June 2017

THINKING OUTSIDE

WHAT'S TRENDING ON BHG.COM

BHGCELEBRATE

HUMMINGBIRD ANNUAL COLLECTION

Win $25,000

OBSESSED WITH FANCY PICNICS

Pack your basket with unbreakable plates that look like china, disposable napkins that feel like linen, and faceted acrylic glasses that shine like crystal.

Garden variety

Step into The Vine, a St. Simons Island, GA, one-stop shop cherished for its signature containers, design services, and garden market.

SEA SHADES

This spectrum of aquatic hues, from seafoam to teal, has us looking to the coast for inspiration. The mix of cool corresponding colors lives happily alongside bright white and sandy beige, like waves meeting the shore.

PERFECT FIT

Sometimes it's not what you add, it's what you take away. For this 1,150-square-foot California cottage, color was the first thing to go.

PARTY ON... THE CHEAP

Low-stress decor, high-style disposables, and hacks that let you host no matter how small your space-- we've got your summer get-togethers covered.

OPEN invitation

Out with formalities. In with tropical colors, casual and comfy living spaces, and wide-open doors for neighborhood family nights.

Smart SPEAKERS

Cue up your summer playlist. These cool wireless speakers let you take music to 11 wherever you go.

I did it!

A search for low-cost, high-style kitchen pendants led to this homeowner's lightbulb moment: an off-the-shelf fixture with a simple lampshade swap for just $60.

BEARDED IRIS

The exuberant flowers of this old-fashioned perennial may be as flouncy as a ball gown but they're actually tough as nails given the right conditions.

Everyday getaway

Inspired by their favorite Palm Springs resort, a Los Angeles couple transforms the spaces around their midcentury ranch for the ultimate retreat.

SHIMMER & SHINE

METALLIC-HUE FOLIAGE ADDS INSTANT SPARKLE AND HIGHLIGHTS NEARBY PLANTS.

PARTY station

Tricked out right, an ordinary potting bench becomes a leave-it-out-all-summer sideboard for storing and serving.

HANDY MIXERS

Whisking egg whites, whipping cream, and beating cake batter-- our Test Kitchen staff gave hand mixers a workout creating and testing the recipes for the summer desserts in "Lighten Up," page 134. Our favorites give the stand mixer stiff competition, even for kneading bread dough. More speeds, more power, more baking. Yum!

PROVING GROUND

SAVVY DECORATING TRICKS TURN A BLOGGER'S NEW ORLEANS RANCH HOUSE INTO HIS DREAM HOME.

CASUAL FRIDAYS

THE END OF THE WORKWEEK SIGNALS PARTY TIME. ONE WOMAN SHARES HER PLAYBOOK FOR KEEPING SPONTANEOUS SUMMER GATHERINGS STRESS-FREE.

Better

You're four times more likely to have a car accident if you drive after getting FOUR TO FIVE HOURS OF SLEEP compared to seven to eight hours. That's the same risk as driving drunk!

HEPA FILTERS

4 WAYS TO STOP THE SNEEZING

With tree and grass pollen season starting up, you may be looking to the great indoors for relief from itchy eyes and sneezing. But symptoms can start there, too. Pollen and ragweed particles can make their way in, and indoor allergens can exacerbate a reaction to outdoor ones. Cut down on the culprits with these simple steps.

ANTI-ALLERGY TOOLKIT

SCREEN TIME RULES

Moms share their real-life strategies to help prevent your kids' devices from becoming a fifth appendage.

BHG throwback 1925 VERTICAL GARDENS