Sunny, 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and not a speck of snow: That’s how most of the country understands wintertime in California. However, native Californians know better. West Coast winters, though considerably milder than cold seasons elsewhere in the world, can be surprisingly intense, especially if you aren’t prepared. Though average temperatures do not drop below zero ― or even much below freezing ― the winter chill is made more palpable with excessive seasonal rains.

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It always looks so easy on the home improvement shows. The happy homeowners meet with a celebrity designer, they decide to gut their entire home and start over, and 28 minutes later they are surprised by the “big reveal,” oohing and aahing over the custom cabinets and shiny new floors.

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Whether you’re thinking of freshening up the home you adore and plan to remain in, or want to spruce it up in advance of selling it, you can get results you’ll love without spending a fortune.

Houses show their age most dramatically in kitchens and bathrooms, and they’re obviously the places where you might need or want to spend the most money, especially if you’re replacing fixtures and appliances. But if a few bright and shiny rooms are going to make the rest of the place look left-behind, there are ways to make over the other rooms, too, without breaking the bank. [Read more…]

While it can be exciting to go through a major renovation in your home, often you just won’t have the time or the money to do so. Happily though, there are many ways that you can update the look of your house without having to undertake major work.

From painting a feature wall, buying some new bed linen, adding a striking modern area rug, or retiling kitchen splashbacks, there are plenty of things that will add pizzazz yet not break the bank. Read on for some quick and easy decorating ideas you can implement over a weekend this summer. [Read more…]