Articles filed under Home & Garden

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LED lighting uses less energy, increases use of your outdoor space Apr 30, 2013 12:00 AM
Even the lighting in your yard can now be sustainable and green. Over the past few years, LED lighting has almost totally taken over the landscape lighting market from the previously popular low voltage incandescent and halogen systems, according to Thomas Reindl, commercial lighting manager at Northwest Electrical Supply in Mount Prospect.
Outdoor makeover contest: Week 1 finalists Apr 30, 2013 12:00 AM
It's time to get in a summer state of mind and that means it's time for our outdoor makeover contest. For the second year, Daily Herald readers submitted photos with essays telling us why they needed to get their patios and yards in shape as part of our "Get Your Summer On" series and contest.
Wauconda chamber host its annual Tree and Shrub Sale Apr 24, 2013 12:00 AM
The Wauconda Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the village of Wauconda, will participate in the nationwide observance of Arbor Day with its 8th annual Tree and Shrub Sale Saturday, April 27.
Streamwood commission hosts environmental education day Apr 23, 2013 12:00 AM
The Streamwood Natural Resource Conservancy Commission is hosting an environmental event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, to celebrate Streamwood Environmental Education Day. Representatives from various groups will be on hand by the garage in the back of village hall, 301 E. Irving Park Road,
A handblown glass item from ItalyApr 20, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. I have attached photographs of a handblown glass item that — to me — looks like an ostrich. It was found in my mother’s attic, but I have no idea where or when she obtained it. It is 12 inches tall. Can you give me any information as to what it is and its current value, if any?
HGTV designer’s style rooted in the suburbs Apr 9, 2013 12:00 AM
HGTV Design Star winner Meg Caswell found all sorts of inspiration while shopping at Scentimental Gardens in Geneva last week. The 35-year-old Kenilworth native and Chicago design firm owner is always on the lookout for items she can feature on her HGTV show, “Meg’s Great Rooms.” “My business before was my heart and soul, but it was a lot of hard work. I sometimes had 20 clients at once. Now, I have the privilege to select just a few clients,” she said.
Advice for Midwest gardeners available in new book Apr 7, 2013 12:00 AM
After nearly 40 years of dispensing advice, columnist Jan Riggenbach has delievered on a promise to readers with a new book, "Your Midwest Garden: An Owner's Manual." Riggenbach's 2,000th column is schedueld to run in late April.
Is Regina music box noted for its high value? Apr 6, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. I was wondering if you had any info on this Regina music box. I inherited it when my grandmother passed away, but supposedly it was purchased for my great-grandmother, who was bedridden. I think the music box dates to the late 1800s. In the 1950s I used to play the discs and dance to the music. The cabinet is in really rough condition, but the mechanism still works. Any history or value would be wonderful.
Satsuma pottery fell in quality over the years Mar 30, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. These two vases are each 18½ inches tall. I inherited them from my mother, who got them from a sale in 1946. I understand that they were quite old then. As you can see, the bottoms have different markings, and although the vases look alike, there are slight differences in the patterns. They are in good condition with no chips or cracks. Anything you can tell me about them would be most helpful — especially the age and valuation.
Spring means yard work for hummingbird watchers Mar 30, 2013 12:00 AM
The world's smallest bird can take up a big chunk of a person's spring to-do list: trim the trees, weed the garden, make the nectar and hang the feeders. With the beginning of spring, hummingbirds are making their way north after migrations that took many of them more than 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. They will return to the same yards where they have stayed in the past.
English dining table definitely no ‘coffin table’ Mar 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. I was told this table was made in England from burr-walnut. The legs are a puzzle to me because they look like horse hooves. The table is 94 inches long and 66 inches wide when both the drop leaves are open. I have been told it is called a "coffin table" — whatever that is. What can you tell me about its age and value?
Review: ‘Smart’ LED bulbs controlled by iPhones Mar 16, 2013 12:00 AM
LED bulbs seem to be the future of home lighting: They save electricity, they're durable and they don't contain mercury like compact fluorescents. Philips has produced the first kit of LED bulbs whose color and brightness can be wirelessly controlled from your iPhone. I tested the Philips bulbs and, in descending order of "smarts," I tried out some GreenWave Reality bulbs whose brightness can be controlled by an app. I also looked at a cheap off-brand color-changing bulb that comes with a remote control.
Enter our contest to win a yard makeover! Mar 11, 2013 12:00 AM
It's not even spring yet, but we're already daydreaming about sitting on the patio, gazing at our perfectly manicured backyard, with a couple of burgers on the grill and a nice glass of wine in our hand. But if your yard can't live up to that ideal, check out our Get Your Summer On contest.
Valuing ‘Wedgwood’ platesMar 10, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. I am enclosing photos of two plates that I received from my grandmother's estate. Each plate is about 10 inches in diameter. Both pieces are marked "Wedgwood & Co. Ltd," "Made in England" and "Countryside." One, however, carries the number "9 81," while the other has "12 61." There is also a notation that Wedgwood was founded in 1835. Can you date these plates and tell me what the value might be?
St. Charles firm sues for $13M after green roof collapse in 2011 Mar 6, 2013 12:00 AM
St. Charles-based Aquascape has sued a Wisconsin-based firm and numerous other subcontractors for $13 million in damages after a part of the pond company's green roof collapsed on Feb. 13, 2011. No one was injured during the collapse at the company's headquarters, which caused workers to be relocated for a year while the roof was fixed.
Dealers say antiques are a sensible decorating option Mar 4, 2013 12:00 AM
The quilt above the family room fireplace answers the show-stopping question: What do you put in that huge focal point under the vaulted ceiling? If you're Debbie McArdle, the answer is a red, white and blue quilt in a star pattern, hung on a custom frame. Yes, she and husband Jim are patriotic. And the nation's colors — translated to muted red, oatmeal and cobalt blue — work well with the country store antiques in their 1970s Dutch colonial style home.
It's all in the details when shopping for antiques Mar 3, 2013 12:00 AM
Debbie and Jim McArdle give tips about buying antiques.
Wood plate features famous German church Mar 2, 2013 12:00 AM
Q. I enjoy reading your column in the Times Herald-Record here in the Hudson Valley and this has pushed me to photograph the front and back of a wooden plate that I believe I purchased in a box lot at a farm auction.
Honeybee colony leaving city for the farm Mar 1, 2013 12:00 AM
A colony of troublesome honeybees will settle into new digs in northeastern Pennsylvania after being removed Friday from a back alley in Duryea, where the queen and thousands of her loyal subjects had taken up residence in an old tree several years ago.
TV designer encourages strong choices in color, decor Feb 25, 2013 12:00 AM
Is there any decorating skill more exciting or scarier than using color? Yes, we all say we want the personalization and drama that color brings, but the challenges of making it work are enough to send DIY homeowners whimpering to designers. Thom Filicia, known for his television shows, especially “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” gives solid decorating tips, including how to use color, in his new book, “American Beauty,”