September 2002

From the editor

Bhg.com

Be our guest

No matter how strong the friendship or family bonds, being a host or a guest isn't always easy. Borrow strategies from some of the country's finest bed-and-breakfast inns to arrange a retreat that encourages both guests and hosts to relax and enjoy time together.

Coming of Age

Wooded views through a wall of windows convinced Jean and John Tegtmeier to buy their Dayton, Ohio, home. But they soon realized that the intensity of the summertime sunlight melted candles on the dining room table just inside. "We wanted to give the room shade," Jean says, "and the project grew from there."

Bedside Bravura

Your bedroom is your home's most personal space. Express yourself there, and don't limit your nightstand options to the single-drawer-with-a-lamp variety. Here are four ideas to help you dream up a nightstand with just the right bedside manner.

Going her own way

When skeptics ask Joan Datesman why she bought a derelict three-story in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, for her home and office, she volleyed back: "Why not?" That's her attitude toward everything home-related, especially decorating "dos" and "don'ts." (She often prefers the don'ts.) "My style?" she muses. "It's about breaking all the rules."

A Certain Savoir Faire

Bali in the Backyard

A vacation souvenir that is dropped in a drawer and forgotten is hardly good enough for Keith Webb and Jack Hagenaars, whose entire backyard is a travel memento of sorts. From trips to Hawaii, Bali, and Costa Rica, Jack and Keith brought home the inspiration to create an exotic tropical-styled garden. Among the palm trees, bananas, and ornamental grasses is an airy hut that evokes memories of ocean breezes and leisurely afternoons on the beach.

Small Bath Squeeze

Space under the eaves enabled Gary Milici to convert the attic of his 1917 Craftsman-style home into a master suite featuring a roomy shower and a skylight-lit bath(see page 74). He gained space for a deck-mounted whirlpool tub and its mechanicals by tucking the tub into the void between the interior knee wall and the sloping roofline.

Perfect-Mate Garages

A great garage goes together with its house like a horse and carriage-- with architecture that looks as if it's always been an integral part of the plan.

Go with the flow

The daunting dimensions of Pam Frost's yard initially confounded even this inveterate plantswoman. The shape-- very skinny and extending almost forever. "Plotting it out on graph paper, I thought it looked impossibly long and narrow," says Pam. "My initial idea of running a broad walkway straight down the center reminded me too much of a bowling alley. So I came up with a more romantic approach. Borders were given a serpentine edge, creating hidden areas and places to explore." The result: a calming beauty with serene ebb and flow.

Village Storefronts on Canvas

Kids and Credit Cards

By the time Jamie Brown of Alpharetta, Georgia, was 18, he'd received dozens of preapproved applications for credit cards. Amazingly, he hadn't solicited a single one.

Clean screens

Kids love dinosaurs, but that doesn't mean every parent would feel comfortable letting their child watch Jurassic Park. The outhouse scene alone-- where the smarmy lawyer is snatched off a toilet seat and eaten by one of the creatures-- is enough to give young children nightmares.

A Teen's First Car

Helping your daughter or son buy a first car is a rite of parenthood. But it's likely things have changed since you bought your first vehicle. Here's what to look for.

Maximizing Media Walls

Building a successful media wall is a lot like assembling a three-dimensional puzzle. Here's how to fit all the pieces together at your house.

Mix and Match

Linda Cochran's mastery of plant combinations can be distilled down to two landscaping dictums: Focus on foliage, and don't get fussy. "I want the garden to look almost like a painting," she says. "I like to see vistas. You have to be able to distinguish things at a distance. So little combinations that you have to peer down at-- to see the color in the middle of the flower matching this little color over here-- don't do it for me." Use big plants, she says, big leaves, big masses. Be bold.

A Floral Wedding Band

On the Road Again

Garden Help From the Kitchen

A Wall for Your Water

Stepping out

COMPOSED for Comfort

The soothing colors and featherlight motifs of relaxed Swedish style create a tranquil oasis in a hectic world.

THE BEST OF BOTH worlds

He grew up in Fiji, loving palm trees and ocean breezes. She was raised in Germany, embraced by deep forests and family tradition. But at home in California, their two worlds beautifully collide.

Living large

ANY ADDITION WILL BOOST A HOME'S SQUARE FOOTAGE. BUT THE BEST ONES GO FURTHER: THEY INTRODUCE STYLE AND FUNCTION WHILE BLENDING IN WITH WHAT'S ALREADY THERE.

BAMBOO STEAMER

TART PAN SET

INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER

NEW AND IMPROVED!

Red, white, and bold

Here's one more big-flavor strategy: Serve dinner with these robust chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons.

Babysitter Survival kit

Taking care of little tykes is no easy task. You can just plop kids in front of a television, but that's going to get boring for them (and you) pretty quickly. Become the most popular sitter on the block by assembling the survival kits shown on the pages ahead. With these fun crafts, games, and food and paper projects in hand, the kids will actually smile when you show up.

The Shopper's Mart

The family next door