HGTV Magazine March/April 2023

It’s spring, and I’ve got compost on my mind. I’ve finally recovered from the Great Fruit Fly Incident of 2022, when my husband and I left a pile of watermelon rinds and apple cores in our countertop composter, then went out of town for two weeks and completely forgot about it. By the time we returned, fruit flies had taken over our kitchen. Luckily, I was able to take care of the situation (hot tip: fill shallow bowls with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap to create a fruit fly trap), and now I’m back to dutifully collecting food scraps to turn into compost for my little vegetable garden. It’s one of the small ways I’m being more eco-friendly at home. We’ve been thinking about sustainability at…

New season airing this spring Holmes Family Rescue Contractor Mike Holmes has been helping homeowners fix their reno problems for decades—and now his grown kids, Sherry and Michael, have joined the family business! We asked them for the best lesson they’ve learned from Dad: “Happiness is a choice. I apply that to everything in my life, including how I act on a jobsite and as a mother. We all have off days, but I like to remind myself that I am what I choose to be.”—Sherry“Make it right. It’s my dad’s catchphrase for a reason! To make it right is not just about building houses—it means whatever you do in life, you make it right the first time, or at least you try your best.”—Michael Rock the Block In this hit show, HGTV stars pair…

how bad is it to keep butter on the counter? It’s certainly easier to spread room-temp butter on your toast, but you don’t want to leave it out for more than a day or two. “After 48 hours out of the fridge, the fat in butter can start going rancid,” says Andy Hirneisen, a food safety educator with Penn State Extension. Unless you’re softening the butter to serve with a meal or use in a recipe, keep it chilled. KINDA BAD! how bad is it to throw nonrecyclable trash in the recycling bin? Putting anything other than recyclable plastic, metal, or paper in their respective bins can jam recycling equipment, says Jeremy Walters, a sustainability ambassador for Republic Services, one of the country’s largest waste-removal companies. Remove food scraps from all your containers and…

Whatever you add to your cart is a score.…

english daisy BY BEHR “This warm and inviting yellow reflects natural light really well, so it makes the room feel extra sunny. I painted an arch shape rather than the whole wall to add a little excitement.” —Abbey Chiavario, @abbeymadethis, Nashville, TN yarmouth blue BY BENJAMIN MOORE “I consider this blue one of my go-tos. It’s calming yet happy, and cozy but not at all gloomy. Though I love it on the walls in this guest room, it would also look great on cabinets in a laundry room.” —Lindsay Pincus, Lindsay Pincus Design, Seattle, WA sommelier BY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS “Our daughter’s nursery has a high ceiling, so I knew it could handle a bold color. Maroon warmed up the space, and I promise, it feels way less dark than you’d think! Blush paneling and decals keep the room playful.” —Candace Griffn, @candacemaryinteriors,…

A recycled-glass vase IKEA melted down leftover glass from other products into a fresh collection of vases, including this 10-inch beauty. It has an extra-tall neck (ideal for long-stemmed blooms) and a cool dimpled texture. Pillows from remnants The knitwear company Verloop was founded on a simple idea: Instead of sending excess yarn to landfills, why not turn it into home textiles? The brand’s newest pillow covers are supersoft, machine-washable, and available in nine vibrant patterns. Good luck choosing just one! Durable decking Since 1997, TimberTech has been repurposing landfill-bound trash—like PVC pipes and old vinyl siding—into its composite decking. The Landmark Collection is the company’s most eco-friendly yet. It’s made from 60 percent recycled materials, and it now comes in a fourth color, Boardwalk, a beachy, weathered light gray. A powerful low-water showerhead A standard showerhead…