(*North East West South) You do not have to select trendy colors for your home.  They should be right for your environment, especially your lighting conditions.  And they should be right for you and your lifestyle.  The "Today's Home"™ show on May 8 featured a discussion about color, with guests Teresa Tullio and Nancy Alwin [...]

HOME OFFICE DESIGN FOR ENTREPRENEURS + TELECOMMUTERS Do you have (or want) an in-home office that really works for you?  The perfect office, no matter how often you use it, or how many hours you occupy it, should be functional and comfortable.  It must fit your needs, and be an effective tool for your success [...]

WIRELESS CONTROL SYSTEMS: VERVE What can you do with these new wireless contol systems?  A better question is:  What can't you do with them? The basic concept for  Verve Living Systems is that your controls are completely un-wired.  No wires to the back room.  No wires for electric power.  Totally wireless control!  How do they [...]

DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS: POWER TOOLS What Do You Need?  How Much Should You Pay? You can go wild at a "big box" store or your local hardware store and spend thousands of dollars on power tools for your do-it-yourself projects. What power tools you purchase depends on: ^ ►  How handy you are ►  How much [...]

DIMMABLE L.E.D. BULBS! Yes, we now have dimmable LED light bulbs.  These can be used anywhere you would use a regular light bulb.  I found both L.E.D. MR-16 and "A" types, at about $20 at big home-improvement stores last month.  Here's what they look like: ^ The dimmable L.E.D. MR-16 is a standard 12-volt unit [...]

HOME THEATER:  WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE? Last week, I answered these questions which many people have asked me over the years: ►  What's a Home Theater system? ►  Do I really need a Home Theater system? ^  Let's start out with a definition.  Home Theater is typically  a combination of: ►  A large-screen television; all [...]

SAVE MONEY!  REDUCE STRESS!  ELIMINATE HASSLES!   We are making the NEW, REVISED Homeowner Survey available to you!  Diane's new book, "THE Survival Guide: Home Building and Improvement will feature the surveys, to help you get started, before you plan to remodel your existing home, or build a new home. Be prepared for your home [...]

  KITCHEN AND BATHROOM DESIGN: APPEARANCE, FUNCTION, AND SAFETY You may have (or want) the most beautiful home in your neighborhood, but if it lacks safety and function, it  will never be the best home in your neighborhood.  Here's a simple graphic to help you understand why your kitchen and bathroom must have great appearance, [...]

MICROWAVE OVENS "Today's Home"™ began yesterday with a discussion about microwave ovens.  They are the most popular kitchen appliance,. purchased in higher numbers than any other appliance.  The reason for this?   They're often found in other rooms besides the kitchen (family room, garage, master suite, outdoor kitchen, etc).   Two factors determine how safe each [...]

Our first broadcast was fun!  We received our first call from Bob Strong, aka Handyman Bob, who has a talk show on 750-KXL in Portland every Saturday from 12:00 – 2:00 (live streaming available on http://www.kxl.com).  Jay, my husband and resident geek, agreed to let me interview him, as long as I didn't ask any [...]

THEN:  For over three years, I was co-host of a local radio talk show.  Loved sharing information with our loyal listeners; really loved interacting with them — questions, comments, and suggestions. Two years have passed, and Saturday mornings have not been the same.  Then, in February, a neighbor suggested that I broadcast a new program [...]