Construction & Repair Housekeeping Gardening Tools & Equipment Home Appliances Plumbing & Electric Furniture & Woodworking Landscaping Eco-Friendly Flower Arrangement Home & Garden WonderHowTo

Hot Interior Design How-Tos

iOS 18 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

How To: Craft a heart shaped lamp shade

Turn on your heart light!! Watch this instructional arts and crafts video to make a fabulous heart shaped lamp shade for Valentine's Day. You will need a heart shaped box of chocolates, a beaded curtain, duct tape, string, ribbon, and a lamp shade. So what are you waiting for? Craft this handmade heart light and impress the one you love.

How To: Make a mantel shelf

While mantel shelves provide a big visual impact, their installation is very low impact. The first piece of information you need before you can begin laying out the pieces and parts for a mantel (or "mantle" as it's sometimes misspelled) is to know exactly where you want the finished shelf to go: left, right, up and down—and what its proportions are. If it's working as a mantel, you'll want the shelf and corbels to extend proportionally past the left and right sides of your hearth. As a rule ...

How To: Cope, or cut, molding to fit your room

When installing baseboards, crown molding ("moulding") and chair rails, it's tempting to cut 45-degree miters at the corners and hope for a sure fit. The problem is that most walls aren't square. Joining two 45-cut molding pieces may give you a square joint, but a square joint may not work for your crazy corner. In fact, it seems like every wall is just a “hair” out of square. This problem could be due to a framing error or a buildup of drywall compound in the corner. But even a perfect miter...

How To: Use crown molding

If you're looking to dress up an ordinary room, think about installing crown molding (also spelled moulding). Very few additions make a visual impact like crown molding, which gives a subtle yet elegant design element to any space. And with the proper tools and set up, installation can be easy. While wood is a common choice for crown molding, urethane is also a popular material. For a recent project we installed Fypon urethane crown molding, which is lightweight, flexible and looks like solid...

How To: Install a door casing

The key to a great looking door casing, and a great looking door, is perfectly mitered corners. If you have just installed a new door that needs a casing around it or you have decided to replace the casing around an existing door, you can achieve professional results quite easily. This tutorial will help you get there by sharing a little secret - completely assemble your casing before you install it. You can also use this technique on window casings. For complete, step-by-step instructions fo...

How To: Install a chair rail

Installing a chair rail will create a dramatic addition to any room. A chair rail is basically a piece of molding that runs along the middle of your room's perimeter. Not only does a chair rail protect your walls from furniture, but it can be a creative addition to your interior design, as well.

How To: Install shoe molding

If you have hardwood floors in your house, take a look at your baseboards. Right in front of the baseboards there is usually a smaller, curved molding about ¾” tall. How does this short molding look? Is it painted over, chipped and/or just beat up in general? If so, you can easily replace this molding and make a huge difference in the overall appearance of your room. And, it is fairly easy to do.

How To: Install vinyl cove molding

Vinyl wall base molding is an easy-to-install substitute for wood baseboard molding. In areas that you have installed a vinyl or carpeted floor, vinyl wall base molding is a very decorative and functional option for surrounding the room perimeter. You have several color choices that can provide a nice accent to the colors and design of the entire room. Because it is pliable and resilient, it is easy to install and resistant to scuffs and scrapes that can occur over time. Ideal applications ar...

How To: Decorate a small room

A small living room doesn't have to feel cramped. There are lots of simple tips to make the most of the space available. Watch this video interior design tutorial and learn how to furnish a small room comfortably.

How To: Make a DIY whiteboard on a white wall

This is a short video that shows how to transform any white wall into a dry-erase whiteboard in less than five minutes. Whiteboards are handy to leave messages on, or to work out simple problems, that can be erased, so the surface can be used over and over again. Cut down on paper waste in your home. All you will need is clear plastic book covering paper. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to make a whiteboard on any white wall.

How To: Paint a room properly

This instructional painting video demonstrates how to prep and paint a room. First, go through the room and spackle any holes or dents in the wall. Sand it down after the joint compound dries. Paint the ceilings first. Follow these step by step instructions to paint a room; trim, window sills and all.

How To: Apply vinyl wall letters

This instructional interior design video demonstrates how to apply vinyl wall letters correctly. Always use a level to place the transfer tape. Use a smoothing tool to press the letters onto the wall and press out any air bubbles. Peel off the transfer tape of the vinyl wall letters at a diagonal angle.

How To: Make a photo wall

Got a boring blank wall? Hate framing your photos, but still want to put them out on display? Why not build a photo wall. This impressive effect will showcase your loved ones and artistic attempts, and in any case, is something to look at. Watch this video interior design tutorial and learn how to build a photo wall in your own home.

How To: Create a luxurious linen finish on a wall

Create a faux linen finish on your walls with the techniques shown in this how to video. Learn what a can of paint and a little imagination can do to completely change the look and feel of a room. This interior design video emphasizes ideas that turn even basic wall painting into something unique. Luxurious linen finishes will appeal to you if you're looking for something simple or dramatic that includes everything from walls to murals to painted furniture.

How To: Apply a negoro nuri lacquer finish

Negoro nuri is a technique using black lacquer topped with red lacquer. This how to video illustrates what a can of paint and a little imagination can do to completely change the look and feel of any furniture. This interior design video will appeal to you if you're looking for something simple or dramatic and includes everything from walls to murals to painted furniture. Keep watching to master the negoro nuri lacquer finish.

How To: Decorate bare walls with a terra fresco technique

Bring the Italian countryside into your home with this technique. Watch as our host shows you how to decorate your walls with terra fresco. Terra fresco simply involves using plaster and paint. Use two or three different colors of paint for optimum results. This interior design video will appeal to you if you're looking for something simple or dramatic and includes everything from walls to murals to painted furniture.

How To: Reglaze ceramic tile

Remodeling your bathroom can be expensive, unless you know how to do it yourself. Watch a professional tile reglazer work his magic on an outdated bathroom in this how to video. Reglazing tiles can last for up to 15 years and it completely changes the look of any old bathroom.

How To: Makeover a laundry room

A makeover can make laundry day more enjoyable and boost a home's equity. This how to video is a quick excerpt from a DIY show. Watch as it demonstrates how to redo a laundry room by removing mold, painting the walls and floors, and installing a few gadgets that will help out with clothes washing.

How To: Make thermal curtains

This video is an instructional tutorial on how to make thermal curtains. Thermal curtains are a low cost method of reducing your heating bill by increasing the R value of your windows with an aesthetic, insulative curtain. Watch and learn how easy it is to keep the cold out and the warmth in with homemade thermal curtains.

How To: Re-cover a lampshade

Updating an old lampshade is a great way to brighten up a corner, freshen up a room, and lighten up your life. Learn how to re-cover your lampshade with this tutorial. All you need is fabric, spray adhesive, fabric glue, ribbon or cording to easily cover your lampshade at home.

How To: Reupholster a drop-in chair seat

Are your chairs still covered in that faded and threadbare chintz your great-grandmama picked out in 1936? She'd be the first to tell you—it's time for an update, dearie. This tutorial teaches you how to re-upholster a chair. It is easier than you think to replace the upholstery on your chairs. Watch this how to video and you can quickly reupholster your chairs at home.

How To: Feng shui a bedroom

Feng shui creates positive energy through colors, elements and directionals. Learn how to incorporate feng shui into the bedroom to increase love and strength in this free interior design video series from a leading feng shui practitioner.