April 2006

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DECORATING INSPIRATION

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Take flight

Take flight Feather your nest with a host of bird-inspired decorating ideas for every room.

Ground rules

Four-season interest in a landscape of beauty became Tim Thoelecke's goal when designing the gardens for his parents' new home in Northfield, Illinois, 20 miles north of Chicago. "I was completing a course in landscape design and was eager to begin my practice," says Tim.

LIVING A VIVID DREAM

A life-long Montreal homeowner realizes a decades-old dream to live in one of the most famous architectural marvels of the 1960s.

GROWING INTO A TREE HOUSE

A multilevel backyard play space gives an energetic Southern California family an extra reason to enjoy the outdoors.

TOP20 CONTEST

The Ullmans bought their home in the Oakland hills four years ago, drawn to its serene setting and the good bones beneath its dark and dated skin. The couple loved the home's wide open common space.

AN OLD COTTAGE GROWS UP

An Austin, Texas, builder and his wife make a few simple design changes to increase their home's size, energy efficiency, and curb appeal.

Dancing on Eggshells

Ask the Expert

JUST RESTING

Fragrant Orchids

Twice-As-Nice Kids' Furniture

HOPPIN' DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL

The Colorful Revolution

Movable Feasts

STUNNING REDHEADS

Folk Art Roadshow

THE NEW CHOCOLATES

GROWING ROSES JUST GOT EASIER

Break some rules when it's time to plant and prune roses. Many time-consuming practices have proven unnecessary.

MAJESTIC ROSE GARDEN

POTTING IN STYLE

AMERICAN BEAUTIES

Despite the nickname "fool's onion," triteleias are lovely for garden color and long-lasting cut flowers.

SUCCULENT ARTISTRY

VISIONS OF PARIS

A PLAYFUL APPROACH

A PLAYFUL APPROACH Rather than banished, moose, snails, and spiders are featured as metal sculptures in this woodland Adirondack garden.

Making Birthdays special

Instead of the usual frenzied party or mountain of presents, make your child's day more memorable-- and more fun-- with these rituals.

Recharge YOUR life

Take a sabbatical from your job to volunteer, earn a degree, or rejuvenate your outlook. Find out how these people made it happen.

INTERPRETING teen talk

What do they mean by "You don't understand" or "Leave me alone"? To decode kids' confusing comments, take these insights to heart.

THE Kitchen AS classroom

Cooking side-by-side with his son and daughter lets a Seattle dad pass on life skills and carry on treasured family traditions.

A clean start

When the going gets tough, city dwellers often have fantasies of ditching it all for a saner life somewhere smaller and more soulful. John and Hope Bradberry made that dream come true in 1994 when they moved from the New York City area to Fayetteville, Arkansas. They brought with them their 3-year-old son and a tiger-striped cat-- as well as an urban sensibility that has served them and their adopted hometown well.

Artful plants

Containers of carefree succulents play starring roles in the Long Island garden of Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith, owners of Landcraft Environments, a wholesale nursery that specializes in annuals and other tender plants. Succulents, a diverse group of plants that love the sun and flourish in hot conditions without the constant need for water, began to stand out during "a dreadfully hot and dry summer," says Dennis.

Love like a Rock

A tiny stone cottage in the country might seem an unlikely choice for Cynthia Oneglia and Dan Whalen. At only 1,500 square feet, the Litchfield County, Connecticut, home was a tight squeeze for a couple who had collected a lifetime of treasures and had grown used to living alone, each having ushered two children out of the nest before they met and married in 2001.

STYLE IN WHITE

TWINKLING TRITELEIA

TRADING SPACES WITH THE dog

Charlie Brown had the right idea. Build a little house outside for Snoopy.