Resolution: Adjust to the Economy in the New Year

 

Cornelia Ortega - With the year almost complete, it's time to take stock of the economy and make a resolution to adjust what we're doing. The economy impacts all of us, whether you're a homeowner, an interior designer, or a home decor vendor. The Commerce Department revealed that October 2010 sales for the retail industry jumped 1.2 percent from the previous month, the largest gain since March. The increase was driven by a 5 percent spike in auto sales, which analysts said was particularly encouraging because it showed consumers were ready to tackle big-ticket purchases. In addition, September's sales gain was revised upward coming from a 0.6 percent increase to 0.7 percent.

Still, consumers remained choosy about where they spent their dollars. Home furnishings stores and electronics retailers each suffered

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Resolution: Use My Patio in the Fall

Jessica Ackerman - If you have a patio, chances are you're just a bit sad that summer is ending. Some people look at the end of summer as the end of entertaining and relaxing on their outdoor patio. Fortunately, with a little decorating and a few additional accessories, you can continue to enjoy your patio area well into the autumn months. Here are some tips to help you get your patio ready for fall fun.

Patio Warmth

Although autumn days are usually still warm, the evenings can start to get a bit too cool to sit out on the patio. You can fix this situation by adding a patio stove or heater. These come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, including larger free-standing models as well as smaller tabletop or wall-mounted heaters.

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Resolution: Keep My Bathroom Modern

Your bathroom is a room where you spend a good part of each day. You start your routine there in the morning, you end it there in the evening, and during the day you spend significant time . . . doing some of your best thinking. Eventually, you get tired of looking at the same surroundings - this of course goes for any room in your home! - and you feel the need to change things up a bit. This is known as “modernizing” your bathroom, and there are a number of ways to do it on a relatively small budget.

Keeping your bathroom looking modern doesn’t require that you buy the most expensive technology, but some new additions will definitely be called for.

  • Select a new bathtub or shower that won't bust your budget.
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Resolution: Spruce Up Outdoor Rooms

Linda Grasso - Having her home selected to be on the South Pasadena Beautiful annual garden tour of historic South Pasadena homes inspired Joan Estes Lindskog to re-do her garden. “I wanted succulents and sub tropical cacti. I just felt like that was what belonged here.” And, as is so often the case with home improvements, that re-design lead to something else.

"As I talked to my gardener about what we were going to do he said, 'God, Joan, now you'll have to paint the floor in the pergola.' It suddenly occurred to me, he was right! I hadn’t done anything with the pergola since moving in a year ago. I’d originally envisioned something Mediterranean. Then, I changed my mind. It happened when I bought some furniture and

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