The Lori Bost Team, Howard Hanna Real Estate

09/20/2026

6 Ideas For Creating a Mood-Boosting Outdoor Sanctuary

Is your yard a restful spot where you can chill out and relax, or is it lacking that oh-so-important tranquil vibe? If you’re looking to feel completely at peace in your outdoor space, take a look at these ideas to help you turn your outdoor space into an uplifting sanctuary. 1. Make It Feel Like an Extension of the Home…...

Is your yard a restful spot where you can chill out and relax, or is it lacking that oh-so-important tranquil vibe? If you’re looking to feel completely at peace in your outdoor space, take a look …

09/19/2026

10 Outdoor Kitchen Design Features Suggested By Pros

A well-designed outdoor kitchen can elevate your cooking and entertaining experience. Read on to learn more about the grills, layouts, materials and other features they think nearly all well-appointed outdoor kitchens could use. With summer drawing to a close, now’s the perfect time to plan for next year’s projects. 1. Next-Level Grill The pros we spoke with agree: The grill is your starting point when designing an outdoor kitchen, so it’s important to pick what’s right for you....

A well-designed outdoor kitchen can elevate your cooking and entertaining experience. Read on to learn more about the grills, layouts, materials and other features they think nearly all well-appoin…

09/18/2026

Bathroom of the Week: More Is More in 40 Square Feet

Decades ago, iconic American interior designer Dorothy Draper said: “The Drab Age is over. Color is coming into its own again.” The declaration is as timely now as it was then, especially for this homeowner. She, her husband and their two kids share one full bathroom on the second floor of their 1920s Tudor-style home in Royal Oak, Michigan. In spite of its modest footprint of 40 square feet, she had a “more is more” attitude, which was fully embraced by her interior designer, Emily Elkins....

Decades ago, iconic American interior designer Dorothy Draper said: “The Drab Age is over. Color is coming into its own again.” The declaration is as timely now as it was then, especially for this …

09/17/2026

How To Choose A Paint Color You Can Live With

While many homeowners are attracted to bright colors, I often find my clients are most concerned with making sure the palette in their home feels “livable.” After all, a color you love in a stunning photo may not be a color you will love to see on your walls every day. With that in mind, here are some tips for choosing a paint color you’ll enjoy in real life....

While many homeowners are attracted to bright colors, I often find my clients are most concerned with making sure the palette in their home feels “livable.” After all, a color you love in a stunnin…

09/16/2026

15 How To Cool Down A Room In Hot Weather Tips

When the mercury rises, houses without air conditioning can get stuffy and uncomfortable, making it difficult to relax, eat or sleep. Even if you have air conditioning, you may want to save energy and use it sparingly. Try these tricks to cool down your rooms during summer. 1. Blow Cold Air With a Fan If you have a tabletop fan, you can turn it into a DIY air-conditioning unit by placing a bowl of ice water in front of it so the air skims over the ice and gets supercooled....

When the mercury rises, houses without air conditioning can get stuffy and uncomfortable, making it difficult to relax, eat or sleep. Even if you have air conditioning, you may want to save energy …

09/15/2026

Yard of the Week: Spacious With a Secret-Garden Feel

This yard in west London had always been cherished by its owners. “They really loved it,” landscape designer Peter Reader says. “It’s a strange triangular shape and quite quirky. It has areas of woodland too — unexpected in London — and they loved the atmosphere in it.” It hadn’t been touched for 15 years, though, so when Reader was asked to redesign it, he was confronted with overgrown shrubs, tired plantings, uneven paths and underused corners.The brief was to bring it all up to date....

This yard in west London had always been cherished by its owners. “They really loved it,” landscape designer Peter Reader says. “It’s a strange triangular shape and quite quirky. It has areas of wo…

09/14/2026

Know The 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage

“How much storage space do I need?” The trick is to assess what you own and decide how you will store it for convenient access. Carefully consider this challenge because poorly organized spaces often become daily irritations, impeding the pleasure of being at home. Kitchens top the list of rooms in which you need to get your storage right. How to Organize Your Kitchen Storage…...

09/14/2026

How To Make Your Kitchen Photography More Clickable

One of the ways you as a home professional can attract new clients is to showcase your work with appealing photography. David Duncan Livingston, a top interiors and architectural photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has years of experience photographing high-end residential spaces for design pros. Livingston shares his tips on how to shoot high-impact kitchen photos that will get attention and make people want to look more closely at your rooms....

One of the ways you as a home professional can attract new clients is to showcase your work with appealing photography. David Duncan Livingston, a top interiors and architectural photographer based…

09/12/2026

6 Stylish New Powder Rooms

Designers love powder rooms. That’s because these small, intimate spaces offer an opportunity to incorporate a surprising color or pattern that might not work for the rest of the home. Here, designers share the adventurous details they included in six new powder rooms. 1. Bamboo Wallpaper and Green Tile Designer: Laura Irion and Laura Peacock of Laura Design Location: Western Springs, Illinois…...

09/11/2026

8 Comfy Rooms Designed for Reading

Built-in bookshelves, saturated color schemes and plump armchairs create cozy spaces made for enjoying books. Searches for “book nook” are up 69% this year, while searches for “reading corner” increased 45%. Whether you have so many books you need a rolling library ladder or you simply crave a place to relax with a good novel, you’ll find inspiration in these eight cozy reading rooms....

Built-in bookshelves, saturated color schemes and plump armchairs create cozy spaces made for enjoying books. Searches for “book nook” are up 69% this year, while searches for “reading corner” incr…