Posts

‘When getting rid of water bugs from your home, it is important to correctly identify the insect,’ says Rachel Crow, garden editor for Homes & Gardens. ‘The term ‘water bug’ is used to describe a whole range of insects that typically dwell in warmer, wetter areas of your home such as the bathroom rather than the actual water bug itself that lives outside in open water. When trying to get rid of ‘water bugs’ from your home, you are more likely trying to get rid of roaches, as indoor water bugs are much more likely to be Oriental Cockroaches....

One of the best fruit trees to grow, these Mediterranean plants enjoy hot weather and well-drained rocky soil – but you can replicate these conditions in any yard with a little care. Here, we provide expert advice on how to grow a fig tree in the ground or a container, how to care for it, and how long it will take to bear fruit. How to grow a fig tree Planting fruit trees successfully means considering your location and climate....

Winter brings with it freezing weather and desolate yards, this combination makes a poor feeding ground, leaving many birds at risk of starvation. As the winters get longer and more severe, more and more birds will become dependent on people to survive the winter months. As such, feeding birds in winter should be an essential task for every homeowner. You don’t even have to have a backyard to embrace these wildlife garden ideas as there are fat ball bird feeders that you can attach to your apartment window, too....

There’s nothing more frustrating than a bad connection so we have asked experts for their advice on how to achieve lightning-fast WiFi. Delays, buffering and website timeouts can be caused by all kinds of factors, particularly interference from other devices and Wi-Fi congestion, which is when a lot of people are on the same WiFi channel. Wireless transmissions should usually reach around 30m, so if you’re sitting near the router and the internet isn’t working as it should, it’s time to try our experts’ tips and tricks below....

There are a few ways to preserve your pumpkins from rotting, whether for your pumpkin carving ideas or for your outdoor fall decor. However it can all depend on whether they are carved, uncarved, or still on the vine. Here, we look at how to stop all of your pumpkins from rotting so that you can pick a pumpkin off the vine for the ripest fruit or ace your outdoor Halloween decor....

If you’re planning to update your shower tile ideas in a new shower room, bathroom or ensuite bathroom or simply want to update a tired design, make sure you tile with care and attention for the perfect finish. It is also worth learning how to grout tiles to perfection. ‘The current trend for small rectangular tiles laid vertically or in a brick effect can be particularly striking and very effective in a shower enclosure while larger format tiles need less grout so are easier to clean,’ says David Talbot, head of specification at Craven Dunnill Jackfield (opens in new tab)....

Winterizing a lawn is most important for cool-season grasses – such as bluegrass or fescue – that do most of their growing in fall. Warm-season grasses will still need to be cleared and mowed, but the fertilizing step typically can be left till the following spring, depending on your hardiness zone. Although winter lawn care is a task few look forward to, following these five easy steps will make the process far more tolerable, allowing your lawn to overwinter happily, so you can enjoy your healthy green lawn come springtime....

We’ve curated a selection of creative solutions to create a living room TV scheme that you can be proud of, whether that be alongside statement artwork, disguised within a wall storage, as part of your TV stand ideas or blending into a dark background. Living room TV ideas – provide a place for entertainment without sacrificing style For most families, a TV is an essential tool for helping adults unwind, keeping the kids entertained, and facilitating cozy movie nights....

It might be that there’s only a space for a vanity in the corner of your bedroom, or you may have a spare room that can be converted. Either way, we have plenty of makeup room ideas so you can create a luxurious space that’s fit for purpose. Makeup room ideas Even if you’re sharing your makeup room with your bedroom ideas or walk-in closet ideas, there’s still space to max out your options....

This contemporary yet cozy style is bang on the zeitgeist, allowing more personality than city sleek modern and more calm than traditional rural stylings. As with any new look, there’s a lot to learn out there, so we’ve comprised our go-to guide on how to get the modern farmhouse style in your own home. Explore with us the nuances of this trend, what colors you should look at and which materials you could use in your scheme....

From her love of vintage furniture to a passion for flowers, her love for classic British country house style and a sweet spot for sponge cakes and her chocolate labrador, Paula shows how she has created a life filled with beauty, style and happiness – and how you can, too. She wasn’t born to a life of privilege, and swapped a successful career working on fashion magazines in London, for rural living with her family....

Add to that its diminutive size, and you can see how the most well-intentioned powder room ideas can quickly be the undoing of the entire space. ‘Nine times out of 10 it’s a shoebox of a space. A glorified closet,’ says Ca’ Pietra (opens in new tab)’s Head of Creative, Grazzie Wilson. Below, Grazzie, and the H&G team list the most-seen mistakes to avoid when redesigning your powder room....

Shaker kitchens are one of the most versatile kitchen ideas and can be found in nearly every style of home from the most modern apartments to the grandest of period homes. ‘The clean lines, simplicity and use of natural materials in Shaker-style kitchens is very appealing to homeowners and evokes a sense of calm and order in this hectic, busy world we live in,’ says Gail E. Jamentz, principal at Soul Interiors Design (opens in new tab)....

These small apartment living room ideas will help inspire you to achieve the space of your dreams. Though it can be challenging to find the right apartment living room ideas for a particularly small space, there are several benefits to compact living. A well-designed scheme can feel just as comfortable as a larger space, with all the coziness and comfort associated with family living. One of the main advantages of small living room ideas is also the convenient accessibility of everything that’s needed....

The theory is that this frees up valuable table real estate a Christmas table centerpiece would take up to allow space for your food and drink. ‘These over-table poles are often fully adjustable and allow you to create imaginative, bespoke tablescaping for special occasions,’ says Pippa Blenkinsop, home stylist, and writer for Homes & Gardens. ‘Done well, by which I mean covering every part of the pole with decor, they can look really beautiful....

This included when she was waiting months and months for planning permission, and, once the build was underway, when she saw the empty shell of the house, stripped back to its brickwork and exposed from the basement up to the first floor. Yet these are distant memories now the renovation is complete and the family has settled back into one of the world’s best homes. The house hadn’t been touched since the 1960s....

White kitchen ideas are loved for their timeless appeal and endlessly versatility and can transform a tired looking kitchen into a bright, reinvigorated space. ‘A white kitchen can be the perfect blank canvas to really let your creativity shine. There are endless possibilities when it comes to designing a white kitchen. You can go bold with your choice of countertop or backsplash, or keep it simple and classic. The important thing is to have fun with it and make it your own....

That’s where these utility room ideas for shelving come in. These are options to inspire your own room design, so you can save those that suit the kit you’re going to keep in there, and that complement the style of room you prefer. Utility room shelving ideas Utility room shelving ideas can be vital in creating a functional space. Ideal for storing everything you need quick access to – from laundry powder to cleaning products – they can look good, too....

Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, and you can be spoilt for choice with kitchen layouts and formation options when starting out on a project. The key is to think carefully about how you use – and move – within the space. Also try to envisage how your family might use the room in the future. It may be all about food prep now. But down the line, it may need to double as place to finish homework, a ’teaching area’ where your kids learn to bake, or a sophisticated entertaining spot for extended family and friends....

Alongside layout and cabinet choice, working out what are the best countertops for a kitchen is one of the key decisions to make when designing a kitchen. A hardworking element which is in constant use, a kitchen countertop needs to be durable as well as easy to clean and maintain, so material choice should be the deciding factor. However, it also needs to look great, too, and what color you chose will play a big part in this....