This Old House

For some time now, I’ve been staring at the cased opening that separates living room from dining room in my house. I’m pretty sure that we could carve out a few extra feet side to side before we’d have to deal with load-bearing structure (cue stricke

IF CULINARY SUCCESS is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent preparation, a kitchen short on workstations simply can’t cut it. That’s one reason interior designer Cillesa Ullman was eager to renovate the cook space in the open-plan 1964 post-and-beam

My fireplace has some cracked bricks. Can I cut them out and replace them without causing further damage? —BYRON BARBOUR, MISSION VIEJO, CA TOH MASON MARK MCCULLOUGH: Sure you can. As long as you have the right masonry tools, and materials that match

Within hours of moving into their renovated house, Scott and Shayla Adams and their two daughters felt right at home. There was food on the table, toys were spread out in the playroom—and even more toys spilled into the living area. But that’s just w

READING MAY SEEM outmoded as a way to while away an afternoon, but there just might be more interest than ever in carving out a reading nook at home. Nestled into an alcove or tucked alongside a window, a snug spot in which to retreat with the latest

We all want homes that are comfortable and energy efficient. But all our efforts to replace drafty windows, seal up air leaks, and blanket wall cavities with insulation have had an unfortunate consequence: They’ve made the air in our houses less heal

And out with the mash-up of eras. An antiques lover restores authenticity to her 1820s Cape with vintage furniture, salvaged flooring, period-style trim, and paint colors that bring back its time-honored patina IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE what drove settler

LIFTMASTER 8500W This wall-mount garage-door opener offers two big benefits: quiet operation thanks to its DC motor and chain-free direct drive, and increased overhead space (where other openers reside). It’s also Wi-Fi-compatible—you can control it

PRICE $60,000 LOCATION Brunswick, GA CONTACT Dennis Lovello, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, 404-885-7819 THE HISTORY This large, rambling two-story home was designed by a prominent architect from Knoxville, TN, George F. Barber, who inc