Home & Design

SHARE YOUR TALE: What have you done in your backyard?
Builder makes trees accessible for all

A solid ash farmhouse buffet and hutch from Smith & Hawken has a honey-gray finish and light distressing for a look of weathered furniture.

Wood grains bring nature in

New species for the interior are brightening space with lighter hues.

By Elaine Markoutsas, For The Inquirer

Posted 05/16/2008

Home interiors are lightening up, but it has less to do with spare spaces than it does with the hues of wood furnishings.

HOME & DESIGN COLUMNISTS

Karla Klein Albertson | Antiques

Karla Klein Albertson has covered Antiques for the Inquirer's Home and Design section since 1996.

Al Heavens | Home repair, real estate

Al Heavens covers real estate and home improvement techniques.

» Read her blog, "Skyline Online"

Cheat Sheet: Bring the cool with you, save money, with fans 05/16/2008: Want to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your summer electric bill at the same time? Consider portable fans. They're relatively inexpensive, and you can take the cool with you - as long as there's an outlet close by, of course.
LifeStyle 05/16/2008: Get outside and enjoy yourself. These goods can help, no matter where the wind takes you.
A big book of basics 05/16/2008: If you're ready for a quick change, a spring breeze, or simply a new way of thinking about your house, go back to basics with Better Homes and Gardens' New Decorating Book.
Auctions: From furnishings to baskets 05/16/2008: Auctions between today and Thursday will offer fine furniture, garden and farm equipment, and American Indian baskets. They all require a little traveling.
Decorate your kid's room cheaply, fabulously 05/16/2008: Decorating a kid's bedroom can be complicated by tight budgets and personal tastes, whether your child is a toddler, a tween or a teen.
Tasks every homeowner should know how to do 05/16/2008: There are skills every homeowner should master. You don't need to run out and learn them all immediately, of course. But you'll appreciate them - and save yourself lots of money.
Builder makes trees accessible for all 05/16/2008: Bill Allen's Burlington, Vt., nonprofit is aptly named Forever Young Treehouses. Nothing brings out the kid in us like a tree house.
Time to ... 05/16/2008: Plant with gusto, but always plant properly. Different plants have different needs. Always know the drainage and light needs of a plant and act accordingly. For all, a cloudy day or late afternoon is best for planting - wait until shade returns to a site.
Garden Calendar 05/16/2008: Tomorrow Plant sale Shrubs, woody perennials, annuals, vegetables, herbs, water-garden plants; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Master Gardeners of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Extension Office, 1015 Bridge Rd., Collegeville; 610-489-4315; http://montgomery.extension.psu.edu.