Lullaby Paints' Golden Slumber Nursery

The health benefits of low-VOC paints for people with chemical sensitivities and respiratory conditions are well documented. Earlier this year, those benefits inspired one company to launch a line of non-toxic paints targeted towards the most susceptible among us: infants.

Lullaby Paints—intended specifically for nurseries and playrooms—are free of benzene, formaldehyde, and a host of other compounds often found in traditional household paints.

Company co-founder Julian Crawford points out that parents often paint a nursery mere weeks or months before a baby’s arrival, and that, once home, newborns spend many hours a day sleeping in their rooms. “We have baby monitors now that allow parents to shut the nursery door to keep out noise,” says Crawford, who adds that new homes are also better insulated and therefore less drafty than they used to be. “It’s more important than ever to have high air quality indoors.”

Lullaby Paints' Designer Palettes

Although designed for nurseries, Lullaby Paints’ broad palette is sophisticated enough to look great beyond the nursery. There are bold hues like Tangerine and Citron and more subdued choices such as Portobello, Celadon, and Sheep’s Wool. Pale pinks and blues are offered as well, but overall, Crawford reports, “these are not typical baby colors.”

Lullaby Paints' Chalkboard Colors

Also available from Lullaby Paints are chalkboard paints in 16 vibrant hues like Royal Blue and King’s Red, all safe and toxin-free so that children can help with the application. The chalkboard paint is sold by the gallon or quart. It’s also sold in a convenient kit, which includes roller, tray, edging tape, enough paint to cover a 30-foot square surface with two coats, and even some chalk to get little artists on their way.

Coming in 2013: a line of stains and varnishes for woodwork, floors, and furniture. “It’s even harder to find varnishes that are low- or no-VOC, so it was really a natural extension of what we offer,” Crawford states. Now in the final stages of color development, expect to see shades that are both traditional and a bit unexpected—charcoal gray, for instance.

Lullaby Paints' Eco-Friendly Packaging

Homeowners seeking green products will undoubtedly appreciate Lullaby Paints’ packaging. Gone are the paint cans that would sit on your garage shelf year after year. In their place: resealable pouches that cut down on manufacturing and shipping costs and keep paint fresher for future touch-ups.

For more information, to order paint or samples, or to find a retailer near you, visit Lullaby Paints.

Fore more on painting, consider:

Fail-Safe Colors
What to Do with Old Paint
Paint Guide: 10 Essentials for Successful House Painting

Sweet Dreams: A New Line of No-VOC Paints for Nurseries Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: denverorganicmattress.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON CHOOSING A MATTRESS or read the text below:

Shopping for a mattress is a little like shopping for a car or a truck: Do a little research before you shop and determine what options are important to you.

What’s your normal sleeping position? If you’re a back sleeper, you need a firm mattress. Front sleepers need something a little softer and side sleepers need a mattress with plenty of give for full support.

Body type is also important: heavier folks need firmer support while skinny folks generally find softer ones easier on the pressure points. Consider thermal comfort—spring coil mattresses allow more air circulation for those who get hot at night while foam mattress will help insulate chilly sleepers.

The only way to tell whether a spring coil, foam, or latex mattress is right for you is to test them all out in the store for at least 15 minutes each. Make sure you have the option to exchange the mattress if it doesn’t work out once you’ve slept on it.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on furniture, consider:

Bob Vila Radio: Sofa Beds
Bob Vila Radio: Buying Furniture
How To: Paint Your Furniture

Bob Vila Radio: Choosing a Mattress Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: motherearthnews.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON SUNROOMS or read the text below:

Whether you buy a glass-and-aluminum kit and assemble it yourself, or hire a contracter to custom stick-build it, a solarium can give your home a little extra space and it could save your sanity in the dark winter months.

Sunrooms, or conservatories as they were once called, need to be oriented to within 30 degrees of South. Northern exposures will be too cold and western exposures will get too hot, rendering the space unusable much of the year, so make sure you’re adding on in the right direction.

Prices for sunrooms vary widely between manufacturers and builders but on average, you’re looking at between $15,000 and $30,000 for a 15 x 15 addition. You’ll still need a permit and codes vary in every locality. In some places, you can build right on an existing patio, but check to see what foundation work is required before you let the sun shine in.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on home construction, consider:

How To: Build a Basic Deck
Planning Guide: Wood Decks
Porch Style

Bob Vila Radio: Sunrooms Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: houzz.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON MUDROOMS or read the text below:

Start by thinking about what gets dumped by the door: boots, coats, bags, keys, mail. Then design a designated spot for each. A simple shelf and a row of pegs over a bench with boot storage below might be all you need.

If you need more structure, build in large cubbies with hooks and shelves for each member of the family to keep things straight. Add cabinet doors and you can hide these everywhere, front or back hall, basement, or even an inclosed porch.

If you can’t build in, a simple chest of drawers or trunk for mittens and hats will do. The more super sturdy wall hooks the merrier, since that will keep things off the floor. A durable tile floor with a mat you can wash will help a lot—since they don’t call them mud rooms for nothing.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on interior design, consider:

Laundry Rooms We Love
10 Design Inspirations for Mudrooms and Entryways
5 Ways to Love Your Laundry Room

Bob Vila Radio: Mudrooms Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: tonipilsbury.com

With so many dishes and serving utensils, not to mention the number of guests, Thanksgiving puts your dining room to the true test. Here are eight ways to get more out of the space, maximizing your enjoyment of the meal and the day’s family joys.

1. Clear the space. If the dining room is filled with non-essentials—in a small dining room that could mean everything but table and chairs—clear it out for the holiday. This “less is more” approach will make the room seem more spacious, and a spacious room is more comfortable. Also, removing unnecessary furniture will place emphasis on the table, which seems only right.

2. Set up a buffet. Take the burden off your dining room by serving food in the kitchen on a table, countertop, or island. For second helpings, guests can simply return to the kitchen, or hosts might take a mid-meal lap around the table.

Farmhouse Dining Bench at Target for $79

3. Ride the bench. If big, bulky chairs are occupying more than their fair share of space in your dining room, consider using a bench along one side of the table to accommodate one or two additional guests. It’s a family holiday, after all; closeness is fitting. You might also think about renting chairs that are more compact than your existing furniture.

4. Extend the table. Most dining tables are made in standard sizes of 36″W x 72″L with one leaf. You can extend the width one foot and the length an extra 24 inches by simply placing a sheet of standard plywood on top. With a tablecloth draped over the surface, you won’t know the difference.

Photo: Livewell360

5. Limit table decor. As tempting as it may be to adorn your table with an elaborate centerpiece or grouping of candles, decor can quickly become clutter if space is short. Opt for minimal ornament and make the most of your table’s total surface area.

6. Establish a kids table. It’s been done before, and usually youngsters prefer to be on their own anyway. If your guest list overwhelms your dining room’s capacity, consider creating a satellite table even for adults.

Photo: trendybride.com

7. Take it outside. If you are fortunate enough to live in a warmer climate, why not move the feast outdoors? You can always use the dining room table as a buffet station, then enjoy the meal on a deck or patio—even by the pool.

8. Rethink the space. If your extended table is a tight fit for your dining room, brainstorm ways to position it differently. If you position the table diagonally, it might give guests on the end a little more breathing room, or even free up space for a couple more chairs.

For more on entertaining at home, consider:

10 Secrets to Successful Holiday Decorating
10 Home Movie Theater Accessories
Easy DIY Buffet Table Makeover

8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Dining Room Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Whether it’s a funny message, a neon color, or an interesting shape, make your mat as distinctive as the rest of your home. One rule of thumb: make sure your mat is as wide as your door (anything less will appear too small).

Looking for some inspiration? Start here!

Pretty Pattern

Photo: wisteria.com

Give your front stoop a hit of global design with this Suzani motif. Suzani Doormat, $34 at wisteria.com

 

Upcycled

Photo: uncommongoods.com

Made from recycled scrap foam rubber (from flip flops!), this mat will not only wear well underfoot, but serve the earth as well. Flip Flop Mats, $30 at uncommongoods.com

Seasonal Switch

Photo: westelm.com

Now that the temperature is dipping and holidays are around the corner, add something seasonally appropriate mat to your entry. Penguin Doormat, $29 at westelm.com

Animal Magnetism

Photo: allmodern.com

Make a true statement with an oversized animal-shaped doormat, like this hippo design by Ed Annink. Droog Hippo Mat, $156 at allmodern.com

The Key

Photo: urbanoutfitters.com

No need to hide it under the mat with this skeleton key-patterned design. Locksmith Welcome Mat, $34 at urbanoutfitters.com

Colorblock

Photo: cspost.com

If it’s good enough for boats, buoys, and lobster traps, you can bet it will serve foot traffic well. Recycled Marine Rope Rug, $52 at cspost.com

More Faux Bois

Photo: Pottery Barn

To mark the transition from the great outdoors to indoors, consider a doormat with a faux bois, or “false wood”, design. Faux Bois Printed Doormat, $29 at potterybarn.com (no longer available)

Stay in the Lines

Photo: potterybarn.com

The best thing about colored multi-stripes—they go with everything. Multistripe Door Mat, $29 at potterybarn.com

The Doormat Says It All

Photo: eBay

Let your doormat say it for you. One of many amusing doormats available on ebay.com, $33.32

Garden Hose

Photo: markkintzel.wordpress.com

Make your own doormat by turning an old garden hose into a distinctive mat. You can learn how at Mark Kintzel Design.

Personalized

Photo: Etsy.com

A bold chevron pattern in navy and white makes a stunning statement, particularly when personalized with a name or monogram. Personalized Door Mat, $35 at etsy.com

Classic with a Twist

Photo: grandinroad.com

No one says the mat has to be rectangular! Consider something like this half-round design to welcome guests. Monogrammed Half-Round Door Mat,  $79, grandinroad.com

For more on exterior decor, consider:

11 Hot House Numbers to Add Curb Appeal
10 Simple “Under 60″ Updates to Boost Curb Appeal
It’s All in the Details– House Numbers

12 Daring Doormats Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Tailgater Bluetooth from ION Audio

Truly, this is the golden age of job-site music. There are a multitude of devices, some very sophisticated, to fill the gaps between hammer reports and circular-saw screams.

As a rag-man electrician (the lowest rung of the union ladder), I noted how each trade had its own half-crushed radio tuned to a different station in its supply area. That tinny music was a relief valve and a pacesetter, but it wasn’t pleasant.

Now there’s the ION Tailgater Bluetooth music player and amp, which retails online for $140 and up. The Tailgater looks like a very small musician’s amp—black, boxy, metal front grille, aluminum bumpers on all eight corners and small control knobs.

It’s not clear how well the Tailgater would compare to Dewalt’s rugged yellow radio-and-charger product, but it is sturdy. And it plays better with mp3 players, smartphones, and tablets.

Tailgater Bluetooth from ION Audio

The Tailgater, which is powered by a rechargeable 12-hour lead-acid battery, has an integrated dish on top to hold players of various sizes at a reclining angle. You can also pair Bluetooth devices with the Tailgater, which means one fewer cable to lose (although it comes with just such a cable, which serves as a recharging cord, too). You also can take a call on your smartphone, for instance, without worrying about a tether.

Other portable players require you to use a short cable and to lay your device on its back in a small tray on top.

Like some similar products, the ION Tailgater Bluetooth has an AM/FM radio, but the Tailgater’s sound is far superior. It’s bassy at low volumes and holds the signal together at least two-thirds the way up its power range.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Ion’s site rocker is the microphone that comes with it. You might only use it once—at the party you hold at the end of your project, as you stand beaming before family and friends, and maybe even your contractors. It will be a memorable address.

Visit ION Audio for more information.

For more tech stuff for DIYers, consider:

RoboReel: Next Generation Cord Winder
Stay Charged with Mophie’s Juice Pack PRO
6 Home Improvement iPhone Apps to Know

Rock the Job Site with ION’s Tailgater Bluetooth Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Acclaim 5 Outdoor Speakers from Russound

The Acclaim 5 Series Outback Outdoor Loudspeakers from Russound are manufactured with salt-tested marine grade hardware and aluminum grilles, making them ideal for areas subject to moisture and temperature fluctuations. Engineered to deliver rich, full sound, they come in sizes ranging from 4 to 6.5 inches and can be mounted horizontally, vertically, in corners, on poles or standing upright. Suggested retail, $199 to $349 per pair.

Rock Speaker from Russound

Russound’s Rock Speakers, also part of the company’s Acclaim 5 Outback Series, deliver exceptional outdoor sound with speakers made to look like natural stone. The lookalike glass-reinforced resin rock speakers are silicone-sealed and come with a 1-meter speaker cable built into the base for weathertight integrity. They are available in three finishes, from $310 to $340 a pair.

HomeShare Portable Speaker from Sony

In the wireless category, Sony offers the HomeShare Portable Speaker. Featuring a sleek design with 360-degree sound from four built-in speakers and a subwoofer, the wireless audio speaker can stream music from iTunes, iPhones, Sony Tablets, compatible personal computers and Sony Blu-ray-integrated systems. It can also play for five hours or more on its rechargeable battery. Suggested retail, $399.

Sony's Muteki HiFi Music System with Colored LEDs

Sony’s Muteki Hi-Fi Music System, with a docking station for an iPhone or iPod, not only delivers 420 watts of audio power, but also features multi-colored LED lights that pulse to the music. Suggested retail for the Muteki twin speaker shelf unit is $299.

Water Rocker Wireless Speaker System from ION

For those who want to enjoy music while catching some rays in the pool, ION offers the Water Rocker—a floating, ball-shaped waterproof speaker and transmitter combination. The transmitter keeps iPods, iPhones, and other portable music devices secure on land, wirelessly transmitting sound as far as 150 feet away. The Water Rocker also contains a built-in FM radio and can support up to nine floating speakers with one transmitter. Suggested retail price, $89.99.

For more on outdoor entertaining, consider:

New Product: Kohler StereoStik
Bob Vila Radio: Outdoor Living Adds Value
Product Round-Up: Decor for the Great Outdoors

What’s New in Outdoor Sound? Plenty. Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON HOME OFFICE STORAGE, or read the text below:

If you have a spare room, you’ll thank yourself later if you give it a coat of paint, window blinds, and plenty of wall-mounted adjustable shelving before you move in. Even if it’s just painted plywood on sawhorse legs, give yourself the biggest desk your floorspace will comfortably allow.

If you don’t have a spare room, five feet of wallspace can make a home office. Remove the doors from a double closet in a hallway or guest room, paint the interior your favorite color, and add a wall-mounted desk and shelves painted a contrasting color. Organizing with color is a great trick: a darker color on the back wall will make it seem deeper. Use storage boxes and magazine files in uniform colors to bring order to the chaos, and label everything so it stays neat.

The most important feature of your new home office? Plenty of electrical outlets: if you need more, get an electrician to set you up before you start.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on home offices, consider:

Design a “Green” Home Office
Childproofing the Home Office
10 Smart Cord Management Solutions Under $50

Bob Vila Radio: Home Office Storage Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: murphybeds.com

There’s a room off our kitchen dedicated as a playroom for our daughters (ages 2 and 4). Originally, the house plan designated this space to be an office or bedroom. Since it’s on the first floor, I’d love to utilize it as a spare bedroom for my folks when they visit. Rather than moving my kids (and their stuff) to another level of the house, which would be less convenient and surely imprudent (note ages!), I’m considering installing the space-saving standard of my NYC roots—a Murphy Bed.

Slideshow: Murphy Beds: 9 Hide-Away Sleepers

Murphy beds have long been a solution for apartments and small spaces. But they also work beautifully in larger homes to make a room or space multi-functional. The Murphy Bed was invented by William L. Murphy as a way to hide the bed in his one-room apartment, so that he could have enough space to entertain. He created the Murphy Wall Bed Company in 1900 after applying for his first patent, and the rest is history.

Photo: morespaceplace.com

An incredible array of options and styles exists in modern Murphy Beds. If you’re shopping for one, you should consider several things.

Mechanism Options:
- Spring Mechanisms are used in the traditional Murphy Bed system and usually consist of a heavy-duty compressed steel spring housed within the bed frame. They are counter-balanced, which makes lifting and lowering the bed easy. But they do need adjustment after years of use, since the springs can fatigue and stretch over time.
- Piston Mechanisms utilize gas or air pressure to support the raising and lowering of the bed frame. Unlike a spring mechanism, a piston mechanism can lock when the bed is not in use—a valuable safety feature. Piston mechanisms cannot be adjusted once installed but compared to spring mechanisms, they experience much less fatigue and sagging.

Diagram: Murphy Bed Sleep Shop

Mounting Options:
- Floor Mounting is required by many systems with spring mechanisms. Mounting a Murphy Bed into the floor makes it extremely stable but may permanently damage the floor. A floor-mounted Murphy Bed is also very difficult, if not impossible, to move once installed.
- Wall Mounting is most commonly used with piston mechanisms. Generally, a wall-mounted Murphy Bed is attached to studs and can be moved with minimal damage.

Vertical vs. Horizontal:
The vertical wall bed is what is most traditionally recognized as a Murphy Bed. Though it requires the ceiling be high enough to accommodate an upright bed, this orientation blends well into adjacent cabinetry, like bookcases. A horizontal wall bed is well-suited for rooms with lower ceilings (like an attic space) or rooms with a smaller footprint (into which the bed can lower).

Horizontal-style Murphy Bed. Photo: murphybedlifestyles.com

Construction materials, styles, and finishes for Murphy Bed systems are as diverse as for any other cabinetry. From traditional to modern, from solid wood to melamine, there is likely a Murphy Bed to satisfy any design taste. It can become a lasting fixture in your home, hosting a lifetime of visiting family and friends, the entertainment of whom William L. Murphy would surely approve.

In the market for a Murphy Bed? Don’t miss our product showcase Murphy Beds: 9 Hide-Away Sleepers

For more space-saving solutions, consider:

5 Small Bathroom Space-Busters
Kitchen Layouts: 4 “Space-Smart” Plans
30 Fresh Space-Saving Bunk Bed Ideas

Make Any Room a Bedroom with a Murphy Bed Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com