Home & Garden

By Jessica Bennett | BHG.Com Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden   If you've grown weary of your plain fireplace surround, a fresh color can make a huge difference. Learn how to paint a brick fireplace in just an afternoon for a stunning room transformation. The next time you've got a free afternoon, you've got time to give your brick fireplace surround a dramatic new look. All it takes is a little prep work, a few tools, and some brick fireplace paint ($25, The Home Depot). Ensure the paint you choose is rated for high temperatures and designed to use on brick surfaces. Before you…

By Shannon Dominy, for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden White palette with touches of color and natural fibers adds to Marietta home. Robyn and Charles Bailey have lived in their Marietta home since 2014, and as they’ve refined their style their space has gravitated toward a clean, fresh and light palette of a lot of white with touches of color and natural fibers.   “I’m very into the natural color of rattan,” said Robyn Bailey. “When you do a lot of white you have to make sure it doesn’t feel sterile, and having that natural rattan really helps…

By C.W. Cameron Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden Expert offers tips to shape the biggest plants in your yard While much gardening activity slows in winter, these are the perfect months to tend to the biggest plants in your garden — your trees. Those bare branches expose the good and the bad. How does the tree look overall? Does the branch structure seem balanced? Are there dead or diseased branches? Are limbs crossing or rubbing other limbs? If there are problems, winter is an excellent time to do some corrective pruning. When Anna Hauser prunes a tree, she begins slowly, carefully…

By Mary Caldwell Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden Bigger isn’t always better when looking for your next home When you’re looking for a home while your family is still growing, you’ll usually want more square footage, a larger yard, and more bedrooms and bathrooms. But bigger isn’t always better. In fact, you may be thinking about downsizing to a smaller home but are wondering if it’s the right thing to do.   The following five tips and situations can help you decide whether downsizing is the right move: 1. Your home is difficult to maintain Sometimes seniors find their current homes…

By Kiersten Willis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden While many have returned to the office, some companies have taken a hybrid work approach. If you haven’t established a home office or have no moving plans, you’ll have to make some changes. That means adapting your home to fit your needs — especially if you have an open-concept home. “Instead of witnessing the end of the open concept floor plan, I believe we are seeing the creation of spaces that work in tandem with the open concept to give homeowners more options,” Jay Kallos, SVP of architecture at Atlanta-based…

By Jennifer Aldrich | BHG.Com Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden Take these simple steps to ensure your dog or cat keeps calm and stays happy on October 31. For people of all ages, Halloween is a fun, relatively stress-free holiday. Kids, of course, love dressing up in their costumes and collecting their favorite candy. Adults enjoy decorating their homes with seasonal decor and sneaking a treat from their kids' stash. However, October 31 isn't a good time for everyone—it can be incredibly stressful for pets. All the excitement, noise, lights, and toxic food can be dangerous and scary for your four-legged friend. Fortunately, there are several simple…

By Jessica Bennett | BHG.Com Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden This sleek yet warm look is one of the buzziest design styles of the year. Learn how to introduce organic modernism into your home with a flawless mix of clean lines and natural elements. With its emphasis on sleek forms and minimal decoration, modern style can sometimes be perceived as cold and uninviting. The aesthetic is clean and highly sophisticated, but it often lacks the warmth that makes interiors feel cozy and welcoming. The solution to this dilemma is organic modernism, a new twist on the style that combines natural materials and…

By Kiersten Willis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden If you want to build your dream home this year, there are several construction trends that are big in 2021. From light-filled rooms to spaces with multiple uses, take a look at what Boss Magazine says is all the rage. Mixed building materials Instead of having an all-brick or all-wood home, mixing construction materials is in style. You can have a brick first floor and a wood second floor, for example. “Mixing metal with wood, stone, or brick brings those colors and textures together to create a unique, visually appealing work of…

Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden When you think of fall colors, brown, orange, and yellow surely come to mind. But what are the best ways to use and pair these colors? These days, color combinations for fall can be fresh, creative and modern. Some fall colors you may not expect? Charcoal gray and green top the list.   Curious about some fresh color fall combinations? Here are some top tips. Consider green. Green is fresh and fun for fall and can be paired with many other colors such as chocolate brown, charcoal gray and black. Look for different tints, tones…

By Kiersten Willis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #HomeGarden Your kitchen may be on a budget, but it doesn’t have to look that way. “A well-appointed kitchen will dramatically increase the value of your home, so it’s worth spicing up yours to grab buyer attention,” Trulia said. But if you don’t have a big budget to completely renovate the space, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. According to Trulia, upgrading a kitchen “can range from a weekend-long, low-budget brush-up (think paint job and new cabinet hardware) to a full-blown overhaul (with tens of thousands spent on granite countertops and…