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Chalkboard paint isn’t new, but creative minds keep coming up with new ways to use it. Consider the dramatic wall calendar shown here. It began with a floor-to-ceiling coat of standard gray chalkboard paint. With the help of a yardstick, squares were drawn in pencil, then taped off. Three-fourths were filled in with different shades of light and medium gray, leaving the remaining squares the same color as the wall....

For most homeowners, the basement is perfectly adequate, but if doing laundry feels like spending time in a dreary dungeon, consider relocating it to the first or second floor. Be sure to take into account factors such as noise, humidity and possible flooding should a hose break. If the location is fine, maybe other upgrades are in order. Better built-in storage or a more efficient configuration will improve your laundry experience....

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Furniture provides comfort at home while letting us express our personal style, so it’s as much about form as function. As with clothing, we want it to work—and we also want it to wow. But while fashion is fickle, furniture is more of a commitment; we’ve got to make decisions we’ll literally live with. After all, those tables, chairs, sofas, et cetera aren’t cheap. Furniture and bedding sales in the U....

Wood-Framed Stairways There are many different types of stairs. But here we’ll be focusing on the details that pertain to wood-framed stairways–the interior stairways that connect levels, and the exterior stairways used on decks or installed against the outside of a house wall. Once you know your way around a wood-framed stair, you’ll be able to apply that same knowledge to other types, like precast concrete stairs, and outdoor stairs made from brick or landscape ties....

The This Old House Reviews Team has created this in-depth round-up of the best home insurance companies in San Francisco based on metrics like coverage, cost, and customer service quality to help you make the right choice. San Francisco’s Top 4 Homeowners Insurance Companies The highest-rated homeowners insurance companies in San Francisco include: Lemonade: Easiest Sign-Up Allstate: Best Overall Travelers: Most Experience Amica®: Best Customer Service Lemonade Our Take: Easiest Sign-Up J....

From the shores of Nova Scotia to the mountains of British Columbia, our 12 favorite locations for old houses in the land up north. The Crescents, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada The Crescents was home to Regina’s upper-crust residents during the early 20th century. While the affluent still reside here, the neighborhood is also a haven for academics and city types looking for a perfect neighborhood for raising kids. Residents can walk downtown to eat dinner at Regina’s gourmand-pleasing restaurants or hike to Mosaic Stadium to watch the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Montreal Alouettes or the Calgary Stampeders....

everywhere from Japan to Europe. When the TOH TV project house in Charlestown was built in 1865, plasterers used lime plaster. Lime plasters are ideal candidates for repairs, because they crystallize over a long period of time, are flexible, and resist water damage. In short, with maintenance, lime plaster will not only last forever but will actually get better with age. While old house plaster problems are unique to each historic building, with a few basic tools and materials and an appreciation of history, solutions easily present themselves....

Roger Cook visited Evergreen Farm in Sterling, MA More information on Christmas trees can be found at Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association and National Christmas Tree Association. Kevin O’Connor traveled to UL Laboratories to learn about preventing fires from holiday decorations. The UL-rated artificial tree Kevin saw can be found at most department stores. Expert assistance for this segment was provided by UL Laboratories.

Aerate the Lawn If rainfall pools on the grass, it’s time to aerate compressed soil so water and nutrients can reach the roots. A garden fork can do the job on a small yard, but for larger lawns Roger uses a walk-behind aerator that pulls out 2½-to 3-inch-deep soil plugs, which will break down naturally by spring. Feed Your Grass Cutting back on fertilizer in late summer prevents perennials from wasting energy on leaf production....