Q: Eddie, our neighbor’s indoor-outdoor cat, is very sweet. He often visits us while we’re sitting on our porch or working in the yard. He’s so affectionate that we can’t help but give him a few cat treats. Eddie seems to be gaining weight, and I wonder whether he is charming other neighbors out of…
Create an Urban Garden in a Tiny Space
Despite our best intentions, most of us just don’t have the space necessary to grow the kinds of gardens we’d like. But if you use your imagination, even the tiniest yard or terrace can provide you with an abundance of homegrown flowers and vegetables. We’ve all heard the phrase “less is more,” and in this…
How to Diagnose a Water Leak in Your Home—and Why You Should Do It Before You Call the Plumber
Leaky pipes increase your water bill, may cause structural damage, and can lead to mold and its ensuing Pandora’s box of complications. The good news is that suspecting you have a leak means you’re already on your way to fixing the problem. There are two types of leaks: visible—such as water puddling beneath a sink,…
The Therapeutic Effects of Houseplants
Just after she had just had a baby, Jennifer Lauck received the gift of an orchid. She was secretly taken aback. “Look lady,” she wanted to tell her friend, “don’t give me an orchid right now.” As Lauck, a bestselling author based in Portland, Ore., described in “Show Me the Way,” her memoir about parenting,…
Cabin ANNA: Living Closer to Nature
Architects commonly find inspiration for their buildings by visiting cities, viewing artworks, and learning from their predecessors and contemporaries. But Dutch designer Caspar Schols, who designed the award-winning Cabin ANNA—a fully inhabitable house, sold as a flat-pack that can be built and rebuilt anywhere—was inspired by nature. Schols says that one of his goals in…
Strip Varnished Paneling
The old dark knotty pine paneling of the ’50s covering many basement and rec room walls can be lightened and revitalized by removing the varnish. But it’s a lot of work. We think it’s worth it, because when the dark varnish is gone, the natural beauty of the wood shows up, giving new meaning to…
Plant a Hedge
A lush garden hedge can create more than a barrier between properties, and it’s a useful way to lower noisy traffic or nearby neighbors. Planting a hedge is an attractive way to muffle sounds and enclose your property while creating a lush backdrop for a bed of flowers. And it might encourage songbirds to take…
Let Your Garden Go Free
As a general rule, people like things to be organized. Order is comforting. Routines make life easier to understand. We get up at a regular time, drink our coffee in our particular way, have the same job for year on year. We also like things that are neat and tidy: an organized desk, pencils in…
Install Beadboard Paneling
We see beadboard wall paneling everywhere in new and old homes, anywhere a wall needs some punch, or as a design interest instead of ordinary flat wallboard. Years ago, beadboard was milled wood used as a coverup to add a surface to a porch ceiling or to surround a room with wainscoting. Today, it adds…
Edge a Garden Bed
To create a manicured lawn and flower garden, flexible plastic edging does a good job of separating the components of a landscape. The edging defines garden beds and paths and driveways, and prevents plants from creeping and spreading. The metal edging creates a fine line so the beds are set off and separated from the…
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