Home & Garden
Better Homes and Gardens
November 2020Get Better Homes and Gardens digital magazine subscription today and find out how to turn your home into a comfy, inviting haven. Every issue is packed with bedrooms that wrap you in warmth, kitchens that start your day with sunshine, gardens that greet you with gladness, porches that put you at peace, and recipes that become instant family classics.
in this issue
editor’s letter
THE MAGIC OF BAKING I would like to salute all the bakers out there. I confess that I’m not a member of your talented clan. Turns out I’m not the most precise person in the kitchen. I love to cook but don’t like to slow down to measure or weigh ingredients. For me, cooking is more about the grand gesture of making a dish. I don’t usually follow a recipe; I taste and make adjustments as I go. I think of it almost like making music. Baking is something more akin to mathematics and chemistry—two areas sadly lacking in my education. Maybe that’s why my attempts at baking usually come out more than a little lacking—“stodgy” and “soggy bottomed,” as Mary Berry, formerly of The Great British Baking Show, would critique. I…
bhg.com what’s trending online
GARDEN TOOL CARE Once you’ve planted that last bulb, it’s time to prep your tools for winter hibernation. Follow our easy three-step maintenance routine so your tools will be primed for the spring season. BHG.com/GardenToolCare Thanksgiving Leftovers The best part of Turkey Day? Leftovers, of course. We have 21 creative ways to reinvent your feast day favorites, including a pumpkin pie milkshake, breakfast hash, and a few new spins on the turkey sandwich. BHG.com/ThanksLeftovers [EXCLUSIVE BH&G OFFER] ‘Samba’ Amaryllis Add festive color to a room with a vibrant red-and-white amaryllis shipped to you in a handsome woven basket. Each bulb produces two flower stalks that grow to 6 inches tall and unfurl with delicately ruffled blooms in eight to 10 weeks. Display as a centerpiece, spruce up a side table, or gift it to someone…
from the editors
EASY NAPKIN RINGS I inherited my mom’s love of all things botanical, and as a nod to that, I‘ll be making napkin rings out of strawflowers for this year’s Thanksgiving table. I wouldn’t call myself a crafter, but this project doesn’t require any serious skills or time. Simply hot-glue dried strawflowers from the crafts store onto a ring made by twisting together two lengths of bark-covered florists wire (afloral.com). The result is a handmade touch that makes the table more celebratory. —JESSICA THOMAS, style director PHOTO OPS Celebrate your circle by using old family photos for Turkey Day decor and fun. Washi-tape up a portrait gallery, including loved ones who are no longer with you. Label who’s in the photo and when it was taken. (That’s our features editor Diana Dickinson’s family, above, in the…
ask bh&g
Q: “I’M THINKING ABOUT SELLING MY HOUSE. WHICH HOME IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP THE MOST?” –CHERYL DURBAN, Decatur, IL Beyond decluttering and deep cleaning, real estate agents say these changes have the biggest impact on potential buyers. FRESH PAINT The easiest, most affordable update is painting walls. Choose beige, gray, or greige, which comes off clean and current. Neatness counts; potential buyers will notice a sloppy job. Hiring a professional can be worth the cost if you plan to paint many rooms, need to cover a dark color, don’t own the tools, or time is short. KITCHEN MAKEOVER Two projects Michelle Budd of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Paracle in Fort Mill, SC, recommends: having the cabinets professionally painted and replacing cabinet hardware. If the appliances look old, don’t match, or aren’t energy efficient, look into…
april 1980: lace
Close your eyes and picture a sumptuous old master European portrait. Did the sitter have a) a lace collar? b) lace cuffs? c) all of the above? By the 16th century, lace was near obligatory for adding frilly flash to fabric and was an opulent signifier of taste and wealth. By the Victorian Era, machine technology sent the lace trend mainstream, but after a modern-day resurgence in the 1970s and ‘80s (see above) lace was deemed dowdy and fell out of high-style favor. No more! Our picks celebrate the geometric quality of lace and reinterpret its diaphanous white threadwork in contrasting colors, laser-cut metals, and trompe l’oeil printed wallpaper. BY: KATY KIICK CONDON; PHOTOS: JASON DONNELLY, (SPOON REST) ROCKY LUTEN/FOOD52…
color your hair like a pro
More time spent at home and away from salons means you’re likely building self-colorist skills or contemplating a first-time DIY. There’s much to consider: Are you covering lots of gray or a little? Is your hair bleached or dyed? How creative do you want to get? Or maybe you need only a tonal tweak. Read on for pro colorists Rachel Bodt’s and Jessica Kiyomi’s answers to frequently asked at-home hair color Qs. IF YOUR HAIR HAS GONE OVERLY RED OR BRASSY Balance the tone with a color-depositing conditioner, which coats hair in pigment without chemically altering it. A green-tinted conditioner like Matrix Total Results Dark Envy Hair Mask ($24; matrix.com) cancels unwanted red, a common complaint for dark brunettes. For blond, white, or gray hair, a purple formula like Overtone Purple Toning…
