Kansas City Star: House + Home

On the prowl for vintage treasures

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00 CDT

After binge-reading a stack of House Beautiful magazines, musing over $1,200 Chinese porcelain lamps and $75 faux-malachite place mats, I felt the familiar malaise of Room Envy. You know, the yearning for a perfectly feathered nest, despite having few resources to direct toward such a project.

Put a pretty finish around flower beds

Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00 CDT

Every picture needs a frame. Garden edging is important: It frames flower beds, sets them apart and gives them style, character and contrast. It also marks transitions. In any garden, edges deserve careful attention.

Use metallic accents in your home for a glamorous, futuristic feel

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00 CDT

If your contemporary living space is getting a little too comfortable, mix it up by adding subtle metallic accents for an ultramodern twist.

The ABCs of chalkboard paint projects

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00 CDT

Chalkboards may be old-school, but they're the newest accent in home decor. House + Home gleaned an A-to-Z array of chalkboard paint info from Martin and Restoration Emporium, a vintage store in the West Bottoms where a hallway of chalkboards greets shoppers.

Drawing Board | Getting back to the front porch

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:00 CDT

We love our porch. In all but the harshest weather, we treat it as an extension of our home. It adds about 200 square feet of usable space, bumping us from a house that's a bit too small to one that's just right.

Q & A LILY KANTER, MILL VALLEY, CALIF.

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00 CDT

JOB DESCRIPTION: Co-owner of Serena & Lily, a home furnishings catalog, 866-597-2742, serenaandlily.com

Q+A | Ted Allen writes cookbook about loving the act of cooking

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00 CDT

Ted Allen is the host of the Food Network show "Chopped." TV audiences first saw Allen when he was the food and wine specialist on Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." This year, his second cookbook, "In My Kitchen: 100 Recipes and Discoveries for Passionate Cooks" hit the shelves. He is coming to Kansas City on May 20 for a book-signing.

Q & A | Bryan Batt, New Orleans

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:00 CDT

JOB DESCRIPTION: Actor, designer, author and civic activist. He's known for his role as Sal Romano on AMC's "Mad Men." He and his longtime partner, Tom Cianfichi, own Hazelnut, a gift and home accessories store in his hometown of New Orleans, hazel

Catalog Scout | Soft Surroundings opens store in Kansas City

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:00 CDT

Soft Surroundings is known as a catalog that sells beauty items and women's clothing. The St. Louis-based company, founded in 1999, also sells bedding. This month, Soft Surroundings opened a 4,595-square-foot retail store at 405 Nichols Road on the Country Club Plaza.

Catalog Scout | Restoration Hardware's Deconstructed furniture

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:00 CDT

The 654-page anvil/coffee table book that is the Restoration Hardware Spring 2012 catalog commands enough attention on its own. But then there's the company's latest furniture collection, Deconstructed.

Catalog Scout | Egg-cellent Easter

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:00 CDT

If you're looking for a bit of whimsy for your Easter table aside from jelly beans and chocolate eggs, consider PlaceTiles. The ceramic eggs can serve as place cards for your meal.

Staff Pick | Tiny typography

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00 CDT

Large typography has been big for a long time in decor. Now little letters are getting some love. Petite wooden tiles, playfully spelling words, are showing up in bowls and under clear glass cloches on tablescapes.

Drawing Board | Interior doors shouldn't be an afterthought

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:00 CDT

The doors inside your home are a key part of a new home design or renovation. And even on their own, they're a worthwhile upgrade. Consider how many times a day an interior door is used. Careful attention is needed when deciding on a style or size.

Drawing Board | Remember the benefits of trees

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:00 CST

Trees have a multitude of benefits for our neighborhoods. Besides their beauty, trees provide shade that can lower electric and cooling bills for homes, clean the air, absorb storm water runoff and even help reduce stress. Mature, healthy trees boost property values, and let's not forget the wildlife they shelter.

Drawing Board | Look around to learn the language of color

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:00 CST

Certain things in life are easy -- eating ice cream or sniffing a rose. And certain things, conversely, are hard -- performing emergency surgery on yourself or flossing your cat's tiny front teeth. Or the granddaddy of all difficult things: picking your own house color.

Handyman | Scott Balentine on replacing a nonworking air conditioner

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00 CDT

I have an old, nonworking air conditioner that was placed inside the wall in a family room that was added onto my home prior to my purchase. All the windows in the room are the roll-out casement type that do not open up and down. Should I just replace the unit in the wall? How can this be done so that when that unit is no longer functioning, it can be replaced easily?

Staff Pick | Special edition of 'Domino'

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00 CDT

Domino fans can (sort of) rejoice. A special edition of the beloved but defunct shelter mag called Domino Quick Fixes is on the shelves with a mix of fresh content and a collection of its home decorating stories.

Reusable summer party ware gives hostesses an excuse to have another party

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00 CDT

When you're planning this year's outdoor shindigs, skip the party aisle at the store.

Houseguest | Mayor Sly James

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00 CDT

Q. Tell us about your home.

Handyman | Bill Ruisinger on painting moisture-damaged bathroom walls

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00 CDT

Q. I want to paint my bathroom, which has had some moisture damage on the walls and ceiling. What type of primer and paint should I use?

Handyman | Keeping your basement dry

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00 CDT

Q. I am interested in finishing my basement. It gets a little water around the windows. Besides replacing them, what other steps should I take in remodeling?

Catalog Scout | Target

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00 CDT

May is seeing a slew of breaking bull's-eye news. In stores and the online catalog at Target.com.

Browning day lilies

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00 CDT

We have a day lily bed, and it's always quite pretty in the spring. This year, however, it's brown and dying -- looks like it's August or September instead of May

Tomato leaf roll answer

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:00 CDT

I sent in a question earlier this spring about the problems I was having with my tomato plants. The leaves were curling, twisting and the plants were stunted

Squirrels digging up plants

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00 CDT

The local squirrels are digging in my planted petunias and gardenias. What can I do to keep them out? They are in planters sittin on my patio

When to fertilize vegetables

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:00 CDT

How are your vegetables growing? The spring rains have been spotty and most of the area is on the dry side. But still, it's time to think about fertilizing