Homes

The concept of a focal wall is not new. We have painted scenes, motifs, diagrams and personal images on interior surfaces for thousands of years.

Every year around this time I start hearing people say things like, "Let's renovate the kitchen for the holidays." They imagine cooking a big holiday feast in a beautiful, newly renovated kitchen - with all the fancy finishes and appliances.

Cable knits, textural weaves, rich faux furs ... this fall, throws are showing up in all the retailers' collections.

Helen Chesnut >F1

New residents put their own stamp on a garden, and thus on the street

Architect Gil Schafer III has built a reputation on creating classic homes - both new homes with the warmth and appearance of old houses, and older structures renovated for today's way of living.

If you have not planted pansies in a few years, you are in for a pleasant surprise. These little troopers of cool-season colour are now available in trailing selections. I visited my garden centre Saturday and I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Modern living can combine energy efficiency and reasonable comfort, experts say. They cite a host of simple ways to cut energy consumption without sacrificing comfort or lifestyle.

"People may tell you in detail about the pain in their elbow or leg, where and how it hurts, but they may not tell you about the emotional pain they feel in their heart," says Dr.

One in five U.S. adults do not identify with a specific religion, and the number of Protestants has for the first time dipped significantly below 50 per cent, according to a poll released this week by Pew Research Center.