Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

  One skill all homeowners and   renters   should master is knowing how to get rid of   mice   and other rodents. Depending on your perspective and level of infestation, these unwanted critters can range from an annoyance to a nightmare. They gnaw on stuff, leave poop around your house, and—worst of all—carry diseases. Mice also multiply quickly—so what may start out as a few critters nibbling away in the pantry can turn into a full-on mice invasion in a couple of weeks. The good news? Getting rid of mice takes some work, but it's not impossible. The key to successful control is understanding how rodents get into your home in the first place. “They can squeeze in through a hole no bigger than a dime, so it is easy for them to get access," says  Jerry Lazarus  from Braman Termite & Pest Elimination, based in Agawam, MA. "If homeowners want to wipe out an infestation, they need to get rid of the mice currently in the home while deploying exclusionary...

Old house smell: Those three dreaded words evoke something rather frightening and repellent to most homeowners. You know what we're talking about, right? It's that musty odor that creeps up and greets you the instant you set foot inside an older home. What is this mysterious stench, anyway? And most importantly: Is there a way to get rid of it? What causes that old house smell “Three things that musty old houses have in common: little ventilation, high humidity, and darkness,” says  Bill Carroll Jr. , an adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University. That makes these places the perfect petri dish for mold to flourish, which happens to be the main purveyor of that "old house smell." That said, that musty smell isn't mold per se.   "What you're smelling are called MVOCs: mold volatile organic compounds," explains Carroll. "These are chemicals associated with a certain stage in the mold life cycle that are volatile enough to evaporate, but a...

  Lighting Goals to Aim For If your bathroom has architectural elements similar to the ones shown in this photo, of course it will feel like a restful spa. But even in spaces without floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a garden, you can use lighting to effectively create a Zen feeling. You can use a combination of different light sources to set the mood and adjust the lighting for the time of day, or for how you are using the space. For morning and even daytime, bright light that echoes natural outdoor light is best for grooming, hair and makeup. In the evenings, while dressing for dinner out or soaking in the tub, a soft light can help you relax, as though you’re in your own home spa. Foley Fiore Architecture Types of Lighting for Your Spa Bathroom These are the main light sources to consider and the purposes they serve: Ambient,  or natural daylight, means that there is light present in the room before adding artificial light. There are many benefits of having ambient lig...

1. House keys Carrying around a set of jingling keys in your purse or pocket may soon become a thing of the past, with electronic and digital locks becoming a more convenient option, says  Melanie Hartmann , owner and CEO of  Creo Home Buyers  in Baltimore. “This is fantastic for those times you lose your key, lock yourself out of the house, or someone needs to get into your house in an emergency when you are not able to let them in,” Hartmann says. Electronic locks rely on a code or a fingerprint to open, and you can control some with your smartphone, says  Justin Riordan , an interior designer, architect and founder of the home staging company  Spade and Archer Design Agency . The  Lockly smart lock  ($228,  homedepot . com ) features a digital keypad and 3D fingerprint storage. ——— 2. Telephone jacks Homeowners continue to cut the cord on landline telephones. In fact, more than half of U.S. households had only wireless service in 2018, accordin...

Deadhead perennials.  When perennial flowers have finished blooming, cut off old stalks or stems, which is called “deadheading.” This keeps them healthy and helps them to regenerate more flowers next season. Prune and transplant overgrowth.  Plants and bushes require different types of trimming—think of it like a fall haircut. For example, a lilac bush should have its old flowers and stems cut to thin out the growth, allowing light into the center of the bush. This will allow it to grow bigger and fuller next season. For a pear tree, thin out crisscrossing branches and carefully shape the tree. Hydrangeas should be heavily cut back to keep them from getting too tall. Overgrown hostas can be transplanted to another part of the yard after they finish blooming, usually during late fall. . Mulch plants to retain water.  Using an organic material, such as wood, bark, or straw, homeowners should mulch flower beds and around trees to help them retain water, keep down weeds, and ...

Moxie Showerhead + Smart Speaker :  This showerhead–smart speaker mashup marries the design of Kohler’s performance shower with the robust sound of a Harman Kardon speaker. The showerhead features a full coverage spray while delivering the benefits of connected bathroom technology with its portable smart speaker that syncs with Bluetooth-enabled devices. The portable in-shower smart speaker fits into the showerhead magnetically, so you can take it out and use it in other areas of the home or on the go.   Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror :   Named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree, the Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror includes an integrated, Amazon Alexa–enabled stereo sound system with a microphone, so the homeowner can ask it to play music or the news, check the weather, and control other smart-home devices. The mirror features efficient, adjustable LED lights for precision routines like applying makeup as well as a motion-activated wayfinding nightlight. Numi 2.0 Intelligent...