DESIGNING THE DREAM: HGTV’S annual Dream Home Giveaway Sweepstakes – featuring the grand prize of a custom-built, fully-furnished ski-in/ski-out home in the Colorado Rockies – continues through Feb. 16. Enter at HGTV.com. Viewers also can see the house during two specials airing Feb. 3 and 15. The sweepstakes winner will be revealed March 18. But even if you don’t win, the network offers these tips for creating your own “Dream Home”:
Use shelf space as part of your decorating scheme, and not just for storage.
Don’t get hung up on high end. Even in a million-dollar home, affordable finds work.
Watch out for windows. Pay attention to what others see when looking in, not just what you see looking out.
Learn the seven basic elements of design: line, color, shape, value, texture, scale and organic versus inorganic.
GLOW FOR IT: These matches are perfect for lighting candles. Each stick is 4 inches long, making it easy to light multiple candles. Better yet, the box design featuring antique flora and fauna prints is worthy of display right next to the candles. $2.90 for a box of 50 matches at areohome.com.|Jessie Milligan, McClatchy Newspapers
“FIFTH WALL” OPTIONS: In response to consumer research indicating homeowners want new and diverse flooring options, Pergo recently released two new lines of laminate. Pergo Exotics captures the look of rare wood and is finished with LusterGaurd Plus to keep the floor from scratching, fading or staining. Pergo’s Select Traditional Strip re-creates the look of an authentic hardwood floor with planks of varying widths and lengths. Find Pergo dealers and installers at pergo.com or call 800-337-3746.
