The House Always Wins: Create the Home You Love-Without Busting Your Budget

Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 12
Preface: Come On In......Page 14
PART I—LET'S GET REAL: Design basics: Finding your dream house and discovering your style......Page 18
1. Pick the Right House in the Right Place......Page 20
2. Background Check......Page 29
3. Reality Check......Page 32
4. Find Your Style and Create Your Plan......Page 37
PART II—DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Selecting wall treatments, flooring, counters, tile, and cabinetry......Page 48
5. The Big Picture......Page 50
6. The Color of Indecision......Page 54
7. Floored by the Options......Page 60
8. Set in Stone......Page 67
9. Cabinets Are Like Cabernet......Page 72
10. Buyer Beware......Page 77
11. Moving Pains......Page 81
12. No More Reality Television!......Page 89
13. Calling It Curtains......Page 99
14. It's Not Your Grandma's Wallpaper......Page 113
15. Character Development Begins at Home......Page 122
16. Honey Do, Honey Don't......Page 126
PART III—THE GOODS ON THE GOODS: Furnishing your home: Copying good looks, using what you have, finding what you need, getting deals, buying quality......Page 130
17. What Do-It-Yourself Decorators Don't Get......Page 132
18. Four Places to Find Inspiration (and Rip Off Ideas)......Page 138
19. Pulling the Trigger......Page 156
20. When Something's Got to Go......Page 166
21. Bargain Hunting......Page 173
PART IV—THE FINISHING TOUCH: Putting home accessories in their place......Page 188
22. Home Accessories Are Like Dessert......Page 190
23. Selecting Artwork and Area Rugs......Page 197
24. Arranging Books, Collections, and OtherKnickknacks......Page 210
25. Flowers and Houseplants......Page 219
PART V—ROOMS FOR A REASON: Kids' rooms, home theaters, offices, guest rooms, laundry and mudrooms, garages......Page 228
26. Kids' Rooms......Page 230
27. Home Theaters for Household Drama......Page 237
28. Home Office Is an Oxymoron......Page 247
29. Company's Coming and the Guest Room Needs Gutting......Page 255
30. Utility Rooms and Garages......Page 259
PART VI—TAKING IT OUTSIDE: Tackling the yard: From design to maintenance, decks to patio furnishings......Page 272
31. The Not-So-Great Outdoors......Page 274
32. All Decked Out......Page 291
33. Color Me Floral......Page 300
34. Yard Maintenance......Page 306
PART VII: HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Create festive tables, deck the halls, and get ready to party......Page 318
35. Thoughts on the Table......Page 320
36. Christmas Tree Olympics......Page 324
37. Party Time!......Page 334
PART VIII: HOME ECONOMICS: Make your household dollars go farther without feeling the pinch......Page 338
38. Thirty Ways to Patch Money Leaks at Home......Page 340
Final Thought: You Can Take This Home......Page 352
Acknowledgments......Page 356
B......Page 357
C......Page 358
D......Page 359
F......Page 360
H......Page 361
J......Page 363
O......Page 364
S......Page 365
T......Page 366
Y......Page 367