Home Ideas

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

High-end design has leaned toward minimalism for the past several decades, evangelizing a streamlined life and home. (Think: the International Style championed by midcentury architect Mies van der Rohe; the black-and-chrome interiors typified by upmarket 1980s apartments; or Scandinavian-inspired white and wood that rose to popularity in the 2010s.) Fortunately for the more maximalist among us, the tide is beginning to turn—and kitsch is here to help.
A little over-the-top and a whole lot retro, playful kitsch flooring is making a comeback as homeowners liven up their indoor spaces with a winking nod to the past. The Home Depot offers several options that will read fresh, not fusty, when it comes to injecting a little design nostalgia into your home—four of which are delved into below.
“There’s this move currently towards more of the kitschy, weird, almost campy-looking design, particularly among a lot of up and coming edgier designers,” says Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful’s design editor.
The key to kitsch is embracing the idiosyncrasies of your space, and learning to figure out the unique way that seemingly off-beat pieces, colors, or textures might actually work well side-by-side.

The key to kitsch is embracing the idiosyncrasies of your space.

“If you inherit a room with really old-fashioned wallpaper—like toile or something that’s just not your style—but then you mix it with flooring that’s really funky, like an over-dyed Persian rug, the room can actually end up looking more modern,” Mendelsohn says. “It’s taking that wallpaper out of its initial intended context and making it fresh and more useful again.” Read on to learn more about a few of our favorite retro flooring trends.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo is a durable, statement-making type of retro flooring that, in the U.S., hit peak popularity in the 1960s. It’s eye-catching while remaining subtle enough to serve as a foundation for a variety of interior stylings.

Rizzo Gray 24 in. x 24 in. x 9mm Semi Polished Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (3 pieces / 11.62 sq. ft. / box)
Ivy Hill Tile homedepot.com
$82.39

Terrazzo features chips of marble, glass, or quartz flecked into a cement or epoxy-resin base, allowing for an infinite number of color combinations and a range of size options for the chips themselves. The tiles become individual, shimmering, but understated, works of art.

Terrazzo can be poured like concrete in situ, but most often it’s purchased and installed in tile form, making it ideal for any high-traffic area such as entryways, hallways, or laundry rooms. If you’re looking to ease into a kitschier lifestyle, terrazzo hits that sweet spot between contemporary and vintage.

Parquet
Parquet floors provide the same “everything old is new again” vibe for a home, particularly for those who are interested in installing hardwood but want a little bit more pizzazz.
Select a parquet square and see it populate below

Gothic Engineered Parquet Hardwood Flooring (17.22 sq. ft./case)
Islander homedepot.com
$186.91

A mid-century modern favorite, parquet flooring tiles are made by arranging pieces of hardwood in a repeating geometric pattern (the most popular is herringbone). Parquet floors already come pre-stained, can typically withstand one refinishing, and are far easier to install than traditional hardwood planks: simply glue the tiles to the level, above-grade subfloor.

Much like hardwood floors, parquet can buckle, so it shouldn’t be laid in bathrooms or other moisture-dense areas. But parquet is perfect for adding a throwback foundation to a den or living room.

Concrete or Linoleum
Kitsch also encourages a great deal of creative license, including using more basic forms of flooring in a space and adding the funky elements yourself.
“If you have concrete floors—for example, in a warehouse loft—you could repaint the floors and do something wacky with splatter painting,” Mendelsohn suggests. Concrete floors can also be successfully stained, either in a solid color or variety of colors. “Or, if you’re using a material like a linoleum, take a giant brush and do random abstract swirls. That can end up making it look like a gallery!”
And then there’s the practical side of kitsch: it’s more sustainable.
As an alternative to buying or replacing every element of a room when remodeling—new wallpaper, new hardware, new lighting fixtures—kitsch encourages repurposing and thinking outside the box to create a one-of-a-kind, mix-and-match space that’s yours, and yours alone. More

How to choose the right one for your space. (Hint: go big on personality and style.) More

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

When you think of or are a designing a house fit for kids, the likes of playrooms, backyards and dens come to mind. But one of the most critical ways to make children feel comfortable in their space — from the time they are an infant to when a closed-door policy becomes the norm —is the look of the flooring. (Really!)
The Home Depot has decades of experience lending families a hand to outfit houses that becomes homes. When your own brood expands, here’s what to consider when it comes to flooring that’ll age well for everyone.

Give them a soft place to land

Pure – Color Butternut Pattern 12 ft. Carpet
Lifeproof homedepot.com
$39.51

The physical nature of child’s play — from roughhousing with a sibling to practicing cheerleading jumps indoors — often means young ones spend an extraordinary amount of time in close contact with the floor. Since bare elbows and knees appreciate a soft landing, it’s no wonder that wall-to-wall carpet is a top choice for their areas.
In addition to being far more appealing to crawl around on than, say, laminate, carpet is great for insulation and sound absorption. This means that if your budding diva loves to belt out movie theme songs 40 times a day, you’re less likely to hear it in other parts of the house, or if your toddler jumps for joy (over and over) every time their favorite show comes on, the thuds won’t be quite as noticeable.
Recent developments in carpet technology have also cut down on the previous drawbacks of putting carpet in a kid’s room — most notably, in the spills and messes category.

Opting for carpet that combats pills, messes, and stains is one way to keep things clean when there are kids at home.

Stain-resistant carpet does exactly what it promises in repelling spots and discoloration. Innovations like SoilSheild technology stands up against not only juice box disasters, but everyday dirt and grime that can potentially cause allergies to flare up.
Carpet tiles are another good option for kid-friendly spaces, thanks in particular to being easy to replace. (For more information on carpet and carpet tiles, check out letter C.)

Pair hard surfaces with a soft layer
If your home has hard flooring, like luxury vinyl, hardwood and laminate, an easy fix is to lay down something plush: an area rug (more on that under letter A). Using area rugs also allows for changes over time as preferences shift. You can definitely swap out a powder-pink high-pile rug for a black-and-white swirled one as whims morph — a whole lot easier than tearing out carpet that’s highly-specific to the interests of a five-year-old. (Hello, dinosaurs!)

Interlocking foam or rubber tiles, like those used for home gyms, are also a simple way to keep knees from getting banged up without a permanent change. Adding interlocking foam tiles over other flooring — like hardwood — works especially well if you’re thinking about selling your home in the future and won’t want to replace existing kid-approved flooring with something new to increase curb appeal.

Cork is durable and eases transitions

Burnished Straw Plank Cork 13/32 in. Thick x 5-1/2 in. Width x 36 in. Length Cork Flooring (10.92 sq. ft. / case)
Heritage Mill homedepot.com
$43.46

If you aren’t interested in carpet but still want a softer, full-coverage option, cork is cushiony and resilient but still looks cool. It comes in sheet or tile form, and is also ultra stain-resistant when installed and sealed correctly.

The anti-microbial and anti-static properties of cork work to keep a room as naturally dust-free as possible, and the material can easily smooth the transition from playful kids to teens with overflowing laundry hampers: no complete flooring redesign necessary. More

Radiant heat is fancy and frugal—does it get any better than that? More

For our September 2020 issue, Good Housekeeping teamed up with Chatbooks, an app-based photo-book company, to scour the U.S. and Canada for the smartest and most beautiful home office setups. What we found, done by both apartment dwellers and homeowners, just may inspire you to take your own work-from-home space to the next level.
Add a Cozy Sofa
Kari Bancroft, a stay-at-home mom in South Jordan, UT, decided to think beyond hard, uncomfortable chairs in her home office. Instead, she outfitted the space with a plush emerald green sofa that pairs well with her beloved animal prints and global-inspired pottery. The sofa works for her lifestyle too: She is mom to eight kids, ages 4 to 20, and uses her office space to read and to organize her many family photos. “My overall home office decorating approach is to showcase an eclectic mix of the things I love and make sure it functions as a versatile space,” she says.

FOR SIMILAR: TIMBLIN ÉTAGÈRE BOOKCASE, $270, WAYFAIR.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Hang a Desk on the Wall
Rachel Mae Smith, whose blog is The Crafted Life, created her low-profile New York City office with a wall-mounted desk for two supported by a track shelving system. Pops of color, including brackets spray-painted in bright hues and dyed fabric swatches, pull the fun look together.

FOR SIMILAR: INDUSTRIAL RUSTIC WALL-MOUNTED TABLE, $100, AMAZON.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Consider High Shelves
Graphic designer and new mom Ashley Smith transformed a cedar-lined closet with white paint and high shelving for books and decorative storage. Ashley elevated the look with DIY display boards made from wood scraps. “I added some stain, wire and clips, and they became the perfect spot to hang anything important, like bills, invites and children’s artwork,” she says. Plus, she made a simple built-in desk for her large desktop. “We used inexpensive 1″ x 2″ common boards as supports underneath, then added a nice maple 3/4″ plywood top and 1″ x 3″ trim board to the front,” she says of the desk design in her Pittsburg, KS, home.

FOR SIMILAR: ART LEON 360-DEGREE SWIVEL HOME OFFICE CHAIR WITH CASTERS, $141, OVERSTOCK.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Take Advantage of a Chic Nook
Kaitlyn Fast of Birmingham, AL, let a large mirror set the foundation for her minimalist office nook. “It reflects all the natural light we have in this room and makes it easy to switch out the decor and flowers as each new season arrives,” she says.

FOR SIMILAR: RICHARDS ACCENT MIRROR, $198, BIRCHLANE.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Put Your Office by the Stairs
With the help of her husband, Russel, Lindi Vanderschaaf turned an empty wall next to the stairs on the first floor of their Grande Prairie, Canada, home into a functional workspace. Russel made the desktop and shelves from stained plywood, which balances the design’s black-and-white color scheme. “The white of the desk drawers and walls really helps define the space,” Lindi says. “It almost feels like its own room now.”

FOR SIMILAR: GELLER DINING CHAIR, $120, TARGET.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Paint a Brick Wall
Megan Leonard of the lifestyle brand Our City Nest lives in Baltimore, a city known for row homes with exposed brick walls. So it only made sense to showcase this detail in her office space. “It provides an instant texture throughout my home that I love to pair with wood accents,” she says.

FOR SIMILAR: CHANTRELL DESK, $330, WAYFAIR.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Make a Desk Out of Two Basic Dressers
After Sara Johnston’s 5-year-old son began feeling left out with her and her husband working from their Ontario, Canada, home, they decided to make an office for him right in the living room. “We painted two old IKEA dressers with leftover white paint and asked a local lumber provider for the top, which just happened to be shelving cut down to this specific size,” she says.

FOR SIMILAR: HEMNES 3-DRAWER CHEST, $179, IKEA.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Turn Your Closet into an Office
Party stylist Kelsey Klos, who lives in Petaluma, CA, with her husband and three daughters under 5, transformed a closet into a simple but vibrant workstation. She used clear refrigerator organization bins to store supplies, cake stands to stack work projects, and playful accessories, like a rainbow garland, to show off her style.

FOR SIMILAR: SIMPLIFY HERRINGBONE LARGE STORAGE TOTE, $16, STAPLES.COM
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Set Up a Workspace in Your Kitchen
Heather Keeling and her family of five decided to turn a corner of the kitchen in their Portland, OR, home into a bright and comfy work area. They opted for contemporary touches to achieve contrast. “The baby-blue penny tile is the perfect bridge between the 1960s and the modern day,” Heather says. Custom shelving, inspired by a mid-century modern credenza, completes the look.

FOR SIMILAR: PYRAMID BLACK DINING SIDE CHAIR BY MODWAY, $81, HOMEDEPOT.COM. NIRVANA BLISS RIMMED 1″ CIRCLES CERAMIC TILE, $9 PER SQ. FT., TILEBAR.COM.
Courtesy of Chatbooks

Capture Your Home Office and More!

Courtesy of Chatbooks

To find the standout home offices showcased in this feature, Good Housekeeping joined forces with Chatbooks, a company that makes affordable, high-quality photo books. These albums are great for displaying your favorite family photos or even before-and-after shots of a recent home project — think of them as personalized coffee table books. Just download the Chatbooks app and create an Ongoing Photo Book Series, and then for every 60 photos uploaded from your Instagram or camera roll it automatically creates a new book (starting at $10). More

Does your space feel a little… drab? Switching up your wall color in a trendy shade is the one of the quickest ways to rehab a tired space. And since it’s a project most homeowners can tackle themselves, it’s one of the most affordable, too.
But as easy as painting sounds, there are some tricks to the trade. Take prep work, for example. If you skip this important step, you could end up with a real problem on your hands — an undercoat that shows through or peeling paint. If you’re painting latex over oil, for example, you’ll likely get cracking, says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute. These types of mistakes not only take time to remedy, but can also cost a significant amount of money if you have to hire a professional to fix your errors.
Don’t fret, though: As long as you’re using the right supplies and have a handle on the basics, you’ll be painting like a pro in no time at all. Here, we’ll break it all down for you, covering everything from supplies, to necessary prep, to rolling evenly, and even cleaning your brushes so you can move on to the next project on your list. Follow these tips for professional-looking results:
1. Make a plan.
Before you ever pick up a paint brush, you need a plan of attack. Think of it sort of like cooking: You want to read the recipe all the way through before you start blindly throwing ingredients into the pot, otherwise, you might get halfway through and realize you’re missing an important component.
Look up: Does the ceiling need a refresh, too? What about the trim? Consider your options on the walls as well. Will you be using one color — or do you want to try painting with two colors (an accent wall, perhaps)?
2. Select the perfect color.
When it comes to paint shades, the options are boundless. It’s a fortunate problem: While you’ll inevitably find just what your’e looking for, landing on the right hue can be quite the process. To guide your search, start by thinking about what you ultimately want. Do you envision a warm or a cool shade? Does your space warrant a bold color, or would a neutral be more appropriate? Once you have a general idea of the direction you want to go in, you can begin sifting through paint chips.
But don’t rely on the little square to make a final decision: Once on the wall, paint can look very different than it does on the sample card! Colors often look brighter once on the wall, and the light in your room can have a dramatic impact on the way the color reads. Pick a few finalists, then purchase sample cans.
3. Paint a sample swatch.
Once you have sample cans in hand, paint swatches on the wall. To give you a good idea of how the color will look in your space, paint two coats of color in a 12-inch-by-12-inch square. If your room has both sunny and shady spots, it’s smart to put swatches in both areas, as this can affect the final look.
Alternatively, you can paint two coats onto a foam board (available at any craft or office supply store) and tape it to the wall. This is a great option for those who don’t intend to get started right away, as you won’t have to live with random color streaks on your walls.
Pro tip: Use an inexpensive foam brush for this type of sample painting. This way, you won’t dirty a ton of brushes or waste money.
4. Calculate how much paint you need.
When determining how much paint to buy, many retailers have helpful calculators you can use. Always double check packaging, but in general, a gallon is roughly good for 250 to 400 square feet, says Rothman. And don’t forget: You’ll need a little extra for touch-ups and mistakes.
5. Gather the right materials.
Though the surface and size of what your painting will directly influence the exact list of supplies you need, it’s a good idea to stock your toolkit with some combination of the following items:
Painter’s tape
Drop cloths
Paint brushes (both angled and straight)
Paint roller
Paint tray
Stir stick
Paint
Other worthy investments: An extension pole, so you can stash away the ladder after the edging step; a paint-can opener; and a pour spout to lessen mess.
6. Prep the room for painting.
First, dry-dust the walls floor to ceiling and scrub any extra-grimy parts with a wet sponge or cloth; paint won’t adhere as well to a dirty surface (think fingerprints, soot, dust, cobwebs). Let dry before you paint.
Protect the floor and any furniture you can’t (or don’t want to) move, from paint splatters and spills. For the floor, choose fabric drop cloths instead of plastic ones, as plastic can be slick under your feet or, worse, the ladder.
Remove outlet and light switch plates and tape around any areas you don’t want painted (such as moldings, baseboards, or window frames) with painter’s masking tape or Frog Tape. The Good Housekeeping Institute tried the latter on a smooth wall and found that it makes a crisp line and doesn’t let paint bleed through.
7. Prime the wall (or don’t with our handy trick).
A bit of a hinderance when you’re trying to paint a room in one day: Painting over a dark wall with a light color (or covering stains) requires a coat of primer and two coats of paint — and at least six hours of drying time. (If you’re in a super humid room or painting the exterior on a humid day it will take a much longer, notes Rothman.)
That’s why GHI recommends Benjamin Moore Aura, a self-priming paint (it’s a cost-effective option if you were planning on buying primer). Going from light to light? You can get away with two coats of good-quality regular paint.
8. Mix the paint.
Though the store generally shakes the paint for you, a decent stir will ensure your paint is properly mixed. This is particularly important if the can has been sitting on a shelf for any length of time. Though an optional step, you can also strain the paint, says Rothman. “It’s easier to get rid of impurities from the paint can, rather than having them on your wall and having to fix it later.”
9. Get rolling!
Now you’re ready for the main event. If you’re painting a room with two colors — stripes, for example — start with the lighter color first, says Rothman. Once it’s dry, run painter’s tape over the divider, then paint the darker color.
If you’re painting a room one color, here’s how with a roller and a brush, according to the pros:
Use an angled brush or a sponge tool to “cut in,” or paint a two-inch swath around the edges of woodwork and the ceiling. (Don’t forget: These areas should be taped off, as explained in step five.)
Grab your paint tray and a roller. Use 1/4-inch nap for smooth surfaces, 3/8-inch nap for semi-smooth, or 5/8-inch nap for rough — the wrong tool will apply too much or too little paint. If using a latex paint, pre-wet the roller first, says Rothman.
Fill the well of the paint tray about ¼ of the way. Then, when loading the paint, roll the roller back and forth in the well until it is uniformly covered. Finally, move the roller back and forth in the upper portion to remove any excess.
Fill in the central unpainted space using the roller. Paint the wall in overlapping W- or M-shaped strokes for the most even paint distribution.
Let the first coat dry at least a couple of hours, then coat again. Between coats, cover the tray and brush with plastic wrap touching the paint surface, and refrigerate.
Pro tip: Have a moist rag handy to wipe fresh splatters. Scrape off dried drips with a credit card or plastic spatula.
10. Finish and clean up.
Rinse your paintbrush and roller (if you don’t toss it) under a faucet until the water runs clear.
Decant the tray’s leftover paint back into the can; seal the can tightly by placing a paper towel over the lid and tapping the lid edges with a hammer. Rinse the tray.
Once the brush’s bristles are totally dry, slip the brush back into its original paper wrapper to keep the bristles from fanning out, or try this DIY fix: Fold a thick piece of paper around the bristles; tape to secure.
Remove masking tape before you call it a night, pulling it off at a 45-degree angle to avoid tearing the finish.

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Declutter the Clea and Joanna way with acrylic bins, pre-made labels, and other The Container Store exclusives. More

Woman’s Day Content Director Meaghan Murphy is an expert when it comes to getting her kids to pitch in around the house. Case in point: the Team Murphy Chore Chart, where her three kids Charley, James, and Brooks keep tabs on the cleaning up tasks they need to complete. The system keeps things fun and simple, while teaching the kids the importance of cleaning up as you go and forming healthy habits. That also happens to be the philosophy behind Scotch-Brite™ Brand’s innovative cleaning products and tools.
Dishwashing plays a major role when it comes to the Murphy kids pitching in—especially when it comes to cleaning up after the family’s famous taco night, which usually involves some super cheesy nachos. Watch the video above to see how the Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers make clean-up so easy, kids can do it.

Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More