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By now you've probably sampled a few smart home devices--maybe you have a speaker that plays your favorite podcast on command, or a lightbulb you control with an app. Think [...]

It's time to get more WFH--workouts from home!--on the calendar. As part of GH's annual Fitness Awards, our product pros and consumer testers put the latest gear through its paces [...]

This article from Good Housekeeping provides a roundup of expert-approved home improvement products and services. The article covers various areas of the home, including the kitchen, bathroom, and major systems. It highlights products such as durable paint, smart faucets, wood-look floors, porcelain countertops, and digital platform cabinets. The article also discusses smart home technology, including smart garage add-ons, Wi-Fi extenders, fire protection devices, security cameras, and DIY home security systems. Additionally, it mentions power tools, bathroom fixtures, window treatments, and home services. The article includes expert opinions and recommendations from professionals in the field. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Good Housekeeping provides tips and tricks for spring cleaning your home. It suggests three different approaches to tackling the task based on the time and energy you have available. The article also recommends specific products that have been tested and approved by the GH Cleaning Lab. Additionally, it offers advice on when to hire professional help for tasks like window cleaning and carpet deep-cleaning. The article concludes with maintenance must-do's for the spring season, such as cleaning air conditioners, clearing gutters, and de-linting dryers. [Extracted from the article]

When it comes to decking material, there are lots of good options. Composite, wood and masonry all have their pros and cons, but thanks to ever-improving manufacturing techniques, the material [...]

by Dan DiClerico, Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute Check the temperature. Measured on the Kelvin (K) scale, color temperature indicates the warmth of light. [...]

by DAN [...]

To freshen up this Santa Barbara, CA, patio, Taylor Anne Bliss of Taylor Anne Interiors chose to anchor it with a striped umbrella from One Kings Lane. A standout in this category is TimberTech's Advanced PVC decking, which resembles natural wood without ever needing to be stained and while resisting scratches, stains and rot. "A whimsical umbrella surrounded by a neutral palette gives life to any small patio space", Bliss says. [Extracted from the article]

REPORT illustrations by CAMILA PINHEIRO Open-Air Living Spaces The best indoor/outdoor rooms, or transition areas, are like extensions of the home. PIZZA OVENS STAND-ALONE Pros: Overall, stand-alone pizza ovens are less of an investment and commitment than built-in ones; they're somewhat portable (opt for a smaller version to optimize this) and can be used for more than just pizza. GH LAB PICK: OONI KARU 16 MULTI-FUEL PIZZA OVEN, $799 built-in Pros: Built-in pizza ovens can be showstoppers; they are able to reach super-high temps and are often big enough for various sizes of pots and pans. [Extracted from the article]

REPORT Kitchen All-Stars Super Sink Most kitchen sinks are put to use only when you're washing dishes, rinsing vegetables or doing some other faucet-focused activity. LAB RESULTS Though it was tricky to install given the wiring involved, testers raved about the mirror's design. LAB RESULTS Testers who went through the Tilly process were amazed by how smooth and easy it was, as well as by the quality of the designs. LAB RESULTS The ease and speed of filling up containers was a huge convenience for testers, and the glass front (available in white or black) gives it a sleek look. [Extracted from the article]

REPORT Vanity Project Use this chart to pick the perfect countertop material for your family's lifestyle. ANNIE SELKE STRIPE BATH RUG, FROM $48, ANNIESELKE.COM Choose Wisely for Watts Based on our latest interior-paint tests, our home-improvement experts recommend Behr's Marquee Advanced Stain-Blocking Paint & Primer ($50 per gallon, homedepot.com) for bathroom walls. YIMOBRA MEMORY FOAM BATH MAT, FROM $10, AMAZON Colorful Floor Cover Add a fun element to your bathroom decor with this vibrant cotton rug. [Extracted from the article]

MISEN DUTCH OVEN 7 QUART, $165, AMAZON Multicooker This recent model from Instant Brands offers all the hits - Pressure Cook, Slow Cook, Sauté - as well as settings for delicate foods like cakes. LIFE + HEALTH Your Ultimate How to Find a Warm Winter Coat When the mercury drops and the snow starts swirling, you'll need a coat that's built to keep you cozy. In winter, tire treads should be at least 5/32" deep. [Extracted from the article]

Noise-Reducing Windows If you're installing new windows in a bedroom, look for units with glass specially designed to reduce noise transmission, particularly if the room faces a busy street or a construction zone. Blackout curtains work based on their lining rather than the color of the room-facing fabric. The main difference is how much light they keep out: True blackout curtains block 100% of light to create total darkness, while room-darkening options block 95% to 99% of light so the room isn't pitch-black. [Extracted from the article]

HOW TO PICK COMPLEMENTARY FIXTURES Before putting this dome pendant and wicker wall sconce in the same room, McGregor considered shape, texture and shade style. YOUR HOME HOW TO LAYER LIGHTING To get the light you need and the look you want, use a mix of fixtures - including drum pendants, arm wall sconces, under-cabinet lights and recessed lighting. Draw attention to design elements with accent lighting (2) like picture lights and wall sconces. [Extracted from the article]

More Than the Machines The washer and dryer may be the top dogs of the laundry room, but counter-tops, flooring, paint and a backsplash that are durable are close seconds. GE APPLIANCES ULTRAFRESH FRONT LOAD WASHER WITH ODOR-BLOCK, $1,221; SMART FRONT LOAD DRYER, FROM $1,221, LOWES.COM Best Compact Pair This set from Miele is the perfect pick for tighter spaces, but these machines' unexpectedly large interiors deliver top-notch cleaning and drying. LIFE + HEALTH FROM THE EXPERTS AT THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE GH Report Your Go-To Laundry Room Layout Even if you don't have room for all the bells and whistles, these top tips can help keep laundry day safe and efficient. GE CYNC SMART DIMMER LIGHT SWITCH, $75, AMAZON Green Your Laundry Room Make choices that clean clothes while saving water and energy. [Extracted from the article]

Outdoor spaces are made beautiful and tranquil by adding a water feature. The economical pump-run urn fountains, sonorous ceramics and pyramidal pots have multiple functions of watering the garden and accommodating a variety of aquatic specimens in addition to being charming focal points.

The Welsh tradition of giving a spoon to some one special on Valentine's Day is updated by attractive and yet inexpensive ideas. Wrapping flowers in a love note, heart-shaped soaps and knotted bracelets are some great gifts for friends.

Lowe's, a national sponsor of the organization's Women Build program, enlisted design talents to create a shelter with soul, to assist Nancy Sarrubo and her daughter Rebecca in furnishing the house that they built herself in six days with scores of volunteers from the Suffolk County. A day-to-day account of how the ranch-style house went up in just six days is illustrated.

Few expert-tested tips are presented that will help to brighten, enlarge and enliven the corridors of the home. It is advised to illuminate the room from above with a skylight or dormer window to brighten a dark corridor.

Landscape contractor, Roger Cook shows the different kinds of aggregates that could be used for landscaping and gravel gardens with reference to their installing procedure. Some of the aggregates that could be used are pea stone, basalt, river stone, and oyster shell.

Sales of multi-jet systems are taking off as more and more homeowners treat themselves to showers with as many as a dozen water sources. Various types of showers such simple shower upgrades, ready-to-install units along with its features and price are described.

An increasing number of homeowners are treating themselves to showers with as many as a dozen water sources, which could include a couple of showerheads, handheld sprays, a cascading waterfall, and half a dozen body jets. Some ideas for bringing this head-to-toe sensory experience to the bathroom include the customized shower, modular retrofits, and even some simple upgrades that do not require remodeling.

Several different types of window seats with reference to their purpose to improve the aesthetic of the room are presented. Some of them include kitchen window seat, twin window seats, bathroom window seat and guest bedroom window seat.

Nuts & bolts PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY FRAM It might not have been their dream home, but Jacki and Vance Vilandre felt good about their three-bedroom starter townhouse, with its open floor plan and cathedral ceilings, in Hillsboro, Oregon, near the Intel offices where Vance worked. To bring fresh air into the house and manage humidity levels, Brierley installed a balanced mechanical ventilation system to remove stuffy indoor air and replace it with equal amounts of outdoor air that's warmed to room temperature. The next-best option in hot, humid climates A whole-house supply-only system, made up of a central supply fan connected to ducts, draws outdoor air in through a fresh-air intake. - ROBERT BRIERLEY CLEARING THE AIR Brierley installs a 4-inch pleated filter in the grille of an air return. [Extracted from the article]

The movement of the tall-case clocks was usually built with musical chimes and quarter-hour strikes and its cases were designed with oyster-shell veneers, intricate carvings or oval windows. The dials of the clock were made of engraved brass or hand-painted iron. The high cost of the clock has given it an instant heirloom status.

A shed is converted into an outdoor shower, where due to building-code restrictions, the shower room was made roomier by building up and giving it a tall, pyramidal roof. This pitched elevated design makes the structure look very beautiful and visually attractive and is in tune with the design of the house and at the same time the interior of the shed, which has walls made of tongue-and-groove pine, coated with white water proof paint, makes the shed attractive from the inside.

The article offers tips on how to determine the best way to upgrade the kitchen at an affordable price. Topics include how to figure out whether to go for an update or a replacement for key areas in the kitchen, such as cabinets, lighting and countertops, the smart strategies for achieving the changes on a budget and the clutter-busting solution, including the use of rolling kitchen cart and cabinet organizers. It cites the lessons learned in having kitchen makeover worth 300 U.S. dollars.

"Everyone fell in love with Carol and Willie", says TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada. IDEA/FILE Walking past the tidy new fence and neat foundation plantings, climbing the refinished concrete steps, and pushing open the old oak entry door, now brightened with high-gloss burgundy paint, Carol Wideman was filled with emotion. - CHARLIE SILVA, TOH home builder OPPOSITE, TOP: Just inside the original oval-light front door is the door to Willie's apartment; a bank of windows looks onto the front porch. [Extracted from the article]

Statement-making entry While nearly all multi-panel door styles work on the back of the house, pivot doors also pull double duty as dramatic front entry doors. Door manufacturers offer manually operated or automated retractable screens that ride in a dedicated track within the sill, requiring more wall depth. Shown: LaCantina doors, from $800 per LF; jeld-wen.com POCKETING MULTI-SLIDE Best for: Delivering uninterrupted views A type of multi-slide door system, these panels retract into a door pocket in the wall for an unimpeded sight line. Nuts & bolts all about As modernist architect Le Corbusier famously said, "The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light.". [Extracted from the article]

Nuts & bolts In some ways, the July 4th celebration in 2019 was a quiet one in Dorchester, a big, vibrant neighborhood less than 10 miles south of downtown Boston. Making the house - and Carol's family - whole again is a subject of This Old House's 42nd television season, with TOH home builder Charlie Silva leading the charge. We have to do right by her." - CHARLIE SILVA, TOH Home Builder ABOVE LEFT: TOH home builder Charlie Silva and host Kevin O'Connor discuss the window trim. [Extracted from the article]

A passageway marks the transition between two rooms that are disparate, either in style or function, and is important when designing to keep in mind what lies behind and beyond it. Various tips to use passageways by few architects, builders, and interior designers are positioning of a passageway, size, style and ventilation of the passageway.

Four different ways of having a home-office space in the kitchen are described for those who are multitaskers. Tucked in a corner, a wall unit with book shelf and a desk and a chair, a small desk near the snack counter, a bracketed desk under storage cabinet or work space wedged between a built-in hutch and a variety of appliances, will turn the kitchen into a home-office hub.

An old kitchen with a 1950's look was transformed into a modern kitchen by the staff of Front Row Kitchens. The staff designers reshuffled the appliances, eliminated a pantry creating a space for refrigerator, added new sink and new appliances, installed new cabinets, changed the flooring and also the doors, giving the kitchen a complete new look.

Allen Dragges, who is part of a movement of contemporary artists making stained glass popular again after the1920s, describes his views about the utility of the stained glass and master arts of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright are displayed. The windows with stained glass look great in bathroom and entryways, where they add charm without sacrificing privacy and they also fit well in interior doors and transom, enclosing space while letting light in.

The simplest way to keep your fireplace performing at its best is to have a basic understanding of how chimneys work. Mark Schaub, the owner of Chimney Savers in Hillsborough, New Jersey identifies the causes for five common smoking problems and suggests ways to stop them.

Plasma screen's resolution is four times sharper than regular analog TV and it's flat screen stops images from bending at the edge of the picture. Three to five inches thick plasma screens have revolutionized the look of the TV room and when not in use the giant screen is concealed by a sliding panel.

Homeowners Rick and Paula Coven wanted to create an inviting threshold between their gardens and the outside world and also wanted to keep away from wildlife. Landscape designer Bruce McCrea created a cottage-style gate that would suit the formal courtyard garden in front of the house and the vine-covered welded-wire fencing that enclosed the lawn in back.

The tune-up will keep it running efficiently and reduce the risk of its breaking during the cold season. • Insulate exposed pipes and shut off the water to any outside faucets or spigots before the first freeze. Clogs can allow rainfall to spill off the roof, potentially damaging foundation walls. [Extracted from the article]

Seattle-based architect Bill Kreager provides tips to enhance the staircase landing. He also ensures safety detector above the stair landing and sees to it that there is plenty of light from a nearby window.

A continuous sheet of 6-mil-thick polyurethane vapor barrier is glued to the foundation wall and ceiling to prevent moisture transfer in the wine cellar. The conclusion states that wine cellar's temperature and humidity must be maintained at an optimum level.

LAB RESULTS The GH Home Improvement Lab pros love that the Electronic Hot Surface Ignition helps save money on fuel while increasing dependability and reliability. The Poo-Pourri "before-you-go" bathroom air freshener works by creating a barrier on the toilet water's surface that can trap odors and keep them from reaching the air. LAB RESULTS Our experts were impressed by how well Poo-Pourri kept bathroom smells from becoming airborne, and they noted the pleasant scent it left behind. [Extracted from the article]

Frigid temperatures can cause major headaches like frozen pipes and soaring heating costs. Regardless of which tires you have, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends checking them monthly in winter, as tire pressure drops with the temperature. Winter tires bite into snow and ice, providing better traction during stops, turns and acceleration. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents answers to the questions smart home devices; and decorate home for the season.