Martin Cooper

Update your Christmas decorating with on-trend gold accessories. Image:   Williams Sonoma Home We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  We live for Christmas decorating. The planning and preparation for this special day is part of the magic of the season. With so many events and details to handle, it’s easy to reach for the same decorations every year. There are definitely ornaments and decor that are special to you and will always be a part of your Christmas decorating. By planning a little in advance, though, you can give yourself time to replenish your decorations and add new colors and designs to your home this holiday season.   You’ll want to start with a decorating plan so that everything will come together for the big day. To help you with your plan, we’ve created a Christmas decorating checklist. Ready to Update Your Christmas Decorating? Start Here: Silver and gold ornaments a

Having successfully built the “ MYDAL kids loft bed with play area ” hack in 2014 for my two sons it was time to rebuild the children’s bunk beds into something less bulky and with more storage space. IKEA items used: 1 MYDAL children’s bunk bed 4 STUVA frames (60x50x64) with doors/drawers 2 JANSJÖ clamp spotlights (optional) 2 EKET wall-mounted shelving units (optional) Other materials: MDF-boards Wooden beams Paint Reworking the old MYDAL children’s bunk bed into new The challenge was to recycle some of the contents of the old hack. So I removed the MDF boards and one of the MYDAL bunk beds. I used the remaining bed for the new hack. Of course, the hack can also be built from scratch. Inspired by a photograph on Pinterest I placed the STUVA frames in the form of an “L” against the corner of the room and increased stability by attaching some wooden beams to their backsides and the room’s wall. Related: See more hacks for IKEA children’s beds Then, I attached

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. If you’re looking for a classic holiday gift to give, ornaments are a treasured gift giving idea. An ornament is a gift that ties right into the season; it makes a great memento of holidays past and fits in with popular holiday decorating styles. You can use ornaments on Christmas trees, but people also get creative by hanging them from picture frames, walls, rustic branches, garlands, banisters or from homemade mobiles. Some pop culture ornaments can even be treasured items year-round in curio cabinets. The options with ornaments are endless. Below are our top ornament picks for the season. Winter ornaments This quaint, snowy cottage would be great for a traditional holiday decorating scheme. You can find it at Amazon  ($9 to $41). Cute penguins are always a delight during the holidays, as in this ornament from Kohl’s  ($18). These adorable w

When you’re shopping for a new home, it’s natural to favor the more aesthetically-pleasing properties. However, cosmetic features are often decorative and trendy extras. Instead, you should base your decision on the underlying features and value of the home. This includes elements like the plumbing, wiring and roof of any potential home. Tricked-out closets are trendy, but not necessary. Image: G. Terbrock Luxury Homes “As a home buyer, it is important that you focus on value over the bells and whistles that can distract from a home’s drawback,” advises Evan Roberts, a real estate agent with  Dependable Homebuyers  in Baltimore, MD. “Many of these bells and whistles are inexpensive to replicate,” he says. So you shouldn’t pay more for them and you shouldn’t base your homebuying decision on them.” You shouldn’t increase your offer based on bells and whistles. While you may like them, that doesn’t mean the next homebuyer will. “Paying for low value features will make re-selling dif