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Each era has had its excesses, and during the Victorian days, horticultural decoration topped the list. Jennifer Davies, in her book "The Victorian Kitchen Garden," describes the art of "dressing" a formal dining table, as practiced by an estate's head gardener.No effort was spared to bring the outdoors in. Ripe dessert fruits were offered up in grottoes of palm and fern. A grape-laden vine might ascend from the [...]

Each era has had its excesses, and during the Victorian days, horticultural decoration topped the list. Jennifer Davies, in her book "The Victorian Kitchen Garden," describes the art of "dressing" a formal dining table, as practiced by an estate's head gardener.No effort was spared to bring the outdoors in. Ripe dessert fruits were offered up in grottoes of palm and fern. A grape-laden vine might ascend from the [...]

After redoing our 10-year-old yard with new plants and patio, we added the icing on the cake _ bird feeders for our feathered friends.After planting eastern red cedars, hollies and other bird-attracting plants in the natural area outback, we visited several birding stores to select a feeding system.In the past, we built our own systems. Our favorite was a 10-foot-long 4-by-4 cemented in the ground, and outfitted with squirrel- and raccoon-deterrent baffle and four 12- [...]

Q: Part of the ceiling drywall in my finished basement has water damage, right below the duct that delivers air to the upper two floors. I don't know the cause but suspect condensation because the problem is primarily in the summer. When the problem cropped up two years ago, I thought it was a one-time issue. I cut off the damaged drywall and had plumbers and heating and air [...]

Home … it’s where you spend a substantial chunk of your time and live out many of your best moments. Think birthday parties, snowball fights in the backyard, summer cookouts. It’s also likely the most expensive possession you’ll ever own (someday), as your mortgage statement keeps reminding you. So the question is, “With all that your home has got going for it, couldn’t you take care of it a little better?” Well, starting Jan. 1, you can. [...]

Nicholas Herman and his wife, Shannon Claire Smith, had dreamed for years of moving from Charlotte, N.C., to Washington. In April 2014, Herman, 30, flew to Washington for a job interview. When Smith, 29, arrived to pick him up from the airport, he handed her his phone: He had an e-mail offering him the position in the George Mason University development office, starting in two weeks.First, she burst into tears. [...]

Painting is the easiest, least expensive and single most transformative tool in all of interior design. Paint can change the mood of a room and your perception of its size. It can spotlight overlooked details in your home's architecture, and it can make blah furnishings spring to life.That said, painting can also be an overwhelming process. You have to gather the tools, do the prep work and, most challenging of all, [...]

The entry hall into Dale Mott and his partner's seventh-floor apartment in Washington bursts with light even though there's nary a window in sight.Instead, three large art pieces on the walls surrounding the elevator that opens into the home confer the radiance - a bright yellow aerosol and acrylic canvas; a black-and-white silk-screen print with sparkling Mylar; and an aerial photograph of a beach scene. "The crowd welcomes and draws you into our home," said Mott, pointing to the [...]

Email the street address of dazzling holiday light displays to readerpix@wickedlocal.com.

So you’re looking to buy a home in the new year and you’re overwhelmed by choices. You’d love a place that comes with a nice spacious yard … but watch out. You may encounter some unexpected landscaping problems. Although they might not be actual deal breakers, the following issues can effectively add money to the home purchase price, as well as involving a heaping helping of time and hassle. Big beautiful treesWhat’s not to love about the sight of [...]