September 1998

Between friends

Floors with a Flourish

Give tired floors a temporary facelift with paints designed for high-traffic areas. Add a surface design to old vinyl, unsightly concrete, weathered wood, or plywood subflooring for an uplifting update.

Chair makeovers

Chairs are like compliments: You can't have too many. Especially when a simple slipcover can transform that $5 bargain into a real beauty. And if you sew the slipcover yourself, it costs far less than reupholstering.

Working on the Rails

Moldings add character to any room. But when trims are designed and positioned as rails, they deliver hardworking function too. Chair, plate, and picture rails each bring architectural interest to the rooms they serve.

Tea-Towel Shade

Dress your windows in high-and-dry style with shades made from kitchen towels. Window widths and towel sizes vary, so match or piece them for a patchwork effect. Here's how to do it:

Behind-the-Bed Balance

Rooms Reborn

Newborns soften the hearts of even the most somber souls. A new baby can do the same for the staid extra rooms in your house.

Castle for the Kids

Here's a place where kids can cut loose. It's a colorful fantasyland of play, study, and storage structures where imaginative little imps joyfully reign. Lynn Hines, mother of Kelly, 7, and Matt, 4, created this castle of fun with help from interior designer Patricia Sullivan. The design is anchored by a two-story L-shaped playhouse where the Hines kids can usually be found climbing, sliding, and hiding out.

Bamboo Is Back

Light as a reed yet hardy as any hardwood, bamboo is giving wicker a run for room space.

The living is easy

When you read about universal design, you probably think of architectural features developed to help people with special physical needs. But now we've come to appreciate how homes that embody these people-friendly design principles are a little safer and a lot more comfortable for all of us.

Family on a Mission

Laura and Gary Wesche figured they'd design their kitchen using computer-aided-design software, buy their cabinets at a home store, and tackle the project themselves. After all, they had a budget to meet. But...

Oh, So Suite

Making a small bath bigger without draining the savings account.

Time to Organize

Is this how the average school day begins, as if you don't have an organized bone in your body? We can help!

Everyone Wins

Squash the squabbles-- cooperative games put the playfulness back in play.

Tech @ home

Today, a message sent to a pager is far more likely to be from a daughter telling Dad it's time to pick her up from sports practice than from a hospital's emergency room. For as little as $10 a month, parents now can enjoy the security of knowing that they can easily be reached by their kids.

Hot Cider News

The latest word on drinking unpasteurized apple juice is: Don't.

BH&G BOOKMARK

Don't Double-Dose the Kids

Although acetaminophen is one of the safest medicines for treating your child's fever, too much of the drug might cause more pain than it relieves.

On Pins and Needles

Bone Up on Calcium

Men, Women, and Anger

New Faces in the Doctor's Office

More Luxe for Fewer Bucks

Acura cuts the cost of entry for folks who want a luxury car but won't spend $30,000.

Byte-Size Diet Guide

Yesteryear Pie Safe

Long before iceboxes became common household items, frugal homemakers stored their breads and pastries in a pie safe. The decorative punched-tin panels provided ventilation that helped retard mold growth and protected baked goods from flies and rodents.

Make Your Yard Feel Roomy

Start by breaking your yard into room-sized spaces, divided by leafy walls and carpeted with lawn. Then make openings and paths that lead from room to room. The result: a garden that feels like home.

A quilted swath of green

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Dry can be colorful too

Hit the bricks

Light on the subject

Make your rosebushes bloom all season

More About Trees

The breathtaking colors and delicate shapes of the Japanese maple have long delighted gardeners. More than 300 cultivars are now in existence, their colors ranging from pale pink and white to purple and every shade of green.

Bounty in a basket

It's the season of overabundance in the vegetable plot. Instead of wallowing in squash, Mary Culver has chosen to share her wealth.

Small maples big color

A forest of fireworks-- that's what a grouping of Japanese maples looks like come fall. Because about that time of year, the many varieties of Acer palmatum burst into all those flaming-hot hues-- vivid reds, outrageous oranges, and flamboyant yellows-- lighting up landscapes as the season progresses and the evening shadows start descending on us a little earlier.

Handmade in Vermont

In this Vermont home, the idea of "woman's work" takes on a much broader meaning. Sure, homeowner Lark Upson filled the traditional role of selecting colors and accessories, even stitching slipcovers and curtains. But she also designed and built the home, and many of its furnishings. For her, it's all in a day's ... well, you know.

Tucked-in Home Offices

We're a society in need of work space, whether "work" means running a home business, paying bills, or just sending e-mail. But while some lucky homeowners have an unused room that's ideal for a home office, the rest of us have to be more creative. Here's how four families are putting their homes to work, carving out office space from an attic here, a former laundry room or bedroom there, even out of the backyard. Plus, browse some examples of office furnishings that are cozy, not corporate.

Location, Location Location

Real estate agents like to say location is everything. Recognizing this, Betty and Roger Guernsey purchased a standard ranch house with a spectacular view of Virginia's James River. They added a second level, oriented the interior to the view, and transformed the exterior from short-on-character to Craftsman styling.

Nutrition Information

With each recipe, we give important nutrition information. The calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein will help you keep tabs on what you eat.

The Incredible Crumb

Bread pudding, apple betty, crispy catfish, meatballs, stuffing, and other favorite foods owe it all to versatile crumbs. The type of crumbs used varies as much as the variety of their uses. In general, crumbs come in handy for thickening, coating, or holding together other ingredients in a recipe.

Back to School

The first day of school! Can anything be more exciting (unless it's the last day of school)? There's so much to do and so much that's new-- new classes, new teachers, new friends, and new fun. From easy-to-order cool clothes to tasty lunches and pencils that rock, get ready, get set, and GO back to school.

First Day of School ABC Doll

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