Page: 14
Page: 22
Pages: 25, 26, 28, 30, 32
May
Give your home a summer facelift. Add strokes of color and fashionable swatches of fabric to energize rooms.
Read ArticlePages: 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42
Pages: 48, 50, 52, 54, 56
Winners
When you improve your home, you improve your life. The more than 7,500 entries received in our Better Home Better Living contest proved that point in spades-- and in wood, drywall, stone, and paint. You shared your incredible new homes, kitchens, bathrooms, retreats, party ideas, play spaces, gardens, and more. Our judges pored over the entries with the task of selecting 20 category winners, each of whom received $1,000 cash. Here they are, the 2004 Better Home Better Living contest winners. (See them at bhg.com/winners2004). Congratulations!
Read ArticlePages: 60, 62, 64
PARTY STYLE THAT'S TAKEOUT EASY
A quick stop at the local import store yields the right ingredients to set the scene for a festive outdoor gathering.
Read ArticlePages: 66, 68, 70, 72
BIG COLOR IN A SMALL SPACE
The no-holds-barred decorating in this Brooklyn apartment combines a riot of color, pattern, and intense, rich wall art.
Read ArticlePages: 76, 78, 80
VINTAGE CHARM FOR TODAY
Details borrowed from a Tudor home's classic architecture temper modern surfaces and appliances, helping this brand-new kitchen fit in.
Read ArticlePages: 84, 86
LIVING BY THE BOOKS
Turning a former laundry room into a tiny library tamed a runaway cookbook collection in this North Carolina vacation home.
Read ArticlePage: 90
Page: 90
Page: 92
Page: 92
Page: 94
Page: 96
Innovations
Smartly designed products are integral to our Better Home Better Living house, and we're always on the lookout for fresh finds. These picks are accessible, affordable, and easy on the eye.
Read ArticlePages: 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 108
MIX AND MATCH ANNUALS
In our Test Garden, we planted annual flowers so they mingled in casual, long-lasting carpets of blooms. Here are 10 of our favorite combinations for you to try at home.
Read ArticlePages: 110, 112, 114, 116
RIGHT-HEIGHT GARDENING
Raising the beds in this San Francisco Bay area garden to no-bend height eases work and prevents backaches.
Read ArticlePage: 118
SPECIAL GIFTS FOR A SPECIAL MOM
FRIENDS AND FAMILY PLATE This hand-painted plate makes an ideal gift and cherished keepsake. The sentiment reads: "This plate shall have no owner for its journey never ends. It travels in the circle of our family and friends. It carries love from home to home for everyone to share. The food that's placed upon it is filled with love and care. So please enjoy what's on this plate, then fill it up again, and pass along the love it holds, to family and your friends."
Read ArticlePage: 120
Pages: 126, 128, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135, 136, 138, 139, 140
IMMACULATE PERFECTION
When your garden is small, it's easier to groom it meticulously and keep everything under control. This multifaceted gem of a garden in Atlanta is a case in point.
Read ArticlePages: 141, 142, 144, 146, 148
HOME OFFICE HEROICS
With a slim budget of about $1,000 and a little elbow grease, Donna Talley transformed her dreary New York home office into a winning workplace.
Read ArticlePages: 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, 163
CHARMING AN URBAN ADDRESS
Years as a rental property had left this little house in need of restoration, until Dallas resident Susie Clark transformed it into her own cottage-style home.
Read ArticlePages: 166, 168, 170
Planning for a family fun space
In Part Three of our Resolutions series, we help one family plan to finish their basement with a long-term strategy and smart ideas you can use too.
Read ArticlePage: 176
Page: 178
Page: 178
Page: 178
Page: 180
Page: 180
Pages: 182, 184, 186
Checking out the new library
Books are just the beginning of the offerings within the walls of today's public libraries, which now provide the latest in technology and comfort.
Read ArticlePages: 190, 192, 194
Happy campers
From rock star classes to building spaceships, the range of offbeat and fascinating summer camp experiences will make you wish you were a kid again.
Read ArticlePages: 196, 198, 200
Passport to a safe journey
Make sure you get bitten only by the vacation bug, not by bugs of the microscopic kind. A few precautions before and during your trip can save the day.
Read ArticlePages: 204, 206, 208
Down on the neighborhood farm
Families get a true taste of fresh produce-- and a new perspective they can't buy in any store-- when they join a community supported farm.
Read ArticlePages: 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232
Where love grows
A curbside planting of lavender, yarrow, golden oregano, and miniature 'Baby's Blanket' roses is Mindy and Jeff Pettit's gift to their neighbors.
Read ArticlePages: 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242
A Summer Romance for keeps
Although Jamie and Scott Honour have lived in California for more than a dozen years, strong family ties and an abiding affection for their hometown of Minneapolis lure them back to Minnesota every summer. Their pilgrimage has become especially meaningful since the births of sons Everett, 3, and Owen, 2. "We wanted our kids to have all the fond memories that we had, spending time with their grandparents," says Jamie, a full-time mom.
Read ArticlePage: 258
Page: 266
Pages: 266, 267
TRAVEL WINE JOURNALS
A compact, portable package with all the necessities to record your wine experinces, including a journal pad with notations and terminology, label lifters to save the labels of your favorite vintages, cellar tags to identify bottles at tasting events or stored in racks. Tucks nicely into a pocket or purse. 5x7-inches. Set of two journals (specify AAP408427), $29.95.
Read ArticlePage: 276
Page: 282
Page: 282
Pages: 286, 288
A routine for restfulness
Don't lie in bed tossing and turning. Drift into a relaxing sleep with this 10-minute routine designed to wash away the day's stress and strife.
Read ArticlePages: 294, 296, 297, 298
Trim down
Don't let your teenager diet dangerously. Here are three off-the-shelf solutions for young adults who want to lose weight safely and effectively.
Read ArticlePage: 300
Pinpointing pain with acupuncture
Looking for an alternative to painkiller pills? Consider the safe and effective art of acupuncture.
Read ArticlePage: 302
Page: 308
Charmed
My granddaughter was turning nine soon, so I gave her a call. "What do you want for your birthday?" I asked. She sent a list.
Read Article