August 1997

Between friends

Special-Occasion Tables

You don't really need a special occasion to pull out your party goods. On these magical midsummer nights, any excuse will do. Here are ideas for creating four festive tables that can turn any occasion-- large or small-- into a celebration.

Pillow play

Come on. Let loose. These lazy days of summer are no time to get caught up in fussy decorating or complicated sewing projects. The instructions on the following pages show you how to stitch up pillows in a flash from summer-fresh fabrics that may be hiding around the house-- in the linen closet, in the kitchen cupboard, even in your wardrobe. Once you're done, toss a passel of pillows on a porch swing, pile them on a patio chair, or arm yourself with a couple of softies and pick a fight with your best pal. After all, it's just in fun.

Touch of Texture

You pick the perfect color. You paint it on flawlessly. And still, your walls can leave you feeling flat. But drywall doesn't have to be dull and one-dimensional. Banish boredom from plain walls by adding depth with easy-to-apply wall texture. Treated with do-it-yourself texture that comes in a can, brand-new walls can acquire instant character, an aura of age, or other dramatic effects. Texture also can be applied sparingly to touch up nail holes and other minor blemishes. Either way, the technique is easy enough to do yourself. Here's how.

Bath Transformations

A Getaway Bath As parents of three young sons, Claudia and Fred Phillips liked everything about their present home-- except its lack of privacy. Instead of moving, they added more than 15 feet to the width of their Charlotte, North Carolina, home and gained a private, first-floor master suite. The focal point of the redesign is a whirlpool tub with room for two, which Claudia and Fred use as a retreat for tête-à-têtes. "We use it all of the time," Claudia says.

Case Closed on Office Clutter

One home-office drawback is that the clutter of daily business often clashes with interior design. Folders stuffed with papers, floppy telephone indexes, and staplers are fashion faux pas.

Going Places

Let your fingers do the traveling-across a computer keyboard, that is-- and tap into the online travel service offered by BHGLive, the award-winning Better Homes and Gardens Internet site. You can plan that vacation you've been longing to take, make all the necessary reservations, and maybe even save big money on airfares and other expenses.

Our environment

Lawn Myths America loves green lawns and the environment. Is there a conflict between the two?

When Work and Family Collide

Bill Mattox is one of the lucky ones. When frequent work-related insomnia, an hour-long commute, and family responsibilities caused him to approach his boss with a white flag, his employer was willing to make some changes to help him get his life back. Now he does his job from an office in his home near Washington D.C., an example for workplace flexibility.

Raising a Reader

A child must enjoy books-- the tales they tell and the ideas they ignite-- to spend hours reading.

SMART GARDENING

EDITOR'S CHOICE

TEST GARDEN TIP

LOOKING GOOD

PERFECT PAIRS

Window boxes

Your world view becomes ever so much more colorful when you frame it with a window box. And the world will look at you with a cheerier disposition as well. Flower boxes are like little gardens in and of themselves. It's just that they sit perched on a windowsill. This is a high-profile position for landscaping, a placement that in the front yard sometimes literally stops traffic. When you decide to put flowers front and center like this, you want them to look just so.

Gate Arbor

New Landscapes

Setting Her Sites

Imagine turning every gardener's problem spot-- the long, narrow side yard-- into your landscaping centerpiece. Susan Rohwer actually reinforced the "alley" aspect of her side yard, and turned it into the spine of a dramatic turn-around border garden.

WEEKEND DECORATING

When the Stites family decided it was time to take a new tack on their '50s-style Florida home, they didn't spend a lot of money or even tons of time. Their simple, hands-on projects-- any one of which can be completed in a weekend-- filled their home with island-inspired color and ideas as fresh as ocean breezes.

Small Wonder

For some, trophy homes and mini mansions are all the rage, but, old-fashioned as it may sound, we still believe that good things come in small packages. C'mon in. We'll show you the biggest small house you've ever seen.

Your Favorite Ranch

We used to call it simply "Home Plan #2001." That was before we met the hundreds of families who found their dream homes in this all-time best-selling plan.

Sizzling New Barbecues

Today's barbecues are more than kettles full of coal. From grilling with gas to barbecuing with briquettes, these cookers offer convenience and versatility.

The Safe and the Sorry

While the government tests new cars for crashworthiness, an insurance research group keeps track of injury claims from real-life accidents. The Highway Loss Data Institute's ranking of passenger cars with the 10 best and 10 worst rates of injury claims are shown at right.

BH & G kids Wild West

Yahoo! Giddyup and gitalong! Let's round up some rootin' tootin' fun with duds and vittles fit for any old hoedown.

Ridin' Wild

After a hard day on the range, your kids will love riding off into the sunset with this Horse Tire Swing. Each swing features a flowing mane and is a unique creation made from a nonbelted auto or truck tire. Completely assembled when it arrives at your home, all hardware used to make the swing is covered to ensure smooth surfaces. Each swing comes with rope that will hold up to 200 pounds, plus complete instructions for safe installation.

The Shopper's Mart

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order with comfort and convenience from your own home.

The man next door

Congressman Nick Hanfli wants to introduce a bill making a person's name temporary until age 18, when he or she can confirm the moniker or legally change it. The proposal is the idea of his old friend, Warren Peace.