Here We Have Some Great Visuals that might Inspire You!
A small organized bedroom keeps a child's room clean and simple.
Taking advantage of the bright yarn and other craft supplies this great room makes the storage art.
How clever! I love this closet turned into a kid's office.
Sophisticated storage. It's open and there's a lot on those shelves but it looks great.
Check out all the wall organization in this sophisticated townhouse.
Nicely labeled boxes with adequate shelving improve the functionality of this small space.
Summer-Blooming Trees and Shrubs
Plants that bloom in summer, such as
potentilla, butterfly bush, and crape myrtle, produce their flowers on
new growth from the current season. Prune them in winter while they're
dormant, or in early spring just before they push out their new growth.
You can even cut them all the way to the ground in late winter, and
they'll still bloom that same summer.
Test Garden Tip:
Save time by using a pole pruner with a rotating head to remove stems
all the way to the base of the plant. That way, you don't have to bend
over for each cut, saving not only time, but also wear and tear on your
back!
Shrubs Without Showy Blooms
Cut back shrubs grown primarily for their
foliage, such as barberry and burning bush, almost anytime except in
late autumn. New growth that starts after late-season pruning won't
harden off properly before winter. If you want to do major pruning, it's
best to cut the shrub back when it is dormant in winter.
Clipped Hedges
Shrubs such as boxwood and privet are often
sheared to form a hedge. To maintain a solid wall of green, shear the
new growth frequently during the early part of the growing season. Keep
the top narrower than the base so that the upper branches don't shade
the lower ones. Stop shearing the hedge approximately six weeks before
your area's average first frost.
Test Garden Tip:
If you're growing a privacy hedge, reduce the amount of pruning
maintenance needed by selecting shrubs that grow only as tall and wide
as necessary to provide screening. Allow them to grow into their natural
form, and little, if any, pruning will be required.
Deciduous Shade Trees
Prune shade trees such as oak, linden, and ash
when they are dormant in winter. It's easiest to see the branching
structure at this time of year, and you're less likely to spread
diseases through the pruning wounds. As with non blooming shrubs, avoid
pruning them late in summer.
Test Garden Tip:
Trees that produce a heavy sap flow when pruned in winter -- maples,
birches, elms, and dogwoods -- are known as "bleeders." The sap flow may
be unsightly, but it doesn't harm the tree. To avoid the bleeding, you
can wait until the leaves have fully expanded in summer.
Deciduous Fruit Trees
Apples (including crab apples), peaches, pears,
plums, and cherries should be pruned in midwinter. Although winter
pruning removes some of their flower buds, the goal in pruning fruit
trees is to open up the tree to allow in more light for a better crop of
fruit, rather than to get maximum bloom.
Dormant pruning is
especially important for apples, pears, and crab apples because pruning
wounds during the growing season expose the trees to a bacterial disease
called fireblight.
Test Garden Tip:
To control the spread of diseases while pruning, dip your pruning
shears in rubbing alcohol or a solution of one part bleach to nine parts
water.
Broadleaf Evergreens
Most broadleaf evergreens, including holly,
mahonia, and some types of magnolias, need little pruning. The best time
to prune them is in early spring, just before they put on their growth
spurt. You can do minor shaping and pruning at other times of year, too.
Test Garden Tip: Save on holiday decorations by snipping a few branches for winter holiday greenery.
Needle-Leaf Evergreens
Most trees and shrubs with needle like or
scale like foliage (spruce, juniper, cypress, arborvitae, fir, yew,
Douglas fir, and false cypress) are best pruned early in the growing
season.
Avoid cutting back into wood that has no green needles; it
may not sprout new growth. As with broad leaf evergreens, you can trim a
few branch tips in midwinter to take some greenery indoors.
KITCHEN
Before: Dark & Dated
Old cabinetry and tile counters covered this kitchen before its renovation.
After: Open & Airy
The cabinets and surfaces were swapped in favor of Ikea units painted Barely Beige by Benjamin Moore
and topped with zinc. Above, open shelving displays collectibles
alongside everyday dishware. The ceiling is painted Creamy White by Benjamin Moore.
BATHROOM
Before: Builder Basic
This tract home's master bath looked the same as it did when it was built in 1998.
After: Full of Personality
By
retaining the master bath's layout, the homeowner avoided the expense
of moving plumbing lines, relying instead on cosmetic updates. One
change: a single sink console, made possible by closing off a secondary
closet entrance. The exterior door opens straight onto the pasture.
Victoria Pearson
DEN
Before: Kitschy Cabin
A corner hearth originally occupied this den.
After: Bright & Modern
To
create symmetry, a contractor relocated the corner hearth with a new
one, centered on the wall opposite the open kitchen. Built-in cabinetry
on either side of the fireplace reinforces the sense of balance. The
homeowner traded her single living-room settee for two generous Ikea sofas and a Ralph Lauren
chair, all slipcovered for easy cleaning. The pine coffee table came
from a garage sale, and the metal "C" is from a local garden store.
Victoria Pearson
LIVING ROOM
Before: Living Room
This room allowed the homeowners to start from scratch.
After: Living Room
Each
wallboard was removed and numbered, then put back in place after the
electrical updates. Scraping away decades of paint revealed original
artistic details, including marbleized baseboards and faux bird's-eye
maple panels, which a restoration painter was able to revive.
In the living room, Pottery Barn pillows adorn slipcovered armchairs by Lee Industries. The homeowner bought the set of framed prints at a flea market for only $94; she's collected the ironstone for years.
Bjorn Wallander
GARAGE
Before: Garage
A garage used as a low-key hangout space.
After: Garage
Take
converting a garage a step further with sleeper sofas that allow the
room to double as guest quarters. The homeowner also installed beadboard
on the lower walls and painted the rafters white.
Among the room's wallet-friendly finds: a Crate & Barrel sofa, West Elm pouf, and yard-sale chair. The homeowner purchased the model boat at a local antiques store.
Bright idea!
Bring artwork onto an easel for an unexpected, eye-level display.
William Waldron
BEDROOM
Before: Bedroom
Think outside the box. Rooms can have complete reincarnations, with surprising results.
William Waldron
After: Bathroom
The
former master bedroom became a stunning bath, with a glass shower
enclosure that maintains the room's expansive, wide-open feel. Limestone
tiles compose the shower's floor; subway tiles cover its walls.
William Waldron
Here We Have Some Great Visuals that might Inspire You!
