Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 362)

When decking the halls for the holidays, check out these fun, easy ideas for styling your staircase.

Whether you’re on the hunt for a new home or you’re just admiring the architecture in your neighborhood, learn about the different house styles in America and their defining characteristics.

This season, set up a fake tree that won't give you headaches to store the rest of the year. Utilizing an unlikely garage staple, this space-smart design marries whimsy and practicality.

Learn the lore about your favorite festive flair.

Grow your workshop (and your skill set) with these 15 handy power tools, accessories, and more. This content is paid advertising created in partnership with Tractor Supply. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Ensure the beauty, durability, and crack-resistance of your next concrete project by following these top tips.

Want a wood finish with lots of charm and not too much prep work? Gel stain has you covered.

Food safety is no joke. According to the FDA, harmful bacteria like listeria can live inside your fridge and cause illness. Fridge temperature, cleanliness, and organization are your best ways of preventing bacteria and mold, ensuring that your perishables stay fresh, longer.

Tripping over boots on your way out the door? Build up a station that can handle this season's bulky footwear, and you'll have an organized entryway once more.

As technology continues to evolve all around us, household items that were once commonplace have slowly fallen out of favor to be replaced by the latest and greatest. Whatever happened to the electric bun warmers that Mom and Grandma had? Would a rotary phone even work on the digital infrastructure we have now? (The answer is, “It depends.”) While many of yesteryear's biggest hits have disappeared for good, a few are still holding on. For example, wood paneling is actually coming back into fashion in some applications, and vinyl record and Polaroid enthusiasts can still feed their passions with vintage equipment. If you’ve ever said, “Well, back when I was a kid...,” come take a trip down memory lane with us as we visit some of our favorite household blasts from the past.

It’s inevitable that your houseplants will eventually outgrow their containers. While the signs can be subtle, understanding a little plant language will help you determine when the time has come to upgrade to roomier digs.

Understand the pros and cons of this narrow yet highly efficient design to see if it might work well for your cook space.

It's the perfect accompaniment for an exquisite meal and close friends, but drink too much of it, and you may find yourself slipping and stumbling into a heap of trouble—literally. Make no mistake, alcohol is one potent substance. In fact, its solvent properties give this versatile potable dozens of uses besides consumption. You can find alcohol in cleaning products, polishes, and even fuels, so it's not surprising that it has a bunch of practical uses around the home. Pop open your cabinet to see what you've got, then try out some of these 10 household tasks that can be tackled with drinkable alcohol.

Adding houseplants to a space is like putting out the welcome mat. They infuse a home with life, bringing character and interest to every room they inhabit. Some houseplants even offer a little something extra, sporting flashy foliage and the occasional flower. With so many leaf shapes, colors, and textures, there’s a houseplant for every situation. Here are our suggestions for plants that can give your home or office a colorful pop without requiring too much maintenance on your part.

A beautiful and extremely durable flooring option, porcelain tile will retain its sparkling finish for years—so long as it's cleaned regularly and appropriately. Here's how.

Learn why it’s crucial to have your chimney checked out by a pro on a yearly basis.

Engineered quartz countertops rival the sophistication, design, and timeless appeal of real stone, minus the high maintenance. If you're lucky enough to have this luxurious material in your kitchen, read on for our complete guide to keeping it clean.

Shotgun houses, traditionally no wider than 12 feet, feature a cascaded floor plan, wherein each room is arranged behind the other. These popular residential archetypes born of post-bellum Southern America continue to dot modern cityscapes and draw eyes with their memorable color palettes, intricate architectural details, and space efficiency. Take a tour of these wow-worthy shotgun homes to experience their full glory and glamor.

One of the simplest ways to spruce up your space is to add a fresh coat of paint. Painting is a fairly straightforward process that almost anyone can master, and in contrast to larger home improvement projects, it’s pretty inexpensive. Even so, there are a handful of tried-and-true painter’s tricks for prep work and technique that can save you time, money, and effort. Pros in the know use the clever tips that follow. Give a few of them a try, then marvel at the ingenuity behind each one. It'll be way more interesting than watching paint dry!