Your staircase can be absolutely gorgeous with the right painting and staining techniques. By Diane Franklin A staircase can be one of the most dramatic areas in your home, but the wear and tear inflicted by daily household traffic can certainly take its toll. Fortunately, with the right paint and staining techniques, you can revitalize [...]

If you’re tired of your kitchen backsplash, you don’t have to tear out the tile. Paint it instead. By Diane Franklin If your backsplash is old and tired, your first thought may be that you have to tear it out and start all over again. The expense of the tile and the installation—as well as [...]

Protect your deck this winter so that your springtime deck prep is less of an ordeal. By Diane Franklin As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, it’s time to prepare your deck for the coming winter. The better job you do right now, the easier it will be for you to revive [...]

After centuries of decorative embellishments spanning cultures around the globe, faux painting is still cool. Consumers who did sponge painting in the 1980s and 1990s have segued into consumers who love Venetian plasters and metallic effects in the 2000s and 2010s. Here’s a synopsis of several types of faux techniques to transform your walls, ceilings, [...]

Not all paintbrushes are created equal, as a perusal of the paint applicator aisle at your local paint store confirms. There are natural bristles, synthetic filaments, flat, angled and various widths. Certainly, you face a decision when you purchase a brush: which one for which paint and for which purpose. Here’s a quick and handy [...]

Autumn arrives this month, which means that winter isn’t far behind. While the weather is still cooperating, now is the perfect time to make sure your siding, decks, porches, patios and other outdoor areas are “battened down” for the wintry months ahead. We’ve provided a checklist for you to tackle as you weekend-warrior this month: [...]

“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Benjamin Franklin often is credited with this quote, with the idea that everything should have a designated storage spot and be kept there when not in use. A wise sentiment, but the organization on this level isn’t easy to achieve or maintain. Design experts note that [...]

While the world around you might feel as though it’s going to heck in a handbag, home interiors next year will feel anything but. The paint forecast for home interiors in 2019 features restful, natural and deeply peaceful colors, like hazelnut and teal, along with a few happier colors like lemon and rose. The result [...]

Let’s rock—and roll! Know how to use a roller to make your painting project go smoothly. By Diane Franklin Everyone can wield a roller, right? Not necessarily! There are some tips you should follow to roll on paint that will save strokes, get better coverage and have your walls looking like a pro painted them. [...]