Online Features
Home Decorating
F3KJ_1530475_web.jpg
Home organization for the busy household
Between work, school, children's activities, family obligations and travel plans, today's busy families are left with little time to keep their homes tidy and well-organized. With summer fast approaching, it is important for on-the-go families to realize that home organization does not have to be difficult or time consum...
full story
58D0_15600343_web.jpg
Think of lighting as art for your home
Lighting is possibly the most powerful tool you have when it comes to interior design. It does not make sense to invest in beautiful furniture, rugs, paintings and accessories if they are in the dark. The perfect light fixture not only illuminates a space - it is also a beautiful, decorative design element.
full story
DXIP_15215838_web.jpg
Summer entertaining: Spend less time preparing, more time enjoying
There's no question why summer is the best-loved season of the year: it's all about fun, relaxation and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. So, it follows that homeowners don't want to waste a minute of those glorious months of sunshine. When planning traditional summer get-togethers, save time by taking steps to ensure tha...
full story
K6I6_15625421_web.jpg
Escape from reality by creating at-home retreats
Life is hectic. And although technology has made our lives easier to multitask and stay connected, it also means that no matter where you go, it's hard to fully escape. While traveling to a remote island to get away for peace and relaxation would be a wonderful retreat, you can easily avoid the hustle and bustle of your ...
full story
GQ08_15531322_web.jpg
Decorative painting: How to transform a room with a few simple strokes
Paint can do more than change the color of a room - it can add texture, pattern and visual interest. Today's decorative painting techniques are simple and sophisticated alternatives to wallpaper, and a far cry from the dated sponge painting from years past. Whether you're a painting pro or a DIY beginner, here's how you ...
full story
C53U_15566421_web.jpg
Sign of the design times for kitchens
The number of kitchen styles and design options for homeowners to consider during the building and remodeling process is enough to make a person go crazy. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by simplifying your options.
full story
3SGB_14656800_web.jpg
'Techorating' trend harmoniously marries technology and interior design
Some interior design trends are hard to understand. That jagged piece of cement that is supposedly a chair or headache-inducing paint color may look great in the glossy pages of a design magazine, but would average people really want it in their own living room? Fortunately, one growing trend trend in interior design is ...
full story
7G1S_1556941_web.jpg
Small space solutions for the kitchen
Crowded cabinets, cluttered counters and nonexistent prep space. Sound familiar? For many homeowners, small kitchen spaces make everyday use and entertaining a source of frustration. While a small kitchen can pose many challenges, it doesn't have to stop you from enjoying the space. From a full scale home renovation to s...
full story
EAST_15355557_web.jpg
Home decor evolution: Trends anyone can try for an instant update
Gone are the days when a stylish home and a busy family have to be mutually exclusive. Home decorating is hotter than ever and everyone is getting in on the trend. With an ever-increasing focus on DIY design projects, resources such as shelter magazines, design blogs, TV shows and online home decor retailers are making h...
full story
EZMN_15514135_web.jpg
Five smart steps to maximize bathroom space
Five smart steps to maximize bathroom space (ARA) - As today's housing market has homeowners fighting the itch to move, many turn to renovation projects to improve their existing spaces. Look at a homeowner's wish list, and the bathroom often tops the list. With its frequent use and endless potential, easy changes offer...
full story
3RD3_15511979_web.jpg
Spring into 2012 with the hottest colors for your home
Spring into 2012 with the hottest colors for your home (ARA) - As you anticipate what exciting things this year will bring, you might notice your home decor has been left behind. Fortunately, you can easily beautify and modernize your home using hints from design experts on the hottest color trends. Don't worry that you...
full story
6XPR_15526822_web.jpg
Living large in smaller spaces: The shrinking, changing American home
Living large in smaller spaces: The shrinking, changing American home (ARA) - The American home may be shrinking, but not the Great American Dream. Americans are still living large, just doing so in smaller spaces. To some trend-watchers, the downscaling of the American home comes as good news. Architects, designers ...
full story
national news
Sandy who? Jersey shore opens for summer seven months after storm

A home destroyed nearly five months ago during the landfall of Superstorm Sandy is pictured in Mantoloking, New JerseyBy Victoria Cavaliere SEASIDE HEIGHTS, New Jersey (Reuters) - The New Jersey shore ushered in the unofficial start of summer on Friday, with businesses making last-minute preparations and officials declaring the resort towns ready for visitors seven months after Superstorm Sandy. Governor Chris Christie oversaw a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a freshly re-constructed boardwalk in Seaside Heights and declared it "a great day for New Jersey." "We're here with the whole country welcoming the Jersey shore back," he said. ...


Fri May 24 12:25:59 UTC 2013
Tornado insured losses estimated at $2 billion-$5 billion

Jason Owen digs through debris as he helps his mother to salvage items from her uncle's home after it was almost destroyed by a tornado in Moore, Oklahoma(Reuters) - Tornadoes that struck the United States from May 18 to May 20 caused between $2 billion to $5 billion of insured losses, disaster modeling company Eqecat said late Thursday. At the high end of the range, the tornado outbreak may rank as the second-worst ever in terms of insured losses, behind the late-April 2011 twisters that devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and other communities. Eqecat said most of the losses were attributed to the tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday. ...


Fri May 24 07:55:01 UTC 2013
Truck crash may have caused Washington state bridge collapse

I-5 Bridge Collapses On Skagit River In WashingtonBy Jonathan Kaminsky OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - A bridge collapse that sent cars and drivers tumbling off a four-lane interstate and into a frigid river in Washington state may have been caused when a semi-trailer truck crashed into the structure, officials said on Friday. Three people were rescued from the Skagit River after a span of the bridge collapsed Thursday evening. Two of those rescued were hospitalized with hypothermia but no one was killed, officials said. ...


Fri May 24 12:12:18 UTC 2013
Storm chaser footage captures the ferocity of Oklahoma tornado (VIDEO)
Storm chasers from an outfit called Fast Unit 70 uploaded raw footage of the first 10 minutes of the Moore, Okla., tornado that gives viewers a harrowing sense of what the EF5 twister looked like. As cars and trucks zoom past, Chance Coldiron and Justin Cox's camera focuses on the dark gray funnel as it [...]
Fri May 24 12:30:06 UTC 2013