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“It’s a very outdoor and sports-oriented area of Canada,” Brown says. “Originally, the living room had a very cliche ‘mountain’ aesthetic with rustic river rock and a wood mantel around the fireplace. And although it had lots of windows, the dated decor choices made it feel dark and small.” Brown knew that the living area would be where the family would gather most, naturally, and so she aimed to make it feel as welcoming and comfortable as possible....

Space-saving furniture and decor isn’t just about being smaller or more narrow, it’s about using pieces creatively, as well as finding items that can be easily stored to free up room when not in use (think: New Year’s Eve parties and holiday gatherings). Our editor perused Target’s home section to find these five thoughtful furniture and decor ideas that have surprising space-saving features, and they’re all on sale. Opalhouse Designed with Jungalow Olivia Round Pouf When searching for additional seating, particularly if you enjoy hosting for the holidays, get creative with comfortable and multifunctional options....

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To find the best bathroom cleaners, we spent hours researching several options and top-rated products while considering factors like type, ingredients, and compatibility on surfaces. We also asked Angela Brown, CEO and founder of Savvy Cleaner and host of the daily show Ask a House Cleaner, for her tips and insight on what to look for when choosing a bathroom cleaner and how to keep your bathroom clean. Our top pick is the Kaboom With OxiClean Foam-tastic Bathroom Cleaner because of its impressive cleaning power, surface versatility, and unique color-changing action to show when a surface is clean and ready to be wiped or rinsed....

“Humidifiers can have benefits for several dermatologic conditions, including dry skin and eczema, and conditioning the nasal passages and throat when the air is dry,” says Dr. Erum Ilyas, MBE, FAAD, a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group. To find out which styles are the best, we purchased 27 humidifiers and put them to the test at our lab in Des Moines, Iowa. Over the course of two days, testers evaluated each option based on six categories: setup, effectiveness, design, size, ease of cleaning, and overall value....

Great leaf rakes come in many designs. A number of leaf rakes feature traditional metal tines supported with a coil spring and a wooden handle. Others employ wider plastic tines to grab and draw more leaves at a time, making it easy to spread leaves across more ground or grab and draw mounds of wet leaves. Some leaf rakes use a thinner build or employ a staggered, dual-tine system to help maneuver between the shrubs....

To find the best natural cleaning products for your home, we spent hours researching various options while considering factors such as type, ingredients, and packaging. All of our picks are either EPA Safer Choice Certified, rated B (low concern) or higher by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and/or Green Seal Certified. We also tapped two experts: Allen Rathey, Director of Indoor Health Council, and Robert W. Powitz, PhD, MPH, RS, licensed sanitarian and principal of R....

“A lounge chair gives a more comfortable option over a traditional accent chair,” says Ashley Mecham, a designer at Decorist. Unlike full recliners, they have no “moving parts” or static, she adds, but they do still recline back further than a regular chair—giving you that satisfyingly cozy feeling. To help you find a chair that suits your needs, we rounded up the best lounge chairs you can buy right now in various styles, materials, and price ranges....

While not having central air might seem like a disadvantage, there are many benefits to using other forms of home air cooling. Window air conditioner units are easy to install yourself, they’re less expensive than purchasing a central air conditioner, and they’re highly energy efficient, allowing you to save money on your energy bill every month. However, not all window air conditioners are built the same. Depending on your home’s square footage, window dimensions, and your own noise or aesthetic preferences, certain window AC units may be a better choice for you than others....

We asked Brian Walsh, associate director of Concept Interiors, about what to look for when shopping for the best flooring for basements. “The best basement flooring should be waterproof or at least moisture-resistant,” Walsh says. He also advises that the material of the flooring—as long as it’s appropriate for basement use (you can’t use solid wood in a basement as fluctuating moisture levels could cause the flooring to buckle or split)—doesn’t matter as much as the prep work....

We tested 27 outdoor solar lights in our Lab and evaluated them on setup, features, design, brightness, durability, and value. We even set up a GoPro camera to find out exactly how long the lights stayed on in the middle of the night. For expert advice, we spoke with Cate Singleton, director of design at Tilly, an online landscape design company. Before deciding which outdoor solar lights to buy, the most important factor to consider is how much sunlight you get in that area, according to Singleton....

To find the best sink caddies, we spent hours researching various models on the market and assessing them for style, durability, and storage capacity. We turned to Holly Blakey, a professional organizer at Breathing Room, for advice on how to choose the best sink caddy for your kitchen. “Select the material carefully,” Blakey says. “[Your sink] is a wet space, so you don’t want [a caddy] that will rust, collect mildew, or break....

To determine the best foot massagers on the market, we researched dozens of different options while comparing settings, sizes, effectiveness, and price point. We also spoke with Marcela Correa, Owner of Medi Pedi NYC, for her recommendations on the best foot massagers and advice on choosing one right for you. “Feet are the foundation of your body,” Correa says. “Keeping a pair of healthy feet is key for a pain-free independent life....

“When [choosing the best kitchen faucets], make sure that the faucet not only fits the style of the kitchen but that it also functions for [your] needs,” said Jenny Slingerland, owner and principal designer at Black Ink Interiors. “Understanding how you need your kitchen to function for you is the best first step in selecting the perfect faucet. Do you live a fast-paced life and prefer a touch-activated faucet, or would you prefer a more traditional bridge faucet with two handles?...

Plan too far ahead in some cities, and you could find yourself paying significantly more than if you would have procrastinated. In other places, waiting until the last minute may backfire spectacularly. “If you’re headed to a vacation getaway destination, those hotel rooms start to get very expensive last-minute,” says Adit Damodaran, an in-house economist at Hopper.com, a predictive flight and hotel pricing app. Meanwhile, big cities such as New York and San Francisco often have more rooms than they do visitors, making it possible to score a deal even as you drive into town....

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We get it: Choosing a palette can be next-level intimidating, and rightly so: You want to commit to colors that you’re pretty sure you’ll still love in a decade or more, reflect your personality, and make you feel content every time you pull into the driveway. Before you color yourself overwhelmed, read through these shortcuts to finding your home’s perfect match. Choose Your Hues Begin with what you can’t change Unlike the inside of a room, an exterior is almost never a blank slate....

The weeder features a hand trowel style with an ergonomic grip, making it ideal for removing dandelions, thistles, and other invasive species. It features a cast-aluminum head that resists rusting and a handle hole that allows for convenient hanging in your garden storage shed. The handle is also specially designed to prevent hand and wrist fatigue—especially crucial if you’re tackling an overgrowth. Buyers love its ease of use, grip, and sturdiness and have given it nearly 5,000 five-star ratings to date....