Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 364)

Don't toss all that scrap wood left over from your last DIY adventure! Instead, put it to good use building one of these fun and functional projects for your home.

Do you wish your backyard was a little more shaded and secluded? Simply follow these steps, and you can be chilling out in a private outdoor oasis right on your property in less than a weekend.

Most homes exist in relative obscurity, playing host to ordinary lives and notable only to those who reside in them. Others, however, have attained legendary status by virtue of their illustrious architectural pedigree, celebrated former residents, or cultural significance. Some of these homes have even opened their doors—and their bedrooms—to visitors looking for a place to hang their hat for a night or two. Scroll through to take a peek at a selection of famous houses that can be yours for a night, and maybe book a trip to see a few of them up close and personal.

Popular in 17th- and 18th-century America for its ability to accommodate large families, the saltbox house features a catslide roof that extends below the eaves, creating one story that juts out on the back of the home and two or more on the front. The genius of the design is that any ordinary colonial home could be quickly and affordably upgraded to a saltbox simply by adding a leaning rafter to the rear. Specimens of this type of residence still stand to this day. Scroll through to see some of the most iconic examples of saltboxes in the country.

From woodland wonderlands to no-mow lawns, these 20 small backyard ideas showcase the countless fun and functional possibilities that lie on your home turf—no matter its size.

Most people associate chalk with elementary school blackboards and sidewalk hopscotch games, but chalk can be a surprisingly handy helper to have around the house. Chalk has a wide variety of cleaning and home improvement applications, ranging from banishing stains and odors to preventing rust and ant incursions. Here are just a few interesting and practical uses for chalk.

No newly cut garden bed is complete without some edging to distinguish it from the rest of your yard. Installing landscape edging is an easy DIY project that makes a major impact on the aesthetics of your outdoor space. There are a great variety of edging materials to choose from: metal, stone, brick, plastic, concrete, or wood. You can purchase something at a big box store, or special order your materials if you want to buy your edging. Or, you can save some money and make your own landscape edging with any number of recycled and found materials— glass bottles, steel pipes, clam shells, and even dinner plates. A creative DIY edging can help infuse your garden with a unique sense of style that reflects your personality. Here are some terrific and inventive garden edging ideas to get you started.

It takes a bit of daring but, under the right conditions, painting a room a wildly unexpected color can pay off in a major way. From deep dark tones to eye-popping brights, a well-chosen bold shade can make small rooms appear bigger, create coziness in a vast space, and add a dash of completely personal stand-out style to any blank wall.

In the quest to stay organized, storage is king. Especially in the laundry room. Though organization and laundry rooms are a somewhat utilitarian and practical matter, there’s no reason your storage solutions can’t also enhance your decor. Simple wall-mounted shelves, cabinet units for baskets and bins, and laundry-specific accessories like fold-away ironing boards can make your washing and drying chores so much easier. Whether you choose to buy a furniture storage system, or build your own DIY solution, you will not regret taking the time to think through your storage needs and outfitting your laundry area. Take a look at some of the best laundry room storage ideas we’ve found on the web.

Windowsill gardens are so last season. Build any of these handmade plant stand designs, and you'll show off both your green thumb and your craftsmanship.

There’s a common misconception that for a garden to flourish it has to be given lots of land and room to breathe. In reality, a small space can provide the foundation for a fantastic garden, one packed with appealing features like bubbling ponds, plenty of seating, and colorful, verdant plants that transform a cramped space into a beckoning backyard oasis.

Is your enamel stove looking a little worse for wear? You can restore the appliance to gleaming, pristine condition by repairing any portions of the surface that have gotten chipped in the course of cooking.

Laundry rooms serve as a drop zone in the home, collecting clothes, shoes, cleaning products, and more—which can lead to a headache-inducing mess. Turn your cluttered chaos into an organized work area with these DIY hacks that cost next to nothing.

Find out why this 500-year-old finish is trending again, and how to recreate it at home like the artisans of old.

A thoughtfully designed gate can make an already welcoming garden even more so, and give a much-needed decorative boost come winter. Whether integrated into a fence's design, overrun by wildflowers, or a standalone element, a gate is an extension of your home's (and garden’s) personality—but that doesn’t mean it can’t make a statement all its own. We found 10 examples of gates that serve as a barrier to the outside world while still saying "come on in." Even if your gardening prowess hasn't yet produced the landscape of your dreams, these fences will still make for a scenic and inviting welcome to your home.

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with our lawns. Although we enjoy the cool carpet of green grass to lie on and play on in summer, no one wants to spend hours every weekend mowing and trimming—not to mention battling weeds, insects, and fungus, and aerating, feeding, watering, and seeding. Turf lawns take a lot of time and money to maintain. They require the use of precious water resources to keep them alive, and the pesticides and herbicides we apply to them can damage the environment. More and more, people are turning to low-maintenance, no-mow lawn alternatives like meadows, rock gardens, and ground covers. These fresh options prove that you can have a beautiful yard without growing a single blade of grass. If that sounds right up your alley, check out these 10 no-mow alternatives to a grass lawn.

America may have 50 states now, but a little less than 250 years ago it consisted of just 13 colonies. Even today, there are some amazing homes built during the colonial period that still stand proudly. Despite war, neglect, and the passage of time, these homes serve as a reminder of the early settlers from countries throughout Europe who influenced the course of United States history.

You may think you keep a clean kitchen, but all of those nooks, crannies, and corners are perfect hiding places for bacteria and other nasty bugs. Even some seemingly innocuous items—dish towels, table linens, and doorknobs—may be harboring dangerous viruses that could make you and your family sick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 6 Americans gets sick every year after consuming contaminated food or beverages. With more than 250 varieties, food-borne illnesses are a common and costly public health problem that can cause everything from mild stomach upset to potentially fatal disorders. Keep your family safe by developing good kitchen habits, including these 9 smart food prep, cleaning, and cooking practices, and be grateful that your kitchen isn't in line for a visit from the Board of Health.

Faucets, towel bars, shower heads, hinges—chrome shows up all over the house, especially in the bathroom. Try some of these cleaning methods to keep your chrome gleaming and blemish-free.