MONEY-SAVING IDEAS FOR A NEW HOME

If you’ve ever had to start over in a new home you know how overwhelming it can be – emotionally, physically & financially. Your home can be anything from a rental apartment to a condo or house. There are many things you can do to ease the financial burden. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Use Credit Cards With Benefits

Take a look at your credit cards and see if any of them offer cash back or rewards certificates to spend at specific stores. For example, Amazon offers a store credit card that gives you 5% cash back on purchases made on Amazon.com. Your rewards are given each month. You can apply them to your balance, or use them to buy items on Amazon. The Amazon Visa credit card provides $25 gift certificates to spend on Amazon once you spend a certain amount. There are some stores, including Bed Bath &Beyond and Christmas Tree Shops that give you from 1%-3% back in the form of $10 gift certificates you can spend at their retail stores or online. Plenty of other credit cards offer cash back on a range of purchases, with the percentage varying depending on the purchase – groceries, gas, dinner, and retail products. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. If you have to buy groceries, gas, and other products anyway, why not get paid to do so? Just be sure you can pay off the balance or you’ll lose the benefit of those rewards.

Buy Ready-To-Assemble Furniture

Many stores offer affordable prices on furniture that needs to be assembled in your home. Two popular examples are WayFair and IKEA. Many, like WayFair, offer free shipping on their furniture. Not only do you save money, but the furniture is delivered right to your door. No need to lug it home or wonder if it will fit in your car. If you get stuck you can call them. If you really don’t think you can assemble it yourself you can pay to have it assembled in your home. On WayFair, the price for assembly is listed on each item’s page. Even with the cost of assembly, it’s still cheaper than buying at a furniture store. Many other retailers and online stores offer some RTA furniture options in addition to their other products. Shop around or do a Google search.

Shop At Affordable Stores

Skip the high-priced furniture stores and look at places that offer more affordable options. Besides WayFair and IKEA, check out Walmart, Christmas Tree Shops, Target, Outlet Stores, and certain department stores. Other options include Overstock and eBay. Make sure you check shipping fees on sites like eBay.

                      This end table was only $125 on WayFair, and offers lots of storage.

Look For Deals on Shipping or Buy At Once

Shipping costs vary greatly between retailers. Check out FreeShipping.com for a list of retailers and their conditions for free shipping. Many offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. Try to wait until you have multiple items that meet the threshold. Others offer free shipping on certain items, like furniture. You can also find coupons for free shipping on sites like RetailMeNot.com. Look for discount codes on these sites, which can provide savings that essentially pay for the shipping costs. Take advantage of savings sites like Groupon or Rakuten.One word of caution: Always find out what retailers' policies are on return shipping, as this can make a huge difference. Most will take back an item if it is damaged or defective, but not if you simply don't like the item.

Reuse Items Designed For Other Purposes

Do you really need a specially designed container to hold your keys? Select a nice bin or basket that you already own, or that can be purchased for much cheaper than those specifically designed for that purpose.Baskets are also perfect for holding extra pillows or blankets. If your TV stand has multiple shelves, use them to hold books instead of buying a separate bookcase. If you don't like the plastic soap dispensers you buy at the grocery store, but you don't want to spend a fortune on those you find in retail stores, make your own using mason jars.

 A rustic chest box used to hold keys and change.

                                                                               A TV stand that doubles as a bookcase.

An entry table that is listed for sale as an end table.

Buy Items With Storage or That Serve Multiple Purposes

Make the most of your space by choosing furniture and accents that can serve multiple purposes. An ottoman can serve as a foot rest, a side table, extra seating, storage, or all of the above. Choose nightstands or end tables with drawers. In your bedroom, place your TV on a dresser or chest instead of buying a TV stand that will only serve one purpose and take up space you may not have. 

 
 Ottomans are affordable and can serve multiple purposes.

                                                 This lamp also has a USB port!

Make Your Own Artwork & Decor

You don’t need to be an artist to create accents for you home. My favorite way to add artwork is to buy paint-by-number kits. You can choose from a variety of companies, mediums, and themes. Visit local craft stores, such as Hobby Lobby, or shop online at sites like Amazon. Here are other ideas. Frame beautiful pictures from calendars or books. Customize a lamp by buying a glass lamp base that can be filled with items like shells.

                                      A Dimensions Paint-By-Number Kit, framed as artwork.   

Buy Singles Instead of Multiples

Do you really need 2 nightstands or end tables? This is especially true if you have a smaller space or live alone. See if you can get by with one. This also works in children’s bedrooms. They probably don’t need multiples either.

                                           A single nightstand with lots of storage. 
 

Re-Pot Plants

Plants add life, warmth, and brightness to a space. If you have trouble keeping plants alive, choose succulents that don’t require extensive care. I love bamboo and Jade plants. Skip the plants in fancy containers. They’re usually overpriced, and most often are on the smaller side so they’ll need to be re-potted fairly soon. Often it’s not even a pot you would have selected. Go to a store like Walmart or Home Depot and choose a pot you really like, and one that matches your décor or style.

                                                         A bamboo plant.

Buy Light Curtains

If you don’t plan on closing your curtains at night, and are only using them for style, choose lightweight options. This is especially true in the living room or dining room. You don’t need to spend all that money on heavy drapes or room-darkening curtains. Splurge on the window treatments in the bedrooms, where you want to be able to have total darkness. If you have a large window, and would need several pairs to cover the entire window, ask yourself if you’ll ever need to close them. If not, one pair – a panel for each side – will be enough to achieve your purpose. You can also change the style of curtains by the way you hang the rod. To add height, make sure the rod is a few inches above the window frame on the top. This will draw the eye up. Then make sure the ends of the curtain rods extend a few inches past each side of the window. This will allow you to keep the curtains fully open, instead of blocking part of the window.

Research The Best Time To Purchase Items

While retailers offer sales throughout the year, there are certain times when they offer the best prices on specific categories of items, such as electronics, furniture, bedding, or mattresses.Here are a few examples:

Appliances - End of the year

Furniture - February and August 

Mattresses - Holiday Weekends, such at President's Day or Memorial Day

TV - Black Friday and Cyber Monday 

Bedding - May

There are many online guides with recommendations for both general and specific categories of items. Also keep in mind that big sales on a wide range of items occur every year on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as Back-to-School sales in August.

Purchase Seasonal Items After Each Holidays

Most people aren’t able to purchase all the holiday items they need at once. A good idea is to get the basics now, but wait till each holiday is over to stock up on the rest. Take Christmas as an example. Purchase the tree and a few balls and light strands to get you started. Once Christmas is over, stores often offer from 50%-75% off items. You can buy two or three times more than you would have at regular prices. Also stock up on storage bins so you have a place to stash all your holiday décor. You can do this for all holidays and seasons where you like to decorate.

Splurge On One Item
Make sure to reward yourself after all that hard work by buying one thing that you really want. For me, it was a papasan chair form Pier 1 Imports. I use it almost daily!

                               A double papasan chair from Pier 1 Imports - extremely comfortable!

I hope these money saving tips are enough to get you started on making your new place feel like home. Once you start following these ideas you’ll probable think of even more. Feel free to share you tips and tricks too!

PUT SOME SCENTS IN YOUR HOME

Do you ever walk into someone’s home and just feel comfortable & relaxed? It’s based in large part on how the people make you feel, but it’s also how we interpret the elements that appeal to our five senses. It transcends particular styles (traditional, contemporary, or tropical), as well as types of homes (house, condo, or apartment).

One major contributor is the sense of smell. Here are some of my favorite options for giving your home a warm and welcoming vibe. I tend to choose options that are subtle, not overpowering, and that tend to be more natural or organic.

Candles: One of my top choices is candles. I’m very particular about which candles I select. Right now my favorite brand is Chesapeake Bay Candle. They have a wide range of scents/colors. They smell delicious. Once you start using them, they will give off a light scent even when the aren’t lit. They offer a range of sizes as well – small, medium, large, and coffee table. You can find a range of options by searching for Chesapeake Bay Candles on Amazon. Of course there are many other brands as well, offering a dizzying array of scents, colors, sizes, and designs. 

Reed Diffusers: If you’re not a fan of candles, another great option is reed diffusers. You can find them online or in many retail stores. Reed diffusers will continually give off a subtle scent without any effort on your part. They last for several months, depending on the size and brand. Once the oil evaporates you can easily buy refills or purchase a new diffuser if you’d like to try another scent. You can also buy replacement reeds. I was excited to find that Chesapeake Bay Candles offers reed diffusers for most of their candle scents. You can find Chesapeake Bay Reed Diffusers on Amazon too. Some other retailers offering them include Target, Walmart, Christmas Tree Shops, departments stores, and too many online retailers to list. You do get what you pay for. Sometimes really inexpensive ($5) diffusers have unpleasant or overpowering scents.

Oil diffusers: I enjoy using essential oil diffusers, especially at night. Often the scent lingers into the day. However you can choose different scents for day or night. For sleeping I like lavendar essenital oil. If you have a difficulty breathing, or have a cold or allergies, eucalyptus oil is great for opening up your airways. During the day you might want a more energizing scent, one that encourages concentration, or just one that smells really good to you. There are many online articles, as well as books, that explain the benefits of each oil, as well as tips and tricks for using oil diffusers. You can purchase oils and the diffusers just about anywhere. Prices range greatly, from $25 to well over $100. You don’t need a fancy one, but make sure you look at the ease of use, the types of oils it takes, as well as additional features like colored lights and an automatic turn-off feature. Make sure it’s easy to clean, as you’ll need to rinse it out every few days, depending on how often you use it.

Linen sprays: Sprays have come a long way. I never used to like them because they smelled horrible and all they did was cover up odors. Many newer varieties offer that subtle scent that is pleasantly in the background. Again, there are many brands, and you can find them at many retail stores and online. My latest favorite it Febreze One, Bamboo. They also sell Lavender. I was never a fan of the original Febreze, but this new version is light and airy, and non-aerosol. There are no heavy perfumes, phthalates, dyes, or formaldehyde. Check that your brand is free of these chemicals. Also make sure that the spray is designed for linens if that’s how you plan to use it. You can also just choose an air spray that’s not designed for use on linens or furniture. I use the linen spays on my furniture, and on my sheets and towels after washing them.

Vacuum Beads: If you have a carpet, this is another option for adding that little something to the atmosphere of your home. And it might make vacuuming a little more enjoyable – maybe! Check your vacuum to make sure they are compatible with your model, although most are. These aren’t as abundant in stores as the other options I’ve listed, but you can find them at retail stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, as well as at online retailers like Amazon.

NOTE: If you have children or pets, please be careful about using candles, and never light them when you won’t be home, or are asleep.

Hopefully this gave you some ideas for using scents effectively in your home. As you can see, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get that warm, welcoming feeling in your home. What are some of your favorites?

6 EASY WAYS TO REDECORATE ON A BUDGET

I am excited to be able to share a great article on redecorating by a guest blogger, Jane Blanchard. She shares some great ideas here. Enjoy!

Carefully decorating your home gives your living space a special touch that reflects your personality. However, it's easy to drain your bank account if you don't plan your decorating budget ahead of time. Fortunately, there are a number of easy ways to decorate your home tastefully without straining your budget.

Buy Used Decor

Collecting gently used decor is a great way to recycle goods that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Thrift stores are usually full of eclectic pieces that can help you build your own collection. Throughout the year, you can usually find pieces for your holiday collections as well. Weekend garage sales are another great way to find inexpensive pieces. Shopping secondhand is also a great way to pick up cheap pieces that you can experiment on without worrying about destroying an expensive or sentimental piece of decor.

Make Your Own Decorations

Even if you think you're not a crafty or creative person, you can make some decorations with just a few materials and a bit of time. For example, if you have a sewing machine, you can sew new covers for your couch's throw pillows. These small items can bring a fresh pop of color into your living room. If you want to bring a touch of nature into your home, consider making your own terrarium with a few plants, some rocks, and a glass container.

Paint

Paint is an inexpensive way to transform a large portion of your home over a weekend. If you're tired of the bland look of your current walls, head to your local hardware store to find your favorite color of paint. Painting just one wall in a room can easily add a focal point that will draw your eyes. You can also use paint to transform other elements of your decorating, such as picture frames and vases.

Hang Curtains

Curtains are a great way to add texture and focal points to your home. If you already have curtains, consider replacing them with a new set. If you previously had dark curtains, installing a set of lighter curtains will brighten your home. Don't despair if you don't already have curtain rods; installing rods is an easy weekend project that won't break the bank.

Image Credit:  

http://www.bhg.com/decorating/window-treatments/window-projects/window-treatment-ideas/

Transform Old Furniture

You may have a few old furniture pieces lurking in your attic or garage. Give these pieces new life by transforming them with paint or a new finish. Choose colors that will blend in with the color palette in your home. If you don't have any furniture to use for this project, keep your eyes open for old and affordable pieces at garage sales and thrift stores.

Image Credit:
  http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/12/hemnes-dresser-revamp.html

Reduce and Rearrange

Some rooms may look overburdened with too many accessories and poor arrangements. Try starting with a blank canvas by clearing out your accessories. After emptying a decorative space, such as your coffee table, add two or three pieces from another room. Try viewing your new centerpiece from different angles to help you create a compelling look with your decorations.

Jane Blanchard writes for Modernize.

USING PLANT-LIFE TO ENGAGE BUYERS

NOTE: Since I love plants and I encourage their use in both decorating and staging, I thought this was a great article to share with my readers. This is a guest blog post by Madoline Hatter. Her info follows the article. I hope this gives you some inspiration for using plant-life in your home -- whether you are selling or not. And remember, there are plenty of options for indoor plants. Choose those that match your skill level and particularly, those that are low-maintenance.

Enjoy!
Kristen

USING PLANT-LIFE TO ENGAGE BUYERS

By Guest Blogger Madoline Hatter
When you are looking at a comparison of two homes, are you interested in the one that is surrounded by dirt and a fence or are you attracted to the one with a lush green yard, rosebushes, and a towering tree providing shade to the lot? If you're interested in the lot covered in dirt, then you are of a very small minority. When it comes to the home, most people take notice of the plant-life on the outside as well as those on the inside.

1. A Touch of Nature:
   Plant-life connects us to nature, which is the driving force behind many decisions people make when furnishing their homes. Although you don't need a full rosebush sitting in the living room when you develop your staging techniques, a vase of roses can add more to the room than many may realize.
   
   A low-maintenance yet attractive succulent plant.
   Copyright 2011 by Time Anchor
   
   
   When you're staging your home for sale, you are essentially showing the buyer what the home could look like with his or her own furniture. Adding the vase of flowers creates a touch that connects on a subconscious level. Think about it. When flipping through magazines of home decor, how often are you more attracted to a set that features a plant than those that are bare?


2. Sustaining Life:
   A dead plant can make for an unpleasant scene within the room. It sticks out like quartz-crystal rock in an onyx rock garden. The last thing you want your buyers to do is associate that particular room with death and decay. Make sure to check on plants and remove any that are dead or dying.


3. Perfect Addition:
   If your home has specific themes to each room, finding plants to match can give it that extra look that could solidify the buyer’s commitment. For instance, cacti and other desert plant-life can make a great addition to the decor of a room that has been designed Santa Fe.
   Each room can have an accompanying plant in accordance to the designed aesthetics. Many plants are universal and fit in nearly any kind of a design including spider plants and ferns. However, indigenous plants that are related to the style of the room will always have more appeal.


4. First Impressions of the Yard:
   Although many appraisers don't take into consideration certain aesthetics, that doesn't mean that your home is worth less. Simple additions to the right person could increase the value of the home exponentially. For instance, a technological-savvy buyer will appreciate built-in Ethernet over one who doesn't even own a computer. The same goes for the aesthetics of your yard. Many people have been known to buy homes for no other reason than because the front yard was in such immaculate and well-kept condition.

 Plants make buyers feel at home--both indoors or out and whether it's night or day. Who what potential buyer wouldn't want to entertain in a space like this? It would still be beautiful but something would be missing without the plants.

Copyright 2008 by Landscape Design Advisor

Plants can do a great deal for humans that many are unaware of. For some people, the mere presence of a plant can melt away some of the stresses of everyday life - which in your case could help the buyer feel less stress when visiting the locale. While many more are unable to pinpoint why exactly they enjoy having the plant around, they will surround themselves with nature. Providing that same feeling when someone is looking to buy your home can help you entice the sale without much additional effort from yourself.

This article is contributed by Madoline Hatter. Madoline is a freelance writer and blog junkie from ChangeOfAddressForm.com. You can reach her at: m.hatter12 @ gmail.com.

 

SITES THAT MAY BE NEW TO YOU OR THOSE YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT

Well, most of us can’t forget HGTV because it is one, if the not THE station for home and garden topics. But don’t forget to also check out over stations, such as TCL, Discovery, Bravo, and even major network stations like ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX for shows on these topics. I mostly cover HGTV because it is one that most people get, even with basic cable, and it does appear to be the most popular among my readers. 

HGTV has recently come out with a few new resources and I’ve also discovered sister sites that I really didn’t utilize that much, but I find are extremely useful. I'm sure many of you know how that goes. When you need something, you just go to the place you’re used to visiting, just out of ease and habit. Therefore, I thought I’d just point out a few features that you may or may not have noticed before.

• HGTV I just thought I’d share some of the major partner sites that cover various home and garden topics. You’re sure to find lots of helpful information here when staging your home.
  • HGTV Remodels
    This site provides great information if you need to do upgrades or improvements when staging your home. Also, use it when you are looking for a home to determine if homes need major structural work or just some cosmetic updates.
  • HGTV Gardens
    You always want to make sure you stage the exterior of your home. You can find ideas here for creating an inviting yard, as well as ways to bring some of the outdoors inside by using plants indoors.
  • HGTV’s Front Door
    This is HGTV’s real estate site. You’ll find all the information you need about all aspects of real estate, from selling to buying, and even detailed information on topics like first-time buyers. When selling a home, first-time buyers may be your target buyers so you’ll want to learn all about their wants and needs and how they shop for a home. You can find information on FSBOs, hiring agents, questions to ask Realtors and other professionals, and much more.
  • DIY Network
    This channel has been around awhile but it is not part of most basic cable packages. In fact, I have the second level package with my cable company and it isn’t included. However, you can still get all the information you need at this site. Again, this is another one that’s great for helping you complete those routine maintenance tasks or upgrades you need to do when staging.
  • HGTV Products
    This is a great site if you struggle with pulling a room together. You can pick paints or products and get information about other products and paints that will work with your selection. It’s called HGTV KNOW HOW! You’ll find products created by the professional designers, as well as those from other popular, trusted brands like Bassett Furniture, Shaw Floors, and Sherwin-Williams.
  • HGTV Magazine since I did a review of this magazine in my prior blog, I’ll let you head there to read more about this resource.
• Zillow
  While many people have heard of Zillow, they seem to be expanding their range of offerings and are offering more and more features. I like Zillow for lots of reasons. However, be careful when looking at what they refer to as the Zestimate. It is often inaccurate. When you get to the final stage of pricing your home, either get a CMA from a real estate agent, or do one yourself. You can use Zillow, but use data of closed sales and possibly some from current listings. Do not just automatically use the Zestimate. The reasons are beyond the scope of this entry, but one I hope to cover in another blog entry in the future.
• Houzz
  This site is amazing for inspiration and ideas. You can search for rooms, browse, find local professionals, look at IdeaBooks (yes, that’s how they spell it), and engage in discussions. You can open an account and save photos and create your own IdeaBook.
• Pinterest
  While Pinterest isn’t new, it has really taken off in popularity over the last year. You can get tons of information, ideas, tips, tricks, and inspiration by browsing, searching, or following certain people or boards. Ideally, and what you are supposed to do when pinning, each picture, or pin, should link to the actual site where the information was obtained. If you are thinking of moving and getting ready to stage, you can start your own board for ideas that you might want to use. Users create all types of boards on a wide range of topics. I, of course, focus on those related to the home and garden, real estate, and some of my other personal interests. I do have boards that might be helpful to you when staging, including one for staging, along with others for DIY Projects, Home & Garden Products, Organization, Household (which includes info on cleaning your home), and Outdoor Design. If you are interested, please visit my boards for ideas, tips, tricks, and resources.
• Chip-It
  I’ve mentioned this site before, but I felt it was worth mentioning again. There are other sites that provide a similar feature too, but since they basically do the same thing, I’ll just stick with this site, or really a tool, by Sherwin-Williams. If you need help selecting colors, either upload a picture of your own or enter the URL of a picture you find online. Chip-It will pull the top 5 or so colors from the photo and give you the actual names of the paint colors it shows you. Some will also have the option of giving additional colors if the photo contains many different colors.
  HINT: if you see a picture on a webpage, but it’s enmeshed in the page itself, right-click on the photo and choose the option “Copy Image Location” and then on the Chip-It page, right click again in the box for URL and select “Paste”. If you don’t do this, and you just enter the page URL, you will get all the colors from that page. If you can click on a picture, and it’s the only object on the screen, then you can use the actual URL you see.
• About.com Okay, this one is a big promotional, but I still think it’s worth mentioning. If you have been following my blog, you know that while I own a staging and decorating company, I am also an avid reader and writer. I added this blog initially to go along with Style with Comfort.
  However, in September, I was hired by About.com to be the Topic Writer for home staging. They have had real estate, decorating, and buying and selling topics for awhile now. And writers in those areas do a great job covering the topic of staging. However, About.com now has this separate topic page for home staging. I am the Topic Writer for that site. I think it’s great that readers can now get more detailed information about staging, as well as all the other areas related to real estate, buying, and selling. And About.com also has information on just about any topic you can think of. If this information is news to you, make sure to read some of the articles there as well. In addition to the articles, I write several blog entries per month as well, on this blog site, that relate to my articles on About.com. So now you can use About.com to get information, resources, and answers to your questions about home staging, both in the form of articles, blog entries, and of course lots of photos and resources.

I hope some of you found some new resources after reading this, were reminded of old favorites you may have forgotten about, or learned about some of the new resources offered my some of these sites. If you have one you'd like to add, please send me a note in the comments section here, or contact me and I'll cover it in more detail in a future blog entry. Thank you again for all your great ideas and feedback.

LATEST HOME AND GARDEN RESOURCES: USE THESE TO GET IDEAS FOR STAGING

While some of these may not be new to all of you (especially if you are very interested in decorating and design), all of them are ideas or products that have come out over the last year. The best part is that all of these can be resources to use when staging your home.

NEW BOOKS AND/OR MAGAZINES
Note about books: I have not read any of these yet, so these are not recommendations. If you have read any of these, please feel free to leave a comment. I did notice there weren’t many new releases. The top 2 or 3, which sounded good, were only available in Kindle editions. I don’t want to limit what I list here to only those that have reading devices, so these are actual hard or softcover books.

 
Home Selling For Smarties: The Consumer's Insider Guide to Home Selling
By Charles Chaplin

The author is both a managing real estate broker and a certified instructor, so I hope this book is full of up-to-date information. The description states that it will bring readers information directly from the field and includes real life stories. I find both of these things extremely helpful when reading a book. They give it interest and variety. There is also a glossary of real estate terms that are explained in terms that the average person can understand. Check it out and let me know what you think.

HGTV Magazine by Hearst Magazines
I’m sure most of you have heard by now that HGTV has finally come out with its own magazine. I wrote about it in my newsletter as I was anticipating its release. And while I am a decorator and stager and am partial to HGTV, I can honestly say that this magazine does not disappoint.

 
It is everything I expected it to be an more. Perhaps I was expecting the best not only because it’s a project of HGTV, but it’s also published by an outstanding publishing company, Hearst. They also produce Food Network Magazine, which I love, along with House Beautiful. I will never stop wanting the paper versions of magazines. I like to feel the pages, pull them out for ideas and inspiration, and write notes on the pages.

 
I used to subscribe to over 20 magazines, mostly those related to decorating. Over the last 2 years some of my favorites have ceased publication. I am extremely disappointed and I hope HGTV Magazine makes it. I’ll get a magazine in the mail and think, I don’t subscribe to this. Why am I getting it? Did someone order it for me? And usually it’s just another magazine published by that company of course, with a note stating the magazine I subscribe to will no longer be published. But there have not been any that I’ve been happy to receive as a replacement. They do offer refunds on remaining issues, but the amount is so small that it’s usually not worth the effort. 

Here are a few, on various topics, that have gone out of business recently. One that been around for a long time, is Bird Talk. One related to decorating is Fresh Home. Then, most recently, Everyday Food by Martha Stewart has ceased publication.

 
But on to the review for HGTV Magazine … the magazine is big, bold, packed with information, and full of gorgeous photos. How does it differ from other magazines of its kind? I think it does a good job of covering lots of topics at a basic level. It does not go into deep detail ideas or topics. A magazine like House Beautiful has long articles, in-depth interviews, writing that goes deep into a topic, and gorgeous photos -– just to name a few features. 

HGTV Magazine has a more light-hearted tone. It covers a broader range of topics and ideas but in much less detail. The photos are bright, colorful, and pop off the page. They are gorgeous but just in a totally different way than House Beautiful or Coastal Living. The topics include just about everything you see on their TV channel, including decorating, redecorating, design, staging, color theory, real estate, staging, buying and selling, decorating on a budget, gardening, outdoor design, and tips, advice, and columns from the designers on HGTV. They cover topics such as curb appeal, creating a focal point, choosing a color palette, how to find or make high-end items for much less, and even how to choose plants and flowers for indoors and out. In other words, the columns and features are quick reads. It’s fun, engaging, and yet delivers important and helpful information.

 
Now, I love Coastal Living and House Beautiful too. This is just something totally different than other decorating magazines –- in a good way. I would highly recommend this magazine to my readers. And although this isn’t about the others, I also highly recommend the other two as well. You can find about my Top Ten Magazines (for home and garden) in my Sytle with Comfort February 2012 Newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Sign up for the newsletter. But to get a copy of this issue, send me an email and I’ll make sure you get your copy. My newsletters are ezines.