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Personally, I used to love Monsteras. I have two Monstera deliciosa, two Monstera adansonii, and a Monstera peru, but it’s time to talk about why this popular plant might be a bit overrated. Plant expert Raffaele Di Lallo of Ohio Tropics weighs in on why they may not be worth it. 1. Only Visually Appealing When Mature “The main reason that most people seek this plant out is because of the gorgeous fenestrations (holes and slits) that form on mature plants....

Color Matters Color is the number one thing people get caught up in when trying to choose art, often because they’re trying to find something that matches with the other colors in the room. But while matching some of the colors is a perfectly acceptable method for choosing art, it’s not the only method. Sometimes the colors in the art you choose can be the direct opposite of what you already have in your room, or in some cases; you might want something that’s only black and white....

What Is a Perennial? A perennial is a plant that comes back year after year. This differentiates it from annuals, which must be planted each year, and biennials, which only live for two years. Just plant your garden or orchard once, and your plantings should last for several years, maybe even several decades. While all plants listed below are perennials, they may not grow perennially in all locations. In your local climate, plants that come back year after year may not be able to survive over a more extreme winter or summer....

There are also single large-scale decals that make a major statement and lend a note of drama and sophistication to a room. Giant wall stickers can mimic architectural features like stone, brick, or windows. Read on for design options that look great with wall decals or murals. While it is safe to say that many people are over the flora and fauna motifs and inspirational quotations, there are many other types of wall decals....

But which colors are best for that refreshing vibe? We turned to the experts to ask which colors perfectly evoke the freshness we all seek in spring, and their responses have us ready to grab the paint rollers and get to work. “Just like the hues of blooming spring flowers, we will see soft colors with neutral undertones trending this season,” McCollum says. “Expect to see dusty and earthy shades of your favorite colors, as they easily pair with the neutrals already in your home, especially natural wood elements....

1. When They Reflect Sun Damage Your draperies receive a lot of sunlight, and the elements can take their toll on fabric over time. “From a practical standpoint, it’s time to update your draperies when the sun has damaged them, either through fading, or if you live in a climate where the sun is relentless, like I do, when it has dried out the fabric to a point that it’s stiff and too fragile to handle,” designer Rachel Cannon of Rachel Cannon Limited explains....

Lucky for us, as the steamy Netflix romance gains popularity, its signature aesthetic is also on the rise. We’ve most definitely come down with a major case of lust for all things Regencycore. In an effort to figure out how to most effectively incorporate this trend into our own homes, we turned to the experts to find out which elements are an absolute must in any royal-respecting room. The tools needed for such a project are as follows: wooden panels, a pencil, a tape measure and laser level for measuring, and a saw and miter box for cutting....

Try one of these seven recommended flowering plants for your container gardening. While lantanas are usually advertised as drought-tolerant plants for the garden, container-grown plants will wilt if the potting mix is allowed to dry out. Either treat them as annuals or try growing them in a sunny windowsill over winter. They are tricky as houseplants because they love humidity, but will easily rebound when planted back outdoors in spring....

Whether you’ve learned tips and tricks passed down for generations or made your own life hacks, chances are, you do laundry a certain way. But here’s the kicker—experts say your laundry habits are actually disgusting. And, according to recent research, we may be a little worse off than we thought. In a 2020 poll conducted by RushOrderTees, one in four men shared that they do not wash underwear after a single use....

When it comes to using area rugs in your home, there are some important rules to remember. Before buying, check out these dos and don’ts for decorating with area rugs. Do Extend Rugs Under Furniture When selecting an area rug, make sure that it extends under all the key pieces of furniture in the room. In a living room, for instance, all of the furniture should be on top of the rug....

For more colorful, imaginative objects and pieces that can’t be found on your everyday big box sites, we’ve sourced eight fantastic LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that have no short supply of design goods. June, of course, warmly ushers in Pride Month, but these brands should be added to your bookmark bar for year-round purchases for your home. Though candles like Thé Fantôme, Polyamberous, and Slow Burn are what Boy Smells is mostly known for, they have a few other categories of products....

To get you inspired to refresh your walls, we asked some of our favorite decorating and design experts to share their go-to blue paint colors. Color Family: BlueComplementary Colors: Orange; depending on the undertones of the hue, some yellows and reds, tooPairs Well With: Muted blues tend to act neutral and pair well with practically all other colors; deeper blues stand up to complementary colors, other blue tones, and bright white....

The common name of Juneberry is sometimes used because the fruit starts to ripen during that month. Other common names, shadbush, shadblow, and shadwood, allude to the fish that runs and spawn at the same time these plants bloom. Other names you may see are sugarplum, Indian pear, May cherry, saskatoon, sarvisberry, wild pear, wild plum, and chuckley pear. The purple pome fruits of the serviceberry are edible and can be eaten fresh or used to make jams or jellies....

And spoiler alert? There are things you can do today that will help you later. Read on for a professional’s tips on tasks to complete before hosting company during the holidays. From there, decide how you want food arranged and served. If you’re serving more than passed hors d’oeuvres, Fiocchi notes that there are plenty of meal options. “Buffet style, family style, or sit down?” Fiocchi suggests asking yourself. “Next, consider how you want your guests to flow through your home....

But are we really helping? According to a report on the CBS news program, Sunday Morning, emergency and relief agencies often receive so many donated articles that the goods become a burden rather than a benefit. When literally tons of clothes arrive at a local disaster site or are shipped to overseas disaster areas, there is nowhere to store them, no one to move the goods to a proper area, not enough people to help sort the clothing into usable categories, and no distribution system to actually get them to those in need....

Knob-And-Tube Wiring Between 1890 and 1910, a wiring system known as knob-and-tube was the principal system of installation. It was quite a dependable system for the time, and a surprising number of American homes still have knob-and-tube wiring functioning, where it is often found alongside more modern updates. In knob-and-tube wiring, individually conducting wires protected by rubberized cloth fabric are installed in stud and joist cavities, held in place by porcelain knob insulators attached to the sides of framing members, and protected by porcelain tube insulators where the wires run through framing members....

In this series, This Is Home, we’re sharing unique houses from all around the world in which everyone from DIY enthusiasts to design experts has transformed an unexpected space into one that’s not only livable but design-focused, too. These stories delve into the backgrounds of remarkable places, the processes, and all the challenges and wins along the way while making a home out of it, whether it’s a barn, castle, cabin, or schoolhouse....

Abyss & Habidecor is a manufacturer of luxury linens and their Super Line Towels are available at Bloomingdales.com. Made in Portugal and constructed from Egyptian cotton, these towels are renowned for their unsurpassed absorbency and softness. Luxurious linens certainly don’t come cheap. Just over $100, the Abyss Super Line Towel is one of the most expensive offerings in our roundup. If you’re going to drop that much cash on a bath towel, you want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth....