Home & Garden Blog

NYTimes.com article on the Home & Garden section today talked about revolutionary architect Roald Gundersen, who builds structures, furniture, and whole houses with entire branches and trunks of trees. He bends and manipulates the trees to make beautiful organic structures that liven up any home and give it an earthy and fresh quality. Gundersen likes to build with trees because they represent the outdoors and nature, where he would spend all of his time if he could. Instead of living outdoors though, why not bring the trees indoors? And not in a potted planter or desktop tree simulation. Here are some beautiful pieces for you to add to your collection that are built with wood and make your home fresh and lively:

Canopy Swing Stand: On sale from $800 to $590, this beautifully built and organically curved structure will make you feel alive!

3400 Series Wood Chair: $114.99 Brings you back to memories of the old school house with this lovely, basic wood chair.

Shop for discount wooden furniture at Smarter.com.

We all want to save a little money, but not thin down our quality of life. Electronics eat up a lot of power and money, so wherever you see an opportunity to save a little money and do things the “old-fashioned” way, I recommend doing it. Wash the dishes instead of putting them in the dishwasher, hang your clothes on a drying rack and let the water and detergent gently whisk away–it works nicely as a room smell-conditioner, too! Make sure you have the proper tools for whatever venture you go on: rubber gloves and sponges for the hand washing, drying racks for the hand drying. Here are some of the top clothes drying racks for you found on Smarter.com:

Expandable Drying Rack: $97.00

Collapsible Drying Rack: $19.99

Find more affordable drying racks at Smarter.com.

Nothing’s better than waking up in the morning and wrapping yourself in something fleece to start the day. May it be your luxurious bathrobe or your comforter, mornings need a little extra padding to get you from the bed to the shower, at least for me. I think there should be fleece mittens for when you have to reach out and turn off the alarm clock–maybe that will give me more incentive to listen to it!

Fleece blankets are one in a million, so make sure you get one that’s worth it’s salt. Here are some of the top fleece blankets to keep you warm and cozy as the weather gets a little bit frigid!

Supreme Heavyweight Fleece Blanket: This day only, $29.99

Available in so many different colors, you can outfit the whole family!

Woven Alpaca Fleece from LocalHarvest.org: $229.00

A bit of an investment, but Alpaca Fleece is worth it. It’s beautiful texture and luxurious feel will make you feel like a princess!

SuperSoft Andes Alpaca Fleece Blanket from Peru, from AlpacaWear.com: $62.99, marked down from $155!

Find discount fleece throw blankets at Smarter.com.

It’s time to start stocking up for the annual Turkey Feast! To do that, you’re going to need all of the fixings, turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Delicious! It’s time to prepare for the feast of the year, and that includes prepping the furniture, table, and dinnerware for all of the invited guests. Think about what you want your home to feel like as the visitors walk in: is it warm and homey, or dark and elegant? Do you want to separate the young children from the adult table, or have everyone together to make it a really special evening? No matter what you choose, table top protectors are an important part of the festivities, may it be the antique tablecloth or the plastic turkey place mats. Here are some great products to protect your table and get your family in the mood for the Thanksgiving feast!

Pottery Barn Kids Thanksgiving Placemats: $32.99

Thanksgiving Jacquard TableCloth from William-Sonoma.com: $150.0

Shop for more Thanksgiving decor at Smarter.com.

Just because you don’t have much space in your outdoor garden, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy beautiful garden design. It simply means that you have to rethink your garden decorating scheme to accommodate a smaller scale. No matter what size outdoor space you have, you can create a beautiful oasis to enjoy throughout the seasons.

Here are a few garden decorating tips to help make small spaces flourish:

Pots and planters – Even if you don’t have the space for expanses of long flowerbeds, you can still create visual interest and add lots of color by using garden pots and planters. Pots come in all shapes and sizes, as well as many different materials, so selecting a pot that you like and that fits in the space should be easy. Pots and small planters can contain flowers, herbs or even vegetables, so you can make the most of a small space by planting wisely.

Statues and decorations – If you want to make your space truly unique, you can still do so even without owning a lot of real estate. While you may not have room for a bird fountain or garden bench, you can still add your own personal touch by hanging a wind chime along a branch, or placing small garden statues near your flowers, pots, etc. They add just that little extra personal touch, and do not require a large scale to be effective.

Outdoor furniture – No matter how much space you have outdoors, it is always nice to have a place to sit outside to enjoy the view. If you don’t have much room, you can still invest in a small bistro table set so that you have a place to sit, and even to enjoy a meal or a few drinks. Bistro tables are small tables for two and usually come with matching chairs. There are some that are made to withstand outdoor use and they are generally not that expensive. If you don’t want a table and chair set and prefer something else, a small garden bench can be equally as inviting.

Colors – Vibrant displays of color add that special “wow factor”, no matter what the size of the space, so choose some vibrant colors to accent your space. Whether you go with a mix of colors or stick to a more monochromatic palette, you are sure to create an eye catching space with the myriad of colors that flowers can bring. If you want a space that energizes you, consider bright reds, yellows and oranges. If a relaxing space is more your style, then plant blues, purples and whites to create a soothing color palette.

No matter how much space you have outside of your home, it is always possible to create a visually enticing sanctuary with the use of a few garden accessories and the addition of beautiful flowers. Your garden should be the place that you look forward to unwinding after a long stressful day, or a place to sip lemonade on a warm sunny day. Personalizing that space with your own touches will add to the enjoyment that the space provides.

Shop for discount garden decor at Smarter.com.

Image Source: pinknews.co.uk

Hopefully you really decked out the house for Halloween. Jack-o’-lanterns, spooky cobwebs, maybe even a few lanterns hanging from the porch to light the ghosts and ghouls way in Old Hallow’s Eve. Children must have loved it, but now it’s time to switch gears and think about more mature, warm, inviting holiday lighting. Think candles in the windowsill, lights around the bare-boned trees, maybe a holiday wreath on the door with some glittering tinsel. When the temperature begins to drop, the cosiness and warmth of your home needs to rise! And that involves exterior lighting.

Some of the top hits for holiday lighting:

Electric Windowsill Candle from Piperclassics.com: $15.99

Cute design with a warm glow, this candle has an antique finish to make your home look even warmer.

Net LED lights from SaveOnCrafts.com: $11.29/sheet

This is perfect to drape evenly on trees, bushes, and shrubbery. Decorate without all the hassle!

Jason Miller, the interior designer featured on the NYTimes.com this week, talks about the beauty and simplicity of throwback 70’s style. He recommends three things: Polyester, Pop Art, and Plastic. Think Andy Warhol’s factory meets Hippie global world views. What do you do with all this throwback? A classic part of the 70’s that Miller doesn’t want to recreate is the colors–according to him, the cheap fabrics, carpets and furniture of the 1970’s made for flimsy fabric and flukey, dry colors. He recommends springing a few extra bucks and getting some dark chocolate browns and nicely hued colors instead. I like where he’s taking the modern twist.

So what do you do to recreate the 70’s charm? Take a look at these options I found on Smarter.com. Hope it helps! With Halloween coming up this weekend, why not put your whole house in costume?

Retro Modern Chair: $290.99

Momeni Shag Comfort Rug from Walmart.com: $59.00-819.00

Shop for more vintage style furniture and vintage style rugs.

If you live in New England, you don’t need a pressure washer or anything to get in those tough-to-reach places on your home’s roof and shingling–the blistering cold and the constant downpour of rain will keep everything from sticking to the roof and hanging around outside. But if you’re from anywhere else, the fall means a build up of leaves and dead foliage, sometimes even (horrifically) dead animals, so it’s best to start cleaning it off before it gets crusted under the snow, and stays there for good.

What a dramatic beginning! Let me say as well that cleaning up the yard and the house is a perfect way to spend an autumn weekend, enjoying some of the last perfect weather where all you need is a festive sweater and tall leather boots to stay warm. So cute, so fashionable. So, where’s the pressure washer?

Smarter.com helps you find exactly what you need. Here’s some of the top pressure washers with the greatest savings:

Karcher 1850 PSI (Electric-Cold Water) Pressure Washer w/ Induction Motor: $279.99 (marked down from $350!)

Mi-T-M - JP Series 2700 PSI Cold Water Gasoline Pressure Washer: Free shipping today and over a 50% cut on the price! $1,197.50

Shop for discount pressure washers at Smarter.com.

Dishwashers can eat up your water supply if you aren’t careful. Even some of the “economy” styled dishwashers are so monstrous that they take on more water than you’d like! While hand washing and air drying dishes is always the most thrifty and water-economical way to do the dishes, people with big families know that hand dish-washing would be an hourly affair.

Before you start blaming all the problems on the dishwasher, though, take a look at your family’s habits: do you use only reusable cutlery, or do you end up using paper plates and cutlery at the big family parties? Do you use a three different knives to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Do you drink a glass of water and immediately put it in the dishwasher? Think about how you can reuse cutlery before you start looking at the stuffed dishwasher in shame. Sometimes little steps can make all the difference. But if you want to invest in an appliance that will be water-economical and eco-friendly, here are some top products on the market:

Automatic Undercounter Dishwasher, 30 Racks/Hr, Built-In Booster, Energy Star: $3,145.80

Jackson Undercounter, Low Temp, Energy Star Dishwasher: $3,099

Shop for more eco-friendly dishwashers and other eco-friendly appliances.

I remember my mom loving the Yankee Candle collection when I was little, and now that I think of it she still does to this day. For every holiday I come home, there is a different festive smell that wafts through the air, and it’s not always her cooking. Sometimes it smells like Christmas trees even though the tree is still setting outside, sometimes it’s the constant smell of gingerbread or pumpkin bread that makes you start to salivate even in your dreams. The Yankee Candle Collection is relatively inexpensive for the powerful and long-lasting smell you get. Buy some candles today to make your home smell even brighter! It’s like coffee for the nose on an early morning, and comfort food for the nose on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Some top Yankee Candle Products for fall:

Housewarmer Be Thankful Yankee Candle Collection from BedBath and Beyond.com is the Yankee Candle smell of the month! Ranging from $6-$15 depending on the size.

Yankee Housewarmer Pumpkin Farmer’s Market Candle from Bed Bath and Beyond.com: Ranging from $7.50 -$18.70 depending on the size of the candle.

Shop for more Yankee Candles at Smarter.com.