FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank said on Monday it plans to redesign the euro’s banknotes over the next three years to make them “more relatable” to Europeans of all ages and backgrounds. ECB focus groups will now gather suggestions about the overarching theme of the new banknotes from the public in the 19 countries that share…

Typically, we design and decorate our homes to fit our sense of style—and then those decor choices dictate our cleaning routines. We dust our open shelving weekly, and wipe down the marble countertop daily. But what if the process was reversed? What if we designed our homes to make them as easy to clean as…

By Frank Wazeter Fundamentally a website is your most powerful tool because it’s capable of evolving as your business grows and because it’s a tireless worker. Nobody on the planet can work harder than a website because a website is available 365 days a year, 24/7. It doesn’t need to sleep, never gets sick, and…

White paint is having a years-long moment in the spotlight, and its popularity might just keep going—but this popular paint color isn’t just pretty. You may not have been able to quite put your finger on it, but white paint does a few things for its surroundings that other paint colors don’t. Call these benefits…

When Swedish-born interior designer Isabelle Dahlin drove past a 1923 Craftsman-style house for sale in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood, it piqued her interest. The house, on a street lined with identical Craftsman-style homes, had sat untouched for many years. Dahlin saw “great bones,” and the perfect opportunity for a renovation project, reported Apartment Therapy, a…

“I love what you’ve done!” Anyone who has remodeled or redesigned their home is of course pleased when they hear this from visiting friends. But I will let you in on a little secret: My heart soars when people walk into a space, look around, smile, and say it’s a room they want to spend…

Architects and interior designers use a basic set of building blocks when creating. They apply principles and elements to design beautiful objects, satisfying a human instinct for visual order. The elements are the individual tools used to create, while the principles are the guidelines that dictate how they’re used. This has been the basis of…

Dear James: We are on a strict budget for our new home. It will have to be fairly small overall. What are some design tips for making the living space seem bigger than it actually is? —Kellie D. Dear Kellie: The modern trend in homebuilding is smaller houses. Building material costs are very high right…

With flowers in bloom and spring in the air, it is time to brighten many aspects of our lives, especially our homes. So fold up the heavy blankets, change those flannel sheets, and lighten your proverbial load with brighter spring decor. Seek the beauty of nature and integrate it into your home. It’s time to…

When Janice Hobbs set out to create her dream home 10 years ago in Laguna Beach, California, she never imagined the opposition and costly delays she would face from neighbors and city regulations. But a decade later, there’s still no completed home. Instead, negotiations, redesigns, lawsuits, and appeals have cost Hobbs hundreds of thousands of…