Everyone’s green living level is different, but most of us can agree that keeping more things out of landfills is better for us and for Mother Earth. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the biggest source of refuse lingering in our landfills is paper products. Think about all the paper plates, magazines, excess packaging, and the ubiquitous workhorse: the paper towel. In fact Ocean Conservancy says in the United States alone, we use 13 billion pounds of paper towels each year....

Star Wars-Themed Boy’s Bedroom Makeover from Yellow Bliss Road Sports-Themed Boy’s Bedroom Makeover from Thistlewood Farms Nautical-Themed Boys’ Bedroom Makeover from The Happy Housie Rustic and Modern Kids’ Bedroom Makeover from Shades of Blue Interiors Cars and Sports Themed Bedroom Makeover from Noble Pig Kid’s Bedroom Makeover from Honey We’re Home Brighter Kid’s Bedroom from Hither and Thither New Ceiling for Kids’ Bedroom Makeover from The DIY Playbook Colorful Designs for Child’s Bedroom Makeover from Vintage Revivals Adventure-Themed Kid’s Madeover Bedroom from Taryn Whiteaker

While the sunlight needs of black flowers vary by species, most black flowers look their best when they are in at least some partial sun. A black flower that grows in the shadow of shade just appears to be another shadow. Plant your black flowers in front of a backdrop of neon green foliage, bright orange blossoms, or bright white blooms, and you’ll have mastered the latest color trend in the garden....

Of course, there are a few drawbacks to raised bed gardens. In hot dry weather, they tend to dry out quickly. Roaming cats may find the nice, fluffy soil attractive for their own reasons. Plus, you’ll want to consider the width of the raised bed when building it to ensure you can easily reach the center when planting or maintaining your garden. (4 feel width is ideal.) However, these few drawbacks are easy to avoid with a little planning and prevention....

The genus Helianthus also includes a number of perennial species. These are fairly long-blooming, late-season flowers, blooming in late summer through mid autumn. Though the flowers tend to be smaller than annual sunflowers, they make up for it with weeks of showy color. Perennial sunflowers range in height from 2 to 10 feet tall. They tend to grow either as clumps, or from rhizomes, which tend to spread quite aggressively in the garden....

Clear Out the Clutter There’s nothing that makes a small space feel more cramped than having too much stuff. Work out ways to get collections out of view, organized behind doors, table skirts, or on shelves. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open. Open the Way When furniture and accessories block the view into a room, it will look cramped....

Back-to-School Mason Jars from Mason Jar Crafts Cereal, granola, and pasta boxes work great for this DIY. Make this caddy with your kids and encourage them to keep all their homework supplies in one place. Back to School Homework Caddy from Aunt Peaches Having a wall serve as a command center is an excellent way to keep the family in the loop. This particular Ikea frame hack serves as a Two-Week To-Do Board to help the family quickly visualize the days ahead....

Spot Light To play this dance party game, you’ll need one person to work the spotlight and another to work the music. Have that person stand in the middle of the dance floor and shine a flashlight on the dancers. The spotlight person should continually move the flashlight so that it is always changing which dancer it is highlighting. Whenever the person in charge of the music stops it, the spotlight holder must freeze, steadying the light on the dancer it was pointing to at the time....

Animal themes are not only cute, but they’re also incredibly versatile, lending themselves to a bevy of different decor styles and color schemes. Whether your look is boho style or modern minimalist, there’s always room for a furry friend or two. Look at this collection of modern animal-themed nurseries that each put a fresh twist on a traditional motif, proving once and for all that “cute” never goes out of style—so get hopping, crawling, or pouncing on your sweet nursery scheme....

But, there are more long-blooming perennials than you might realize, and designing your garden with the right species makes it possible to have plants that bloom from spring through summer to fall and return next year. Here are 18 perennials to consider if your goal is to create a low-maintenance flower garden that blooms all summer long. 18 Long-Blooming Perennial Flowers However, newer cultivars, such as the white ‘David,’ are mildew-resistant, with foliage that stays nice and healthy-looking all summer....

Stephanie Purzycki of The Finish agrees, noting, “The bedroom is your personal sanctuary, which makes it a great place to incorporate vintage decor, because vintage has a lot more personality and character than new items.” Worried about sourcing beautiful yet affordable finds? Don’t be, according to Purzycki. “You’ll often find higher quality items at a much lower price than if you were to buy new, so your budget will go further and you’ll end up with a space that feels more finished,” she says....

Whether working solo or with a landscape architect or contractor, the budget, size of the space, color, and architectural style of your home are going to influence the choice of materials. So is availability: local stones blend in with the surrounding environment and don’t cost as much as harder-to-find materials that have to be shipped. Safety and Surface Texture Think about what the patio will be used for and who will use it when looking at materials....

To help you have that aha moment, we are sharing our favorite hues for cooking spaces. From neutral palettes to bold color schemes, here are 26 kitchen paint ideas you can easily copy.

“The key is to look for soft and modern floral details such as a simple line drawn floral wallpaper or soft floral toned textiles and bedding,” says interior designer Rebecca Simon of Maison Ellie, who specializes in kids spaces. “And you certainly don’t want to overdo it with too many floral accents—stick to no more than three floral elements!” Check out these pretty, inspiring nurseries that incorporate florals in a number of styles and color palettes, each an ode to the beauty of nature and babyhood in their own unique way....

Check out these stylish and ingenious adult loft sleeping spaces from interior designers around the world for inspiration on how to maximize the airspace in your own studio apartment, tiny house, guest cottage, or other small space while simultaneously elevating your decor.

These days wallpaper comes in a vast range of styles for both small and big budgets. There is also a wide selection of options designed for do-it-yourself installation. For example, peel and stick wallpaper, which is perfect for rental bedrooms, is a snap to both hang and remove. To help you refresh your space, we collected our favorite wallpaper decorating ideas for bedrooms.

Here are 30 ideas for DIY shelves created with upcycled materials.

But is every viral method worth bringing into your own home? We spoke with three organizers from across the country to find out. Not Everything Needs to Be Decanted “The highly granular level of categorization and containerization is very difficult for regular people with busy lives to keep up with,” professional organizer Lucy Milligan Wahl reflects. “When I’m working on a kitchen or pantry, my client and I have a serious conversation about their aesthetic desire for the project balanced with their bandwidth for dealing with this level of detail,” she explains....