when to trim, repot or remove your plants

Gardening columnist Adrian Higgins answered questions recently in an online Washington Post chat. Here is an edited excerpt. We put in a new raised bed last year in our vegetable garden and filled the bed with soil. We are building additional . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Three gadgets to amp up your life

Tried and true devices, just in time for the holiday season

Most everyone has Wi-Fi somewhere in their home, but the word, "somewhere" is the key in that phrase. The most common origin of the signal is a home office, which is great, but won’t give you the same signal strength throughout . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Hearty beans provide vigorous yield

Regardless of variety, venerable food source a winner

I planted an unnamed variety of yellow wax bean in late July — about two dozen seeds — and by late summer, the vines were so vigorous and fruitful that I couldn’t keep up with them in the kitchen. This surfeit . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Spruce up your tree this Christmas

I love big, grand Christmas trees. But in my snug little cottage, we just don’t have the room. So this year, I’m trying something different. To get the illusion of a large tree, I’m putting a five-foot tree into a garden . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Tropical plant suppliers still recovering from Hurricane Irma

Florida a key provider of indoor greenery

A houseplant is a plant grown indoors. This hardly seems an adequate description for a living thing that grows, absorbs water and nutrients, purifies the air that we breathe and decorates our living spaces. Most houseplants are tropical plants by another . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18