Seasonal

Features

Like old friends, many of us can mark our years by the couches on which we have spent time.

Remember the sofa that your parents had, and how it felt so warm and safe to snuggle on it while you watched Saturday morning cartoons? How about the hand-me-down one that you tried to work with by [...]

House Mechanic

For many in the Roanoke Valley, fall is a favorite time of year, that wonderful period between the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Though we enjoy many outdoor activities during this period, homeowners should be mindful of the fact that the chill of winter is on its way. Fall is a great [...]

Favorite Things

It happens to most of us. The summer sun climbs into the sky and we feel a childlike urge to fling our home’s windows wide open.

Today, there is no more indulgent way to usher the sunlight into your home than through the open louvers of a gracious plantation shutter.
The plantation shutter seems almost handcrafted for [...]

In The Yard

You know the thought has crossed your mind. It does each fall when the limp summer blooms look forlornly down at their roots. You think, “It’s time to empty those planters and pots.”
Wait a minute, let’s rethink this. Gardening doesn’t have to end in the fall. In fact, that’s just when the bugs and humidity [...]

Simply Southern

One of the more daunting tasks when entertaining is setting the table. When your guests walk into the eating area, whether it’s a formal dining room or a casual breakfast nook, you want your table to be inviting, engaging, and most of all, beautiful.
There is more to creating a memorable setting than simply placing a [...]

RSVP

When I was eight years old, I had Rheumatic Fever—a condition many doctors don’t even diagnose any more. Besides feeling tired at times, I felt great. Even so, my family doctor banished me to my bed for five months. For my family, it was a huge adjustment. My parents lost some of their freedoms and [...]

Culinary Corner

Tailgating is a learned skill – we learn through our successes and mistakes—and like most challenges, we keep trying to perfect our skills. We learn how to keep the food cold and/or hot—how to efficiently pack the car to maximize space, and the best sources for ‘help’—who has the best fried chicken, pimiento cheese, barbecue [...]

Hot Tips

If you’re like me, the mere thought of cultivating indoor plants creates the image of brown leaves and drooping blooms. Whether your challenge is that you have little time for maintenance or simply a less-than-green thumb, maintaining indoor plants can seem a daunting task. However with just a little knowledge and effort, anyone can turn [...]

Showcase Home

For Bob and Jo Rider, family is everything. Their entire lives center on their children. So it was natural that they would settle in an area known not only as family-friendly but voted at one point as “the number-one street to raise a family in Roanoke.”
Stanley Avenue is a quiet street a few minutes’ walk [...]

The Power Of Color

The colors you choose for your walls affect your mood, how you feel about a room and your comfort level in that room. So choosing the right color for a home office presents a special challenge; it’s part of your home, yet it’s also a place where you must be productive, whether you use the [...]

Design Line

When I was a senior at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, my literature professor suggested in our last class that someday we consider joining a “book club” to foster our love of reading and lifelong learning. With snickers and sidelong glances, most of us dismissed the idea. Book club, we scoffed. Though we were indeed lovers of [...]

Around Town

Home and Garden Show Offers Something For Everyone
Join Roanoke Valley HOME for all the best in home and garden improvement, design and more at the Greater Roanoke Home & Garden Show, to be held January 8–10 at the Roanoke Civic Center. This fun-filled, information-packed event offers something for everyone!
Meet Celebrities: Bring your gardening questions and meet [...]

Special Interest