Aurelia Butler

Cabinets are often the biggest-ticket item in a kitchen remodel, accounting for up to 40% of the total cost — and that makes sense, considering their impact on the look and functionality of any kitchen, not to mention the fact that they tend to hang around for decades. “Kitchen cabinets aren’t something you replace readily, like a light fixture or coat of paint, so it pays to invest as much as your budget allows to end up with units that you love and that meet your needs,” says Rozit Arditi, owner of Arditi Design, a full-service residential interior design studio based in New York City.The good news is that kitchen cabinet manufacturers carry a diverse array of product lines to serve a wide range of kitchen remodel budgets, from $10K or less for a cost-conscious cosmetic makeover to $100K and up for high-end gut jobs. More From Good Housekeeping play iconThe triangle icon that indicates to playFor this review of the best kitchen cabinet brands you can buy right now, the home renovation pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute found that quality offerings can be found at every price point. While there are clearly tradeoffs that come as you move up the price ladder, in our research, we spoke to pros and homeowners alike who have been satisfied with their kitchen cabinet installations at every level.Our top picksAfter conducting extensive research of the market, here are our recommendations for the best cabinet brands, divided into three categories: stock, semi-custom and custom. At the bottom of this guide, you’ll find more information about how we selected these brands, as well as expert advice for finding the perfect kitchen cabinets for your style and budget.Best Stock Kitchen CabinetsIKEADesigner Anna Popov gave IKEA cabinets a custom look by filling in any gaps between the units and the adjoining walls and ceilings. More

When my family and I moved from New York to New Jersey last year, I knew revamping our dining room would be one of the first decorating projects to tackle. Much like the kitchen, the heart of the home, it’s a high-traffic space that should be outfitted with durable, kid-friendly furniture, the right entertaining essentials and stylish decorative accents. With the help of Pottery Barn, which provided the furniture and decor featured, we were able to pull it off in a snap. I worked closely with the brand’s free Design Crew service, which provided a mood board, product recommendations and a room plan, tailored to our design goals for the space. Daniel Nunez-Daly, a Design Crew associate, was on-hand during every step of the transformation, from offering product suggestions to helping us arrange the items in our space. Meeting with Pottery Barn’s Daniel Nunez-Daly to discuss final design decisions.Oleg MarchNow that the makeover is complete, I’m sharing the tips I learned along the way to help inspire your next room revamp. Choose the right dining set.The first order of business was finding the right dining table to set the foundation for the room. While our family is small and our dining room is quite compact, special occasions, holidays and impromptu guests create the need for more seating. The fix? The Portola Dining Table. The extendable oak design, boasting a rectangular shape, doesn’t take up too much space day to day, and it can comfortably seat up to 10 people whenever the need arises. We paired it with the Haven Braided Jute Rug for a dose of coastal style. Jute is low-maintenance (a must living with children) and it’s brilliant at masking the inevitable stains. The dining room arranged by the home’s previous owners. Monique ValerisThe newly transformed space, complete with the Portola Dining Table that can be extended to seat 10 people.Oleg MarchRather than go the traditional route of pairing the table with dining chairs of the same style, we chose a mismatched look for more visual appeal. The classic Adrian Dining Chairs are at the heads of the table and white slipcovered chairs (PB Comfort Square Long Slipcovered Dining Side Chairs) surround it. I’ll admit that I was extremely nervous about choosing white slipcovered chairs, but the performance cotton twill is easy to clean. Our kids’ tiny fingers have touched the chairs with everything from ketchup to pancake syrup, and simply tossing them in the wash instantly makes them look like new. The woven fabric is a nice touch, too. Invest in timeless tabletop items. Creating eye-catching table arrangements is where my personal style really shines. I’ve always leaned more toward minimalist plates, glasses and silverware. The Ridge Textured Stoneware Dinner Collection is right up my alley, as are the Jupiter Hobnail Drinking Glasses and the Riley Flatware.”You can make it look high-end for an amazing dinner party or use it every day,” Nunez-Daley says. “It’s transitional.” To balance the understated nature of the dishware, we chose statement napkins — the Shyla Blue Block Print Cotton Napkins, which come in a set of four.OLEG.MARCH2021A double-duty buffet can work wonders in a small space. A versatile buffet, like the bestselling Toscana in the Seadrift finish, was non-negotiable for us. It’s great to have enough tabletop space to serve a large dinner, buffet-style, of course, but it’s even better to also have ample storage for our ever-growing collection of dishware. Behind three sets of doors, there are adjustable shelves that can be used for dishes and even kitchen utensils that aren’t needed on a daily basis. When the top of the buffet is not in use, I have fun styling it with things like oversized candles, faux florals and greenery. It’s the perfect piece for seasonal decor and has been an all-around win for entertaining. The Toscana Buffet’s glass doors make it easy to put your favorite pieces of dishware on full display. OLEG.MARCH2021Be mindful of light sources.Lighting really impacts my mood, especially during the winter months. For that reason, it was important to choose colors and decor that keep the space feeling light and bright. Pottery Barn’s white sheer curtain panels, Reese Metal Linear Chandelier along with the 36-inch round mirror, shown above, were the solution.The curtain panels’ subtle striped pattern allows natural light to fill the dining room. OLEG.MARCH2021Every moment my family spends in our refreshed dining room is a joy. From completing homework with our kids to sharing Sunday morning breakfast, we finally have a well-designed space that is made for memories. Shop Monique’s Dining RoomSenior Home EditorMonique Valeris is the senior home editor for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand’s home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, “What’s in My Cart.” More

There’s a long list of cleaning chores to keep track of at home. Some, like washing the laundry and vacuuming the floors, are a lot easier to remember than others, like dusting the blinds or cleaning the dishwasher. The best way to keep your blinds clean is to add a quick dusting to your weekly cleaning. But, if it’s been a while since the last time you did so or you recently noticed some sticky fingerprints on them, we’ve got some recommendations to get your blinds back in shape.In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we spend a lot of time testing products, tips and tricks to find the easiest, quickest and most effective ways to keep everything inside and outside your home clean. We have tips for cleaning your windows, a step-by-step guide to keep walls looking freshly painted and more. Before you try any of the cleaning methods below, it’s a good idea to check your blind manufacturer’s website for instructions and precautions. Then, follow the simple steps below depending on the material of your blinds and just how deep of a cleaning they need. How to Clean Blinds Without Taking Them DownThe best way to deep clean your blinds is by taking them down and laying them on a flat surface. It makes it easier to clean both sides and the top and bottom rails thoroughly, but you may not always have the time or energy for this. There are two ways you can remove dust from blinds while they are still hanging: dusting with a microfiber tool like a cloth, glove or duster and vacuuming with a soft, dusting brush attachment. Vacuuming is also the only way we recommend cleaning real wood and fabric blinds or cellular shades. What You’ll Need Cleaning Your Blinds with a Microfiber Cloth, Glove or DusterOpen the blind and wrap the microfiber cloth tightly around both sides of a slat or grab both sides with your glove. For horizontal blinds (sometimes called venetian blinds), start at the top-most slat and work your way down. Starting from top to bottom ensures that you won’t have to clean the same slat a second time when dust from a slat above settles on one below. Wipe the slat from left to right. If you are using a double-sided duster, like this GH Seal star double-sided duster from Swiffer, you’ll clean the topside of one slat and bottom side of the one above it as you pass the duster in between. For vertical blinds, wrap your microfiber cloth tightly around both sides of the blind and wipe from top to bottom. No need to worry about depositing dust on other slats here, but working from the left-most slat to the right (or vice versa) will allow you to more easily keep track of the slats you’ve already cleaned. Dip a microfiber cloth in a mixture of dish soap and water. To remove stubborn stains and sticky residue from metal, vinyl or faux wood blinds while they are hanging, dip a microfiber cloth in a bowl of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid.Wipe slats with the damp microfiber cloth. Squeeze out the excess water and wipe the blinds from left to right (or top to bottom if they’re vertical blinds).Wipe slats dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Make sure to wipe both sides of each slat to buff away any water spots or streaks. Use water sparingly, if at all, on real wood blinds. Expert Tip: Be sure to shake your microfiber tool outside as you start to notice it collecting dust to avoid depositing dust back on to your blinds as you clean.pashapixel//Getty ImagesCleaning Your Blinds with a Vacuum Many of the vacuums we’ve tested have a soft dusting brush in their assortment of included attachments, especially a lot of the canister vacuums we see in the Lab. Canister vacuums have flexible hoses that make reaching even the highest slats easily, while hand vacuums are lightweight enough to get through all blind slats without tiring you.Turn down your vacuum’s suction to the lowest setting. Attach your vacuum’s soft dusting brush attachment and turn the suction down to the lowest setting available. If your vacuum only has one suction mode, make sure it isn’t strong enough to damage your blinds. You want the vacuum to pick up dust, not vacuum seal itself to the blinds’ slats. Close the blind, hold the slats taut and vacuum slowly. Keep the blinds taut and move across horizontal blinds slowly from left to right. If you have vertical blinds, grab each slat and vacuum a small section working your way from top to bottom. Go over each blind again. Vacuum along each slat again in the opposite direction to pick up any dust that might have been left behind on the first pass.Open and close the slats in the opposite direction. When you finish, reverse the slats, closing them the other way and vacuum each slat again.makasana//Getty ImagesHow to Clean Blinds in a TubIf you want to give metal, vinyl or faux wood blinds a deeper clean, your best bet is in the bathtub. It’s important to note that if you are using this method to clean your blinds, you should pay special attention to the manufacturer’s care instructions. Submerging blinds for extended periods of time in water can cause metal to rust. We don’t recommend this method for cellular shades or real wood blinds as these materials become damaged when immersed in water. If cellular shades become stained, reach out to your manufacturer with questions on how best to remove them or about the warranty offered on your product.What You’ll NeedLine the tub with towels and fill it with warm water and dish soap. The towels will keep the blinds from scratching the tub. Use warm water and just a squeeze or two of dish soap. Swish to make sure the detergent is dissolved.Extend the blind and open the slats before submerging the blind into the tub. Keep the top rail draped over the side of the tub and only place one blind into the water at a time. Soak for up to 20 minutes. Use a cloth to remove any stuck-on stains or dirt. Rinse the blinds. Drain the tub and use clean water to rinse the soapy water from the blinds. A handheld shower sprayer, if you have one, makes rinsing easier.Allow blinds to dry completely before replacing. Dry them with a clean microfiber cloth to remove as much water as you can and lay the blinds out flat to dry. Blind Cleaning Dos & Don’ts Do your blind cleaning before you sweep or vacuum your floor. You’ll have to re-do your floor cleaning after if you don’t! Do rehang your blinds only after they are completely dry. Don’t use water on your blinds without first clearing dust from them with a dry microfiber cloth. For wood blinds and cellular shades, don’t use water at all.Do check your blind manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning any blinds with water. Can You Clean Blinds with Dryer Sheets? You can, but it isn’t ideal. First, you’ll only want to use dryer sheets that have already been through a dryer cycle. When you wipe your blind’s slats with a new dryer sheet, the static attraction will pick up some of the dust, but you’ll be depositing the fabric softener that is built into the sheet onto the slats too. If you want to use old, used dryer sheets to clean your blinds you can, but it won’t do as good of a job as a microfiber cloth or vacuum. When Do You Have to Replace Your Blinds? Window blinds and shades are a usually long-lasting investment for a home. Most do not need to be replaced for up to 10 years. There are a few signs you can look out for when deciding if it is time to replace your blinds:The blind slats are bent out of shape, broken or warped from humidity or heat damage. If it’s only a few slats, some blind manufacturers will fix just the damaged slats. The opening and closing of your shades has become a near impossible task. With time and regular use, it’s expected that the cords on your blinds will start to loosen, making it difficult to let light in during the day or close your shades at night. The blinds and blind cords are discolored, yellowing or are fraying. With time, our home products’ quality will start to decline — especially products that are in near constant direct sunlight like blinds are! Your blinds are out of style or ill-fitting on new windows. Windows are not made in one universal size. Different windows will require different shades that fit the size of the new window, plus some styles just don’t look right on all windows. Home Care & Cleaning Lab Reviews AnalystJodhaira (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care & Cleaning Lab, where she tests and writes about home appliances, cleaning products and cleaning tips. Prior to joining GH in 2021, she graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor’s degree in forensic science and spent two years as an analyst in an environmental lab in Queens. More

After a long, stressful day, nothing feels better than a relaxing soak. And adding a bath bomb to the water can take one of life’s little luxuries to the next level. The spheres are made of a blend of soothing oils and delightful scents that fizz and dissolve in warm water, leaving skin silky and smooth. Now, that’s self care!The best part? Making your own bath bombs is easy. All you need are a few basic ingredients and our step-by-step guide below. And don’t miss the expert tips from Good Housekeeping’s Health and Beauty Reviews Analyst, Chiara Butler. This project is also ideal for kids (with supervision) — imagine all the fun they’ll have choosing different colors to make their bath bomb pop, not to mention the scented oils, eye-catching accents (think rose petals, orange peels, dried flowers) and shapes (otherwise known as molds) that’ll make their fizzy mixture unique. Just keep in mind that it takes up to four hours for the bath bomb to fully harden. More From Good Housekeeping Getty ImagesWhat You’ll NeedHow to Make a Bath Bomb Pour the baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch and Epsom salt (if using) into a bowl. Whisk the ingredients until fully combined. Pour the essential oil, emollient oil and food coloring into the other bowl. Mix the ingredients together until the food coloring is fully incorporated. Slowly pour the oil mixture (from step 2) into the dry ingredients (from step 1). When the oil is all in, keep whisking and add drops of water in between. If you decide to add decorative accents, like rose petals or orange peels, to your bath bombs, drop them into the bottom of the mold. Then, tightly mash your mixture into the molds. Take note: When pressed in your hand, make sure the mixture clumps together. It shouldn’t be too wet and should be able to keep its shape. Mix quickly as the water will make your blend fizz. 5. Leave your bath bombs in the molds for two to four hours before removal. Now you’re ready to admire your new creations as they fizz away in your tub!When making bath bombs, what ingredients should I avoid? First things first: According to Butler, it’s advised to supervise children when handling essential oils or when adding them yourself. “Essential oils can potentially cause allergic contact dermatitis, which is when skin becomes irritated due to contact with an allergen,” she says. Some oils to be wary of include tea tree oil, lemongrass oil, sandalwood oil and clove oil. Consider diluting your essential oils in a carrier oil, like coconut oil, sweet almond oil or argan oil. “Even citrus oils such as lemon and bergamot can cause a photo-toxic reaction on skin in the presence of sunlight,” Butler notes. Do you have any concerns about baking soda and cornstarch? “Baking soda and cornstarch are generally very safe ingredients to use in a bath bomb,” says Butler. This includes handling them while they are dry and when they dissolve in the tub. “Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a relatively weak base that creates a mild alkaline solution in water,” she says. “In a typical bath bomb recipe, the concentration of baking soda in the water will be very low.”What are the benefits of including citric acid?Using this ingredient is how the real fun begins! Butler notes: “When dropped in the tub, citric acid reacts with the baking soda in the bath bomb and releases carbon dioxide, which creates a fun, fizzy effect!”Assistant EditorMariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women’s Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master’s degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She’s also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.  More

Whether you’re painting a landscape on an easel or changing the color of your bedroom, painting can be a relaxing pastime or a satisfying DIY project. Regardless of the kind of painting you’re doing, the cleanup can be a real chore, especially if you’ve gotten paint on a surface you didn’t intend to. It may be tempting to just ditch your now paint-stained jeans, but in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we spend a lot of time getting things dirty to find the best way to clean them, including paint-stained clothes.The trick to removing paint from clothing is treating it as quickly as possible because once the paint dries it may be impossible to remove. Knowing the kind of paint you’re trying to remove is also important — this will determine what you use to remove it. Another thing to keep in mind: While some materials may be able to stand up to these stain treatments, more fragile ones, like silk, may be permanently damaged. To make sure your cleaning products and method won’t do more harm to the material, always do a spot-test first. Expert Tip: When in doubt call in a professional. A dry cleaner will be able to treat stains without causing any damage to your precious garments. More From Good Housekeeping Latex or Water-Based PaintWater-based or emulsion paints are the most common type for interior home painting. They’re also relatively easy to remove from clothing if you spot stains quickly enough.What You’ll Need:Warm waterDish soapSponge AcetoneFlush the stain under warm water. If it’s dry, start by scraping off the excess paint before you wet the garment. Then flush the stain from the back with warm running water. Mix together an equal parts solution of dish soap and warm water. Sponge the stain with the solution. Use a sponge you don’t mind ruining or paper towels. Dip the sponge in the solution and tamp the stain vigorously to break up the paint. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat the steps above until no more paint is removed. If the stain remains and your fabric does not contain acetate or triacetate (acetone will melt these), you can try blotting it with a little bit of acetone. Rinse and wash as usual. Only move on to this final step once you’ve removed all of the paint from the garment.Oil-Based Paintmixetto//Getty ImagesWhat You’ll Need:Paint thinner Clean white cloths or paper towels Turpentine SpongeDish soap Pre-wash stain removerScrape off the excess paint. Scrape off the excess paint from the garment then use a clean white cloth to blot up as much paint as possible from the fabric. If the stain is dry, soften it by treating it with the paint thinner the paint manufacturer recommends.Rinse the garment. Rinse the stain under running water and move on to the next step before it dries.Sponge the stain with turpentine. Place the garment with the stain face down on a stack of white paper towels or cloths. Wet a sponge or clean cloth with turpentine and tamp the stain from the back vigorously to break up the paint. Replace the paper towels or cloths when they become too covered in paint and continue tamping until no more paint is removed. Apply dish soap to the stain and soak in water. Rub dish soap into the stain then place the garment in a tub of water to soak overnight. Rinse and wash as usual. If the stain still remains after washing, treat with a prewash stain remover and wash again.Expert Tip: Don’t dry garments until as much of the stain as possible is gone. The heat from the dryer will cause stains to set into the fabric and may make them impossible to remove. Acrylic Paint What You’ll Need:Warm waterDish soap SpongeFlush the paint stain with warm water. If the paint is dry, scrape off the excess before running water over the garment.Mix together an equal parts solution of dish soap and warm water.Sponge the stain with the dish soap solution. Dip a sponge into the dish soap and water mixture and squeeze out some of the excess water until the sponge is no longer dripping wet. Break up as much of the stain as possible by tamping vigorously. Repeat until no more of the paint is removed. Dip the sponge in the mixture periodically to remove any bits of paint that are removed from the fabric and to re-wet the sponge with the solution.Rinse and wash as usual. Are there other DIY methods for removing paint from clothing?There are a lot of DIY methods online for removing paint from clothing. Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol and even baking soda are touted as being effective. Hydrogen peroxide is great for removing fresh blood stains from clothes and vinegar is the first ingredient in many good DIY cleaners, but they likely aren’t strong enough to completely rid garments of paint stains. You’ll have a better chance at removing them using one of the methods above that use dedicated paint thinners, stain removers and soaps that have been formulated to tackle these kinds of messes.Can you get paint out of clothes after it’s been washed and dried? If you tried treating a dried paint stain and had no luck, you may have to accept that your garment is lost. Once paint dries, it is notoriously difficult to get off of fabric and it may even be impossible to remove. In fact, you may just cause more damage trying to remove the stain.More Expert Tips:Don’t rub. Instead, pat the stain to avoid spreading it to other parts of the fabric. Don’t throw stained garments in the washer with other items to avoid transferring paint to clean clothes. The best way to avoid having to treat paint stains is wearing protective coverings over your clothes or old clothing you won’t care if you damage.Related StoriesSenior EditorLauren is a senior editor at Hearst. She was previously the senior editor at WomansDay.com and the home editor at GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com. Her book club, ramen, and jean jackets are a few of her favorite things.Home Care & Cleaning Lab Reviews AnalystJodhaira (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care & Cleaning Lab, where she tests and writes about home appliances, cleaning products and cleaning tips. Prior to joining GH in 2021, she graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor’s degree in forensic science and spent two years as an analyst in an environmental lab in Queens. More

When bedtime calls, you’ll want to have the best sheets at the ready without breaking the bank. Sheets are one of those things you know you need but don’t necessarily want to spend a ton of money on. Luckily, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab has you covered — our pick for the best value sheet set is Mellanni’s microfiber sheets, which you can conveniently order directly on Amazon. At just under $35, they’re well worth the spend. Mellanni 1800 Collection Microfiber Bed Sheet SetMellanni 1800 Collection Microfiber Bed Sheet SetNow 27% OffThe set includes a flat sheet, a fitted sheet and two pillowcases and comes in 41 different color options so you can find a match for virtually any bedroom décor. Our Textiles pros tested the sheets and gave them a perfect score in mattress fit, meaning the set is generously sized and can fit taller mattresses. In a blind test comparing the softness of 20 different sheets, Mellanni sheets earned the highest softness scores, with consumer testers describing them as “smooth and luxurious” and “silky.”The $35 price tag is definitely a major selling point, but if you need to know more before you buy, over 244,000 reviewers rated it five stars on Amazon. “These sheets are honestly worth the hype,” wrote one reviewer. “There’s no doubt I would buy these sheets over and over again. First, the ‘you get what you pay for’ line does not in any way apply to here. I can’t believe these are so cheap for such great quality.” More From Good Housekeeping One GH staffer even bought a set of their own: “I’ve been using the sheets for about a month and find them comfortable, cozy and warm enough for the winter. The Mellanni Sheet Set is a great value pick when it comes to upgrading your bedding.” SHOP THE MELLANNI SHEET SALE ON AMAZON Commerce DirectorLindsey works with the Good Housekeeping Institute to test and review products including appliances, bedding, baby items, pet products and more.Commerce EditorEllen McAlpine is a commerce editor and writer at Hearst Magazines, covering tech, fitness, lifestyle, and beyond. In her time as a writer, she’s covered everything from top tech items like running watches and ring lights to phone cases and beauty tools.  More