Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 389)

If you’re in the market for a major home appliance this year, strategize to save with these secrets for savvy shopping.

Experts agree that for comfort in winter, no other technology comes close to matching the performance of radiant floor heating. But is it the right choice for your home? Like so many other questions in building and home improvement, the answer depends. Learn the pros and cons, and decide for yourself.

Adding a chic coffee table, an elegant end table, or a rustic dining table to your patio or porch is a must if you want to stretch your living space into the outdoors this summer. When you build an outdoor table yourself, either from scratch or from upcycled materials you already own, the project is doubly easy on the wallet. Get inspired by this selection of delightful and durable DIY patio tables, then turn the tables on your outdoor living space by making one of your very own.

Queen Victoria may have vacated the British throne long ago, but the regal and architecturally distinctive Victorian houses erected during her reign, from 1837 to 1901, remain fixtures in cities across the United States, where they've put their own American twist on the European archetype. Here you can sample a selection of our favorite stateside examples of the everlasting elegance of the Victorian home.

There's no reason to settle for a barren backyard when there are seating options like these to inspire you. As this collection of DIY projects demonstrates, you can take basic materials and transform them into stunning additions that are sure to make your backyard the place to be this summer.

The rugged beauty and fuss-free style of log cabins made them one of the most beloved American home archetypes of all time. Today, the wooden retreats are cropping up in neighborhoods around the country as modern-day homeowners catch on to their rustic charm and time-tested construction. Ahead, a collection of our favorite contemporary examples of the enduring log cabin.

Although drop ceilings have a bit of a cringe factor, they can be useful for hiding that tangle of pipes and wiring that inhabits the upper reaches of the basement. If you're trying to fix up a downstairs space, a drop ceiling may be your best option. Read on for the installation basics.

Too much condensation pooling around your central AC? Follow these steps to keep your cool when your system can’t.

While before-and-afters of painting projects are often breathtaking, there tends to be a little bit of ugly at the end—specifically, the time-consuming cleanup. Fortunately, Hyde Tools is on a mission to design solutions that vanquish spills, splatters, smudges, and uneven application. The ingenious implements you’ll see here will speed you through your next DIY paint job, helping you get professional results with minimal mess and no tedious touch-ups. Top-notch tools like these just might make it fun to put on a fresh coat! This content has been brought to you by Hyde Tools. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Most homeowners’ desk drawers conceal dozens of paper clips in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Fortunately, you can put these tiny metal fasteners to work doing a lot more than just holding a few pages together. Check out 14 handy alternative uses for the humble paper clip.

When the weather warms up, people spend more time outside. Unfortunately, mosquitoes, flies, and other biting insects have the same idea. These winged pests see you as an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you're left with red welts and itchy bites. If you’ve had a run-in with those biting bugs that give summer a bad name, fear not. These quick and free home remedies will get you back outside in a flash, enjoying nature itch-free.

Plastic cups are incredibly cheap and convenient, but most of them end their lives in landfills across the country. Rather than pitching the disposable beverage holders the minute you finish your drink, check out some of our nifty ideas on how you can reuse plastic cups around the house and yard!

What do you get when you bring together forward-thinking architects, exacting engineers, and tireless construction crews? In the case of these 12 iconic buildings, you get a visual masterpiece, along with a few unintended design flaws. Click through to get the full scoop on the surprising mishaps behind your favorite famous buildings.

An entryway bench can go a long way toward making your home more welcoming. Even better, a bench provides a designated place to remove shoes and put down bags, preventing these practical necessities from being dropped in a trail throughout the house. Check out this collection of DIY bench designs to find the one that might be just what your entryway needs. Then, with just a weekend's work, you can have a new piece of furniture to enjoy—and a less cluttered life.

Say goodbye to the basement bedroom blues! You don’t have to settle for a dark and gloomy subterranean chamber. Through creative lighting techniques and the use of upbeat color combinations, you can turn that drab and depressing basement into a cheerful living area. Accompany us as we visit 14 inviting basement bedrooms for clues as to what these homeowners did right, and how you can create a similar look.

Ice cubes can transform any beverage into a refreshing treat. But did you know that ice has myriad practical uses beyond chilling your drink? Ice can solve a bevy of household hassles, from watering hard-to-reach plants to removing chewing gum from clothing. Here are 13 interesting and unusual uses for those humble ice cubes stacked in your freezer.

Despite our greatest efforts to minimize our use of plastic grocery bags by opting for reusable shopping bags, that pesky plastic always has a way of ending up in our homes. But you don’t have to throw them away and add to the ever-growing plastic refuse filling our landfills and oceans. There are many creative ways to recycle, repurpose, and reuse those little plastic bags.

Just because you rent doesn’t mean you should be left out of all the home decorating fun. This is where semi-permanent—and inventive—solutions come in. These 11 design options prove that with a little creativity you can renovate and still be able to leave your rental exactly the way you found it the day you moved in.

Truth be told, all houseplants were wild at some point in time, until humans decided to bring them indoors to grow for food or medicinal purposes—and for their beauty. So, where did your houseplants come from? Check out these 10 popular houseplants in their wild habitat.

The winter blues are real, but there’s hope, even for what feels like a cold, dead, and lifeless yard. Eject the doldrums from your winter landscape with one of these cheerful winter decorating ideas.