News
Today, the shelter-centered parts of my feedreader exploded with excitement and joy -- there was a new shelter magazine released! In the wake of such greats like Domino and Metropolitan Home being discontinued, it seems like a welcome reprieve to welcome a new contender to the ring.
So, without further ado, I introduce you to Flea Market Style, the magazine.
Created by Matthew Mead, a regular contributor to Better Homes & Gardens and Victoria magazines, and Ki Nassauer, the former editor and columnist of Country Home magazine, Flea Market Style is supposedly for both the scavenger/repurposer and the DIY crafter.
After the International Builders' Show, Forbes asked some consumer experts what they thought the 10 "must-have" items are in the new American home. The list was published in Feburary and can be seen in full here.
With the economy being slow to rebound and many families looking to downsize their homes, the list compiled illustrates how views are changing when it comes to a home and its amenities. Many people are now looking for multi-use space, less "top of the line" details and more simple creature comforts.
HGTV is seeking charismatic, energetic, non-professional handy men and women to participate in an upcoming competition series, All American Handyman.
Strong carpentry skills, experience with tools, creativity and excellent problem-solving skills are a real plus. The winner will be awarded a significant prize package.
If you've got the goods apply here and send this along to friends or family who you think would be great on the show.
These February Favorites deserve gold stars! We've collected yours and our favorite posts from across our network for the month of February. These posts were retweeted, linked to and commented on the most.
Thanks again for reading!
10 Projects for a Snow Day
Choosing Kitchen Paint Colors
7 Simple Tips to Kitchen Faucet Shopping
Safely Living Next to a Vacant Home
The Wall Wizards Painting Tips
This is great news from the front lines of the home improvement and remodeling industry.
Home Depot and Lowe's posted better-than-expected earnings this week and among Home Depot's top 40 markets all but two showed improvement from last year.
After more than a year of not spending money on their homes, consumers began refurbishing their kitchens and painting their living rooms in what appears to be the early stages of a comeback for the home improvement industry.
photo: David McNew/Getty Images
The appearance of panic rooms or safe rooms in homes isn't commonplace, but it's not just something out of a Jodie Foster movie anymore.
A super luxe home outside Los Angeles could have the safest security system in the world, according to reports from MainStreet.com. The five-story fortress has a 360 degree view atop an impenetrable six-car garage. And it get's crazier.
If an intruder manages to get past the security wall outside, the two hidden panic rooms and invisible "safe cores" are just another obstacle in their way. The safe core is an extended part of the home that is completely isolated.
Even a hurricane or chemical attack wouldn't be able to touch them there. Plus, the safe cores aren't like being inside a steel vault, but just like sitting inside your living room with a flat-screen and a collection of DVDs.
There's a local movement in the border city of Carlisle, UK (10 miles South of Scotland) to keep a train station decorated as it was for a Homebase commercial that included vibrant flooring, modern lighting and contemporary furniture.
The train station is considered "listed" and therefore must maintain its historical facade but the residents are definitely enjoying a bit of colour and comfort in their normally rote commutes.
There's now a Facebook group with more than 6,000 members that hopes it has convinced Virgin trains to keep some of the decor and it looks like they've gained a bit of notoriety in their town and Virgin has stated they will try to incorporate some of the changes leftover from the station makeover.
Are sectionals the new sneaker when it comes to professional athletes? The King, LeBron James, may have you thinking that.
As the NBA trade deadline looms today and everyone wonders if LeBron will stay in Cleveland or make the move to New York or even LA, the Furniture Today drops that LeBron will enter into a license deal with American Signature Furniture and work to develop his own line of furniture.
It's certainly a unique concept and if LeBron can make Cleveland a winner maybe he can do the same for the lagging furniture industry. American Signature seems like a good fit.
Here are some other NBA deals just waiting to happen.
Kobe for Z Gallerie - HIs Black Mamba line would kill it!
Shaq for LazyBoy - The Diesel recliner would be a best seller
Tony Parker for DWR - He and Eva would turn that company around
Tim Duncan for Ethan Allen - Traditional but solid
Steve Nash for IKEA - A reach but he does have a Euro draw with his footie skills
DeWayne Wade for BoConcept - Both modern and well-dressed
Are we on track here?
Last night we attended a panel discussion at the Waterworks store in West Hollywood that was presented by Waterworks and Remodelista. The focus was Online Resources for Designing the Extraordinary Bath.
We were really hoping to come away with true resources but two of the panelists used this "discussion" to pitch their designs and offered little tangible information that I'm sure the other designers in the room were seeking in regards to online resources. They shared a bit of insight into their design process and did bring up some relevant issues in regards to the connection between design and construction.
Julie Carlson from Remodelista took us through a quick tour of their website and it's truly remarkable how they've reached an online audience seeking high-touch and aspirational designs. As everyone laments the demise of high design magazines it is good to know there are independent websites willing to fill this void.
The greatest piece of insight we came away with was from Barbara Sallick the co-founder of Waterworks. She stated that although reading blogs and seeking online information while shopping for baths is a great starting point, you must see, touch and feel these products in person to get a real sense of what you are going to be using every day.
Read all entries in News 
