Halloween Candle

Halloween is a holiday that prompts so many people to decorate their homes, and nothing else provides a spookier glow than candles. Sit Halloween-inspired candles from Root Candles on top of your matnel to complement a roaring fire.

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock.com

With a fragrance reminiscent of crisp fall evenings, the luxurious IllumiNoir Warm Vanilla Hallow’s Eve candle comes in a black matte glass container and is housed in an elegant black box, perfect to give as a gift to fans of Halloween. Root Candles provide a modern twist to the traditional bottle light candle with their Spooky Tree, Autumn Leaves, Halloween’s Eve and Jack-O-Lantern candles scented with mulled cider fragrance. To find the retailer nearest you, visit www.rootcandles.com.

By Jennifer Myers

Top Ten: Tricks to Keeping Your Home Bright in Autumn

As the days get shorter, your home craves natural light. Here are some easy ways to trick Mother Nature.

1. Remove the clutter. Bundles of unnecessary odds and ends absorb light.

2. Select brighter linens for the bedroom and bath.

3. Replace worn rugs or give your hardwood floors a spiffy clean and show off their natural splendor.

4. Keep bushy green house plants to a minimum.

5. Employ candles and votives to cast soft, romantic rays.

6. Lighten up your window treatments and select ones    that can be easily drawn open.

7. Swap dark lampshades for warm, creamy varieties in soft tones.

8. Freshen walls with a new coat of paint or refresh trimmings with white paint.

9. Add lamps or candelabras to the corners of a room.

10. Bring in sun-catching accessories, such as mirrors and clear glass.

Photography by Jaimee Itagaki

Styled by Jacqueline deMontravel

Sunny Side Up - Kitchen Decor

It’s no revelation: The kitchen is the most important room in the house—the heart of the home.
 

Pumpkins

More than merely where the meals are cooked, it’s where coveted family recipes are passed down from one generation to the next, and the command center where we leave notes on the fridge regarding where we’ll be and what we need. It’s often where the homework is done and friends and family gravitate when they should be in the dining room or relaxing on the couch.

The kitchen plays a big role in our lives but also for the planet. Here, we become more in tune with how we interact with nature by choosing which foods we eat and what trash we throw away or hopefully recycle or, better yet, compost. It’s where the appliances we choose either save or spend energy. And, speaking of spending, the kitchen is one of the biggest selling points for the home and where we are most concerned about using our budgets wisely.

On our website, we have addressed the many facets of a kitchen: the practical side, where form must follow function; the flamboyant side, where professional cook top could make us drool more than a Death by Chocolate cake; and there’s the Eco-conscious side, where we prefer the sustainable bamboo flooring; and—perhaps the most fun—the artistic side, where vintage linens and a bold stroke of paint will always keep the cheer going and the sunny side up. 

With that in mind, I hope you find in our posts a wealth of ideas, information, resources and products that your kitchen deserves. After all, with the meals, notes, lessons and indulgences the kitchen affords us every day, it should be the brightest spot in the home.