Homes

Published March 20, 2019

TROY — Kitchen designer Sara Fithault, of EW Kitchens, based at the Michigan Design Center, believes great design is in the details that you don’t notice.

Published March 19, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Protect your home while you travel

METRO DETROIT — Michigan is home to many who take advantage of spring break, enjoy vacations over the summer, or even escape the entire winter season in favor of a warmer climate. While they’re away, their homes are left largely unattended, making them vulnerable to break-ins and other crime. Luckily, law enforcement officials say there are a number of things people can do to protect their homes.

Published March 13, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Raise your gardening game

METRO DETROIT — The garden of your dreams doesn’t have to exist in your mind, or even in the ground in your backyard. Raised-bed gardens, made of wood or other creatively repurposed building materials, offer many advantages to vegetable growers in residential lots and community gardens.

Phragmites grow near the intersection of Tienken and Squirrel roads last September.

Published March 6, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Invasive plants attack home values

Invasive phragmites, water hyacinth, European frogbit and red swamp crayfish — along with the fungus oak wilt and more — can damage landscapes and lower home values.

A privacy fence can help keep a dog from getting lost, and a dog’s collar should have a tag with contact information on it.

Published February 28, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Take steps to protect your furry friend from getting lost

METRO DETROIT — Something pet owners never want to experience is a moment of fear and regret while seeing that their little furry friend has taken an unplanned trip out of the house or yard.

Published February 20, 2019

Southfield Sun

Wanted: Low-income people needing home improvements

METRO DETROIT — Volunteers from Rebuilding Together Oakland County are on the hunt for Southfield and Farmington Hills residents to receive no-cost home improvements.

Published February 20, 2019

Troy Times

Garden guru will share how to get the jump on spring cleanup

Professional gardener and designer Janet Macunovich will share her 30-plus years of experience at the Getting the Garden Ready for Spring event 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Troy Public Library, 510 W. Big Beaver Road.

Published February 20, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Historical homes need a lot of TLC

METRO DETROIT — If you own a home that’s 50 years old or older, you own a historical home. Maintaining a historical home requires some unique tasks on top of the common ones associated with maintaining any modern home.

Published February 14, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Nurture the imagination with fairy gardens

METRO DETROIT — For the young at heart, fairy gardens are a way to bring a sense of wonder to green spaces, evoking mystery with environmental details that make the imagination run wild.

Published February 6, 2019

C&G Newspapers

‘Tidying Up’ is not only easy on the eyes, but on the mind

METRO DETROIT — Does that old T-shirt from high school in the back of your drawer bring you joy? What about the box of receipts from 2015 lurking in your basement? There’s a new method of organization sweeping the nation called KonMari, and it’s all about focusing on keeping what brings you joy and getting rid of what doesn’t. The method was developed by Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo, who has written four books on the subject.

A plaque hangs over the front door of the historical John Warrenner home on Ryan Road in Sterling Heights.

Published February 1, 2019

Sterling Heights Sentry

Homes over 150 years old still stand in Sterling

The history of the John Warrenner home on Ryan Road in Sterling Heights goes back to the 1800s. But to its current owner, Karl Eckert, it’s the place where his dad set up a hobby woodworking workshop and made furniture.

Published January 30, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Home exercise space can be bare bones or high tech

METRO DETROIT — Cold, wet weather and icy streets can kill one’s motivation to stay physically active.

Published January 23, 2019

C&G Newspapers

On a budget, find ways to refresh your home without renovating

METRO DETROIT — A big renovation might not be in a household’s budget, but there are some less costly ways to refresh a home that can please homeowners and also help when they put their homes on the market. C & G Newspapers spoke with a real estate agent and a tile expert about ways folks can reinvigorate their homes without renovating.

Published January 16, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Take action to remove radon from your home

METRO DETROIT — It may be impossible to smell or see, but that doesn’t mean radon won’t do a lot of damage. Formed during the breakdown of uranium, radon is a chemically inert radioactive gas found in nearly all soils and rocks.

Published January 9, 2019

C&G Newspapers

Experts, charities can help organize your home for the new year

METRO DETROIT — The holidays have come and gone, and with the new year upon us, folks may be wondering how to get their homes organized in 2019. Gary Dion, the owner of Closets by Design — which in addition to organizing closets also organizes garages, home offices, laundries, pantries and hobby rooms — said that redesigning storage space is key.

Published December 28, 2018

C&G Newspapers

Pantone names ‘Living Coral’ 2019 color of the year

METRO DETROIT — Pantone recently announced living coral, a warm salmon hue with a golden undertone, as its 2019 Color of the Year.

Published December 28, 2018

C&G Newspapers

Realtors report 2018 was a seller’s market

METRO DETROIT — Real estate professionals are saying 2018 strongly leaned toward being a seller’s market in southeast Michigan, but they added that this could begin to shift in 2019.

Published December 17, 2018

C&G Newspapers

Ring in the new year with size and style

METRO DETROIT — New Year’s Eve is a special kind of holiday. Following the hustle and bustle of a month mostly dedicated to Christmas, the final day of the year can sometimes be an afterthought. But those who are hosting parties can benefit by upgrading electronics and configuring decorations.

Published December 12, 2018

C&G Newspapers

Holiday music provides a soundtrack for the season

METRO DETROIT — According to the Christmas classic, there’s no place like “Home for the Holidays.”

Published December 5, 2018

C&G Newspapers

Options abound to spruce up your home for the holidays

METRO DETROIT — Whether you’re into dazzling displays in a rainbow of colors, officially licensed products featuring beloved characters, well-worn vintage nostalgia or holiday kitsch, there’s no shortage of options for adorning your home for the holiday season.