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Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. You start and end each day in the same spot—the bedroom. And if you sleep with a partner, a well-designed master bedroom that addresses both of your sleep needs is especially important. After all, your bedroom sets the stage not only for your quality of sleep but the quality of your relationship with your partner....

On the surface, caulking seems the simplest of homeowner projects, but anyone who has ever sealed around a bathtub knows it’s easy for this type of job to turn into a real mess. It takes practice to lay down a perfect bead of caulk. That’s why tradespeople who do it daily, like tile setters and painters, are so good at it. Caulking also requires the knowledge to select the right caulk for the job....

Jenn Nawada meets Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist Jennifer Rolo at a local nursery to discuss house plants and how to care for them. The two discuss some plants of varying needs as well as watering, drainage, soil, and more, helping plant owners simplify the burden of plant ownership. They discuss plant selection, watering needs, and more to simplify caring for these plants. Houseplants can be a huge investment in both time and money....

I have a good bit of missing or cracked mortar between the bricks on my front steps. How do I repair this so that water doesn’t cause any more damage? —JAMES BOHLER, CHARLOTTE, NC Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time This problem often occurs with mortars that are too stiff to accommodate the bricks’ expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. To fix your brick steps, you’ll have to cut out the old, failed joints and refill them with a type N mortar, which isn’t as hard and inflexible as type S or M mortar....

How can I update my kitchen cabinets without replacing them? If you’re looking to reface, refurbish, or refresh your kitchen cabinets without a major overhaul, this list is for you. We’ve rounded up 10 ways you can do this with some standard tools, straightforward installations, pre-made kits, and more. 1. Paint Kitchen Cabinets Your cavelike kitchen feels that way because the dark cabinets have sucked all the light out of the room....

What’s the purpose of a mudroom? A mudroom was once defined as a small room or part of a secondary entrance where shoes, jackets, and clothes could be removed—especially dirty, wet, or muddy items—before entering the house. Today, the mudroom has evolved into a practical, multipurpose space for storing sports equipment, seasonal gear, and all manner of everyday items. Whether it’s just a sliver of a wall or a dedicated room, a well-organized mudroom is essential for maintaining order and containing clutter in a home....

A sump pump is an emergency device that uses sensors to detect rising water levels in your basement and siphons the water outside. To help you select a pump that’s right for your home, the This Old House Reviews team researched the best sump pumps on market today. Below we compare various models, talk about what to look for when shopping, and provide answers to common buyer questions. Here are our top picks....

Whether you own a tiny home lacking closet storage, or you are trying to organize the space you have—the first step is to get building. Here are 37 home storage solutions that are sure to help you manage your messes or conceal items out of use. From putting together your own built-in window seat to making an outdoor bench that hides tools, TOH brings you detailed step-by-step instructions, shopping lists, and tool lists to do it all yourself and get the extra storage space you need!...

Sure, you could plop a couple of deck chairs in your backyard for an impromptu sitting area. But a hand-built cedar bench, framed by an arbor, gives you a more permanent place to kick back as the weather warms up, and adds an elegant architectural feature. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Our design incorporates classic touches such as profiled rafter tails, alternating wide and narrow boards for the seat and backrest, and trellis sides to let your favorite climbers ascend to the overhead structure....

What’s the Difference Between Dull and Sharp Blades? According to Landscape Contractor Jenn Nawada, sharp pruners will leave a very clean, smooth cut while dull pruners will leave a rough cut. Cuts with dull blades will take longer to heal and can leave a plant vulnerable to disease. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Why Should You Maintain Pruners? Jenn stresses the importance of maintaining pruners because plants are living things, so they should be treated as such....

Before Making a house your own requires more than simply signing on the dotted line. Just ask Lindi and Russel Vanderschaaf, who have been putting their DIY skills to the test transforming their Grande Prairie, Alberta, home. Take the entryway. To add texture and drama that better reflect their modern style, the couple started by pulling up the vinyl flooring and replacing it with durable, easy-to-clean porcelain tile with a driftwood look that they laid in a herringbone pattern....

Best Speed Control: Makita String Trimmer Kit Easiest to Use: EgoPower+ String Trimmer Best Accessories: BLACK+DECKER String Trimmer/Edger Most Versatile: WORX Cordless String Trimmer Best Value: Greenworks Corded Electric String Trimmer Best Speed Control: Makita String Trimmer Kit Key Features 15-inch cutting swath Max 6,500 RPM 18V rechargeable battery 24 pounds What Customers Are Saying Customers who were happy with this product said that it was easy to assemble and maneuver and had a long-lasting battery....

Top 5 Water Bottles Best Lid Options: Iron Flask Sports Water Bottle Best Chug Cap: Yeti Rambler Bottle Best For Cold Drinks: HYDRO CELL Stainless Steel Water Bottle Most Charitable Brand: Simple Modern Insulated Water Bottle Best Lid Handles: Thermoflask Steel Insulated Water Bottle Best Lid Options: Iron Flask Sports Water Bottle The Iron Flask Sports Water Bottle comes with a straw, screw, and flip lids, allowing you to change its top based on the beverage you’re drinking....

A good-looking fireplace can add instant charm to any room. Whether you’re remodeling or just looking to refresh your space, here are ways to update your fireplace and get it looking like new before winter’s chill arrives. 17 Fireplace Remodel Ideas 1. Add Glass Fireplace Doors A cozy fire on a cold night is a delight. But a wood fire left untended isn’t safe. Unlike a gas fireplace, which can be switched off, the only way to leave a wood fire is closed off with glass doors....

When the weather permits it, there’s nothing like eating alfresco. We know you want your picnic to be effortlessly extraordinary. These outdoor accessories will make your life easier and guarantee a picture-perfect picnic. What to Pack for a Picnic Picnic Package This set is the total picnic package: a bag full of everything you could ever need at a picnic, including cutlery, cups, plates, napkins, and more. Blanket This blanket is not only reversible but also folds up into a convenient tote bag with an adjustable strap....

Dining room drama is designed to set the stage for special events: mealtime celebrations with family and friends. So why not create a worthy backdrop for the festivities? The bold dining room paint color ideas we’ve chosen on the following pages are guaranteed to transform any dining room from okay to extraordinary. Truffle Brown The cocooning color on these faux-paneled walls helps harmonize the varied wood tones throughout the room. But that’s only part of the story....

This project involves some considerable effort. At the suggestion of a friend who, with his colleagues, is trying to restore a historic river, Norm agrees to paddle a canoe over some rapids in search of some unusual white oak that’s been submerged there for nearly 150 years. The oak Norm wants was used as a dam on Virginia’s mighty Rappahannock River. Today it sits as a pile of salvage on the river’s edge just hoping a woodworker floats by to rescue some of it for furniture projects....

Entry doors must be tough enough to withstand wind, rain, scorching sun, and would-be intruders, yet handsome enough to make a good first impression. Unfortunately, meeting those needs is a tall order for many front doors. Most older ones are made of wood or wood veneer, both of which warp, crack, and delaminate after years of exposure to the elements. Metal doors don’t last forever, either—the surface on some older steel doors can peel....

In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva reveals various means and methods of making your own authentic reproduction moldings. Steps for replicating molding profiles If there’s a router bit that matches the profile of the original molding, you can use a portable router or router table to mill the exact-match profile into boards. Replace a table-saw blade with a molding cutter head. Select the cutters that most closely match the profile of the original molding and mount them to the cutter head....

Choosing a paint color for your home can be nerve-racking. You can spend hours in the paint section comparing swatches and trying to find the perfect match. Thankfully, a wave of house paint color apps is making the task easier by letting you paint your wall virtually or match a paint color to a photo. Even better, these room painting apps are free and Android- and Apple-compatible. Here are our top picks for the best paint apps available....