Martin Cooper

With Halloween coming up, you may be wondering how to get that spooky vibe for the season. A go-to accessory for Halloween is, of course, witches. From tabletop dolls of cute, small child witches to ugly hags on the front lawn to those goofy flat hangings that make it look like a witch flew into your house, witches are completely synonymous with Halloween decor. So to get a perfect Halloween home, why not incorporate a witch or two? Below we’ll cover several fun ways to decorate with witches in your home this Halloween. Place a witch on a banister to make it look like she’s flying through the room. Image: Mackle Construction Co. Fun placement Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of using a witch in your Halloween decor is the fun of finding places to put her. Since fantasy witches tend to fly on brooms, they can go just about anywhere. The photo above shows how placing a witch on the banister of a staircase makes it look like she’s flying through the home. You might also con

Making the decision to build instead of buying a home is the easy part. After that, the real work starts. Working with your builder to choose plans, finishes and overall budget can test your limits, but it’ll ultimately get you exactly what you want. Of course, what makes sense on paper doesn’t always work when it’s time to break ground. Unplanned setbacks, sudden changes and fluctuations in the building market can derail even the best-laid new build budget. If sticking to your new build budget is a concern, start planning before you ever spend a dime. A little creative budgeting and a lot of foresight ensures that you’re able to build your home without ending up in the poorhouse. Here’s how. Take stock of your major items to start. Image: Wyrick Residential Design 1. Start by categorizing One of the easiest ways to blow a budget is by simply failing to plan. Your contractor will assist you in working out your numbers, but educating yourself helps you stay in the ballpark. Start

When working with paint , the finish you choose is almost as important as the color. Sheen has a direct impact on how a shade looks, how easy it is to clean and how well it hides imperfections on your walls. With that in mind, it’s crucial to know your options for paint finishes before you get started. Read on to get a sense of the different paint finishes that are available, as well as how to use them. A matte finish is the most common type for interior walls. Image: Martha O’Hara Interiors Matte paint Matte paint — sometimes also called flat paint — is the most common choice for interior walls and ceilings. It’s popular because it offers little to no shine, letting your other design choices have the focus. A matte finish goes well in just about any room in your home. Another benefit of matte paint is that it is very good at hiding imperfections like chips or cracks in the walls. For this reason, it’s particularly well-suited for use in older homes , which may have experienced w

I have a LACK TV unit, but I have also a lot of devices that cannot fit into it. And IKEA does not provide other LACK products that can suit with the TV unit (as the BESTÅ can.) This is my version of the IKEA TV stand and LACK range extension. IKEA items used: IKEA LACK TV unit IKEA LACK side table IKEA LACK TV stand | Photo: IKEA.com Other materials and tools: Wood board 50cm x 44.5cm 4 square shelf supports per wood shelf Self-adhesive vinyl wood floor planks Instructions for IKEA TV stand and LACK extension Assemble the LACK side tables. Cut as many wood boards as you need to fit your electronic devices. These wood boards will become the lower tier shelves on the LACK side table. Set a suitable height to fit the height of your device and fix the shelf support brackets into the leg of the LACK side table. Place the cut wood boards on top of the shelf support brackets. To finish the top, I used self-adhesive floor planks with a wood grain . The LACK side tabl

It’s about that time to start planning how you’d like your home to look for Halloween. And one of the most fun ways to get into the Halloween spirit is to create a haunted garden. With so many creative outdoor Halloween decorations, it’s a great way to add some seasonal fun to your yard. You can use a haunted garden in a few different ways. If you have a garden space at the front of your house, use it to greet trick-or-treaters. If you have an extensive backyard garden, you might also think about converting it for an outdoor Halloween party if the weather isn’t too cold. Look like you’re on a spooky burial ground with these accents. Image: Grandin Road Skeletal hands One of the easiest ways to get a haunted garden is to go for these skeletal hands. They’re an easy design you simply place on the ground. They instantly make your garden look like it’s actually a graveyard and that the skeletons are coming back to life. Something like this is more subtle and doesn’t take up much spac

If you have 24 hours and $4K to $10K to spend, you can print out the custom home of your dreams. Several companies have been playing around with the idea of printing up a house using the latest 3D printing tech — and that dream is now a reality. Check out these six innovative 3D-printed houses: Built in March 2018, the first permitted 3D-printed home in America features two bedrooms and one bath. Image:  Icon 1. 3D-printed house in Austin, TX by Icon Icon has partnered with New Story , a charity dedicated to ending homelessness by providing shelter in distressed and poor communities, to print 800-square-foot houses in under a day for roughly $4,000. How they did it:  The Vulcan, a large 3D printer, uses digital blueprints created by engineers to print 3⁄4-inch-thick layers of concrete in layered “slices.” Insulation keeps this sunny yellow home warm in any environment. Image:  Apis Cor The interior of the round 3D-printed tiny home is light and airy. Image:  Apis Cor 2. T

The wait is over. Valspar and HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams have officially revealed their 2019 color trends – and these colors are spectacular! HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams has one 2019 color of the year and three color collections. On the other hand, Valspar, a part of the Sherwin-Williams Consumer Brands Group, has twelve 2019 colors of the year. We asked the senior designers from Valspar and HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams for photos of these magnificent colors, along with commentary on their choices. HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams 2019 Color of the Year HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams : Reflecting Pool  Reflecting Pool is the HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams 2019 Color of the Year. “We are on a path of self-discovery and internal reflection, and Reflecting Pool speaks to our desire to have a life of balance, but with a bit of flair embracing our optimism and sense of humor,” says Ashley Banbury, senior color designer at HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams. In addition to their 2019 Colo

We made a gerbil cage out of the IKEA DETOLF glass display cabinet. For $60 we got a huge cage (less if you get an old DETOLF off Craigslist or eBay) with a separator in the middle. IKEA item: DETOLF cabinet DETOLF | IKEA.com Other materials to make the Gerbil Cage: Construction adhesive glue Pieces of U-Profile (optional) Clear Silicone Mesh wire (make sure that the spaces are not big) Pieces of wood L shaped flat metal brace Nails Instructions to transform the IKEA DETOLF cabinet into a gerbil cage 1. Take out the door of the cabinet. 2. Remove the metal frame out of the cabinet. Most importantly, MAKE SURE THAT YOU SUPPORT THE SIDES. DO NOT LET IT FALL APART!!! 3. Take the metal frame and saw off the crossbars and bottom, so only the top bar stays intact. 4. Remove the top and the bottom of the cabinet. 5. Insert glue in the slot of one side. 6. Then put the cabinet together and let it stand on the side with the glue. So there is pressure from its weight on t