Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 358)

Woodworking pro, Spike Carlsen, shares his pick for the top ten best woodworking woods, along with the characteristics, best uses and cost for each.

When it comes time to upgrade a front door, build new kitchen cabinets, or even fix a toy box, homeowners have a wide range of hinge styles to choose from.

The foyer is your first opportunity to make an impression on visitors and the first thing you see when you walk into your home each day. Take inspiration from these foyer ideas to add impact, style, and function to your entryway.

Reality TV shows that open a window onto the world of real estate have been entertaining us for years. But if you look beyond the spectacle, you can actually learn a thing or two about the home buying process as well. Here are 10 practical house-hunting lessons that come straight from reality TV.

Property rights are the foundation of homeownership, but this collection of privileges and protections varies from state to state and from neighborhood to neighborhood. Read on to learn more about basic property rights and to find out how these rights can be affected by laws, ordinances, codes, and covenants.

Being a homeowner often demands more money and energy than you can spare. But a trove of local and online resources are standing by to give savvy homeowners access to free products and services that can make home—and life—maintenance easier and cheaper. Click through for the lowdown on 19 freebies that no homeowner can afford to ignore.

Everything seems more difficult when Old Man Winter comes calling. Even everyday activities become major hassles when you have to scrape an iced-over windshield or brave the swirling snow merely to get to work or run a simple errand. Well, you don't have to put up with chattering teeth, bare feet on chilly floors, and sky-high heating bills, no matter how frigid it is outside. Just try a few of our home heat hacks to stay toasty warm and conquer those cold-weather woes.

It’s the spot where family gathers for holiday meals, birthday cake, and after-dinner chats. The dining table is the center of so many happy memories, why not tailor yours to suit your tastes and style? Even a newbie to the DIY scene can succeed with these 25 DIY dining table projects.

If the region where you live is subject to more than the occasional power outage, consider investing in either a portable or standby generator. These guidelines can help you choose between the two.

Thanks to changing economies, changing technologies, changing tastes, and a host of other factors, it can be a struggle for any company—even the most iconic ones—to stay afloat. Sadly, these once-thriving American businesses just couldn't keep up with the times and had to call it quits.

Know how often to vacuum your hard floors and carpeting to keep them clean and preserve their good looks.

Welcome feathered friends to your backyard with a DIY birdbath modeled after any of the following inspiring designs.

Learn the best places to purchase a downsized domicile and get the 411 on how to how to go about it.

The explosion in popularity of single-serve coffeemakers like the Keurig has given rise to a new home design trend: the coffee bar. Making a cup of coffee now requires minimal effort, and many of us feel free to indulge in our favorite hot beverage throughout the day, as opposed to just in the morning. There's no need to venture out to the coffee shop on the corner when it’s easier than ever to enjoy a fresh, hot cup of coffee at home—a convenience especially appreciated by telecommuters. Coffee is such a fixture in our lives, it seems natural to set aside a special place for the satisfying ritual of making it. Here are some of our favorite examples of home coffee bars from around the Web.

If it's time to remodel, redecorate, or simply refresh a tired old dining room, here are a wealth of ideas for taking what can be a stodgy, inflexible space and infusing it with beauty, flair, and comfort.

With temperatures low across the country, heating systems on full blast, and houses buttoned up against the cold, the air in your home can pretty dry this time of year. To improve indoor air quality, promoting health and comfort in the bargain, follow with these simple and easy tips and tricks.

Loose-fill packaging materials like polystyrene packing peanuts do a great job of protecting fragile items during transport. But what to do with them once you’ve opened that shipping box? Whatever you do, don’t throw them away! There are a lot of ways you can reuse and repurpose packing peanuts. Check out our favorites.

Preparing for winter doesn’t have to be a chore! Read on for 23 fun and fast DIY ways to keep your home warm and weatherproof, no matter what the season brings.

Why settle for just beads when you can dress your tree with stringed-decorations made from felt, corks, bells and more. Check out these imaginative Christmas garlands that you can make yourself.

Homeowners associations (HOAs) exist to ensure visual uniformity and to protect the property rights of residents of a specific neighborhood. Most of the time they do a decent job, but because their rules and regulations are decided and enforced by a group of neighbors, HOAs can overreach and make life miserable for certain homeowners. If you’re thinking of buying a home in a neighborhood governed by an HOA, keep reading to discover 10 things about these organizations that you may not know (but should).