Blog Posts by House Beautiful Magazine

From the plumber to the painter, we asked 10 household professionals to give us a tried-and-true tip that they think everyone ought to know.

1. THE BUILDER: ALWAYS GET REFERENCES "There's no substitute for references. Get them - period. And get as many as you can, three at an absolute minimum." -Eric Jagger, project manager, Harbor Builders, Port Clyde, ME

2. THE CARPET-LAYER: PROTECT YOUR HOME "Taking up old carpet disturbs a lot of bad stuff - dust and germs fly everywhere. Find someone who'll use a HEPA vacuum before and after, and who'll wrap your old carpet in plastic before taking it out. Check out healthierlivinginstallation.com." -Reneé LeCroy, Flooring expert, Don's Carpet One Floor & Home, Birminham, AL

3. THE A/V CONSULTANT: DON'T USE CHEMICALS "The chemicals in glass cleaners are too harsh for your electronic screens, and paper towels will scratch them. Use warm water and a microfiber cloth. But not too much water--it can seep into the screen's edges." -Derek

Read More »from 8 Tips Every Homeowner Needs to Know

We asked designers to share some of their favorite tricks and ideas for putting together a beautiful space. Here, they reveal their top dos and don'ts.


1. Don't Design with Clichés
Timeless design is restrained, balanced, and doesn't give in to the obvious. "When you're in Florida, you don't have to have wall sconces made out of seashells. If you cross the line, your home can become a theme park," says architect and designer John Saladino. Instead, he chose a sophisticated sandy palette for the beachfront living room of this Spanish-style house. "I like to imply rather than be explicit," he says. "When you do that, you're hopefully designing something that won't embarrass you in 30 years."


Related: The Ultimate Room-by-Room Makeover Guide


2. Don't Be Afraid to Mix Design Styles
Mixing humble materials with more luxurious ones is a contemporary approach to great design. In the dining room of the same family home, Saladino slipcovered chairs in washable vinyl, then placed them around

Read More »from 10 Decorating Secrets Revealed

With ideas ranging from plates to pillows, any gift seems extra special when they're custom made just for M-O-M.

Sure, the interiors are inspiring and the decor, drop-dead gorgeous. But in these room designs, it's the cute pups that really steal the spotlight.

1. Dogs on Danish Modern Furniture

These Poul Kjaerholm PK31 chairs, purchased in Stockholm by Cool Hunting editors Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten, are the preferred beds of Otis and Logan, their Sealyham terriers.

Related: 20 Decorating Secrets


























2. Pooch on Cozy, Chintz Chair

Designer Mimi McMakin's real life pooch prefers a cozy chintz chair rather than the floor, where a carved-wood cat presides over the living room.

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3. Perera's Pup

Designer Kishani Perera shares a spot on her bed - and a cup - with her puppy.

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4. Kitchen Ball Break

In the renovated ranch kitchen of Pine Cone Hill's Annie Selke, one of her hounds takes a break from playing ball.

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5. A Cozy Spot

Polo the golden retriever naps in the warm-colored TV room of a California home by

Read More »from 10 Adorable Dogs in Designer Rooms

From dining rooms in soft pastels to bedrooms in bold, modern prints, these decorating ideas welcome the new season with cheery, chic style.

1. A Bold Bedroom

For this guest room, designer John Willey took a 1960s color combination that reminds us of spring - aqua and orange - and updated it. Walls are Benjamin Moore's Lido Green. The Straw Woven throw and Maharaja Golden bolster are by John Robshaw.

Related: 20 Decorating Secrets

2. A Bedroom with Spring Greens

This bedroom by designer Stephen Shubel is the very essence of spring: birds, flowers, and even Sherwin-Williams's Springtime paint on the walls. Tip: For a high-impact change that's easy to do, switch up throw pillows to a springtime shade.

Related: A Confident and Colorful L.A. Home









3. A Living Room with Pattern Play

In the living room of a Cape Cod-style cottage on a canal in Venice, California, designer Alexandra Angle freely mixed checks and stripes with pillows by Peter Dunham. She added a Country Swedish Read More »from 10 Spaces with Spring-Inspired Style

It turns out that there are some surprising ingredients already in your kitchen (like egg shells and ketchup!) that work wonders when it comes to cleaning. Try these ideas for easy, eco cleaning.

1. Try Ketchup to Remove Tarnish
It's not just for French fries. To remove tarnish from silverware, ketchup can work wonders. Dab some onto a soft cloth and gently rub for a minute or two. Finish by rinsing with warm water. (Just use caution if you have an items that's valuable or antique. You might be better off taking it to the pros.)

Related: Beautiful Designer Bedrooms

2. Shine Floors with White Vinegar
For wood floors, contractor Stephen Fanuka suggests vinegar. "Get yourself a bucket and mix nine parts warm water to one part white vinegar. This is a cheap trick I learned from an 80-year-old cleaning lady who used to make my wood floors look dazzling."

Related: Designer Living Rooms

3. Use Baking Soda to Tidy Up Tile
To clean tile floors or backsplash, Marty Hoffman of Hoffman Brothers

Read More »from 6 Easy, Eco Kitchen Cleaning Tips

She was known for captivating an audience with her sultry screen persona, violet eyes, and tumultuous relationships, but how did legendary actress Liz Taylor live when the cameras weren't rolling? Here's a look inside five of her private spaces that are just as glamorous as she was, of course.


Childhood Home
Heathwood, her Georgian-style childhood house in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, boasted 5,082 square-feet including six bedrooms, servant's quarters, and a tennis court. Designed by architect Matthew Dawson in 1926, it was previously home to artist Augustus John, whose paintings remained on the walls when the Taylors moved in.

Photo Credit: Stuart Clarke / Rex USA

Related: Beautiful Designer Kitchens

Classic Bathroom
Liz Taylor washes her face in a tiled bathroom that was the definition of chic, midcentury-style at her parents' Beverly Hills home in 1948. She lived there for a decade before her marriage to Nicky Hilton.

Photo Credit: Emage International/Getty

Related: A

Read More »from A Look Back at Elizabeth Taylor's Glamorous Homes

Start the new season with these easy ideas for an instant home makeover.



1. Store Your Firewood Artfully
Out of season, stack your leftover wood in your fireplace until it's entirely full.

Related: 101 Easy Makeover Ideas for Every Room

2. Use a Real Rug in the Bathroom
Put a real rug, not a bathroom rug, in front of your bathroom sink. It will hold up just fine.

Related: 20 Decorating Secrets

3. Add a Little Bit of Wallpaper
Scared of the mess and work that installing wallpaper requires? Make it simple by choosing a small space, plus cut down on the cost by wallpapering the inside of your bedroom closet. Voila! Instant dressing room.

Related: Amazing Outdoor Rooms

4. Host a Flower Party
"Have a party where every guest is asked to bring a plant of one color - say, purple - for an instant garden with a little story of friendship behind each plant," suggests designer Raymond Waites.

5. Reorganize Bookshelves
Sort books by size and subject. Remove and discard any ripped dust Read More »from 7 Simple Tricks for a Spring Home Makeover