Sunny Yellow The New Color For Housewares
The word from the annual International Housewares Show last week in Chicago is yellow.
New on the market this spring, everything from blenders to coffee grinders will be available in yellow. But don’t think you can snap up an old harvest-gold blender at a garage sale and be out on the cutting edge.
The new yellow hue is softer and, well, more sunny.
Back to school
If the list of home repairs seems overwhelming, just leave it behind for a couple of hours and go learn how to do those chores more quickly and with better results.
The series of free how-to workshops continues this weekend at Home Base stores in the area.
Saturday the series starts at 10 a.m. with spring planting techniques, followed by installing plank flooring at 11 a.m., installing tub and shower doors at noon and installing vanities at 1 p.m.
Sunday’s lineup also starts at 10 a.m. with painting the kitchen, installing wainscot paneling at 11 a.m., installing medicine cabinets at noon and doing basic wiring at 1 p.m.
Think elevation
Most gardens benefit from the addition of ornaments that vary the level of interesting elements, hence the revival of arbors and towers.
A company in New York is offering arbors and rose towers made from copper, which not only provide sturdy support for climbing roses and clematis, they’re durable. And they will age with a beautiful patina over a few seasons.
For a free Garden Trellises catalog, call (315) 498-9003, or write Garden Trellises, P.O. Box 105, LaFayette, NY 13084, or contact the company on-line at www.gardentrellises.com.
Retile in an afternoon
Decorative tiles can be striking when used sparingly in bathroom and kitchen decor, but they can also be pricey, especially if you already have tile and would need to tear it out and start over just to incorporate some designed tiles.
What to do? Now you can turn to a new product called Tile Art, brought to us by the same company that created Con-Tact brand self-adhesive coverings.
Here’s how it works: Peel away the paper backing on a 4-by-4-inch sticker and position right on the tile.
The new line has 19 tile patterns, including plaid, sold in packs of eight for $7. Matching self-adhesive borders are also available. Eventually Tile Art will be widely available in home improvement stores, but if you’re in a hurry, call (800) 932-7566 for information about an outlet near you.
It’s a dirty job …
Where most shelter magazines feature gardens bursting with blooming flowers in these waning winter months, not This Old House magazine.
The subject of the cover story of the February issue: work gloves. Reading the article may not inspire you to head out and move the wood pile or clean the garage, but you’ll learn much of what there is to know about work gloves.
, DataTimes