February 2002

From the editor

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Chew on Chocolate

Heartwarming Meals

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Garden Greens

Undecorating

Peel away the layers and see what a restful, undecorated home you can create. A little decorating goes a long way.

Art

A walk in the park opens your eyes to the beauty all around you. Now take that inspiration home with projects designed to bring out your best nature.

Break with Tradition

After Diahann and John Braseth purchased a 1922 Colonial home in the Seattle area, the kitchen revealed itself as a major weakness: It had no windows, poor circulation, and inadequate counter and storage space.

Soothing the Day Away

With society in perpetual motion, it's no wonder homeowners crave serene spaces. Bathrooms of all sizes have become sanctuaries for relaxing and reinvigorating one's mind and body. And although the definition of what's calming may vary from person to person, there are some common building ingredients-- openings, finishes, and features-- that help create peaceful settings. Let these examples of calm baths inspire you to go beyond utilitarian.

Up Front and Beautiful

Arun Das started gardening at zero or less-- he had no experience with design; his home was in Denver, which gets a mere 15 inches of rain a year; and his front yard was all lawn. "I bought plants from the catalogs," he says, "until I realized they were the plants people grow well back East." Yep, Massachusetts is not Colorado. And then? He took classes at Denver Botanic Garden and the city's water department. Both institutions emphasize plants that will thrive in local conditions. Arun says, "I was amazed at how many plants you can grow without water."

Getting A's in Home Work

After years of offices in spare bedrooms, Tammy and Bob Hanna decided they wanted a lighter and brighter work space in their new Southern California home. Architect Eric Mossman listened and drew up plans for an office that opens to the home's main entry and also to a gracious porch. The office's peninsula-style desk lets Bob enjoy the view, keep an eye on the kids playing outside, and savor cool ocean breezes.

Easy Living--At Any Age

Drugs, the Internet, and your kids

Drug dealers have gone high-tech, offering everything from LSD to ecstasy over the Internet. With a few clicks of the mouse, your child can have drugs delivered right to the mailbox.

Make It Feel Better

For as long as she can remember, Ellen Guswiler, of Chicago, had headaches. Ellen, now a junior in high school, says the headaches peaked in her freshman year. "I had an excruciating headache all day, which got even worse around 2 o'clock."

Home contest our 2002 improvement

There's no better time to give your home a fresh new look. Whether you'e redecorating a bedroom or starting a major remodeling job, your home improvement project may win a top award. Plus, your home could be featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Colors that say "notice me"

Grab your sunglasses. Tomorrow's popular car colors might be so bright, you gotta wear shades.

A Rose Is a Rose

Bird Song Sampler

Wall Flowers of Note

Editor's choice Drama Queen

Looking good Plant tapestries and swirls of sod

Test garden tip A rave and a haircut

Scented geraniums

To begin with, there are the fragrances: sharp citrus, cool mint, floral scents, eucalyptus-- even a spicy nutmeg (above). Add to that an array of attractive leaf shapes and an ease of culture, indoors or out. What more could you ask from a plant? Recipes, you say? You're in luck!

Mother daughter decorating

A quick climb up the family tree and it's easy to pick out the source of our eye color, the curl in our hair, even our personality quirks. But who knows where our decorating tastes come from. Is it nature? Is it nurture? Judging by the homes of Susie Bernet and her daughter Jenny Bernet Galbraith, the debate can be settled this way: It's both. Tour their Texas homes. We hope you'll be inspired to trace your style roots, and walk away with a better sense of your decorating self.

Home improvement contest winners

Our 2001 contest yielded thousands of entries, complete with hand-drawn plans and hard-at-work snapshots, detailing how you make your homes more comfortable. Judging was as tough as ever, but we narrowed the field to include the following stories from three of the top winners. Enjoy.

Bee my Valentine

Yikes! Your friends are buzzing with excitement about Valentine's Day, but you aren't prepared. Even busy bees can find time to make our simple card boxes.

The Shopper's Mart

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

The family next door