HGTV Magazine January-February 2013

Light Hood 14"-diameter porch pendant, $367, rejuvenation.com Doorbell Rustico aged bronze doorbell, $42, atlashomewares.com Door Primed poplar two-panel arched 4082-A exterior door, $325, roguevalleydoor.com; paint: Frosted Pomegranate by Behr; Baldwin Prestige single cylinder Pistoria handle set in Venetian bronze, $160, homedepot.com; large key door knocker, $40, signaturehardware.com; Stella house numbers, $12 each, potterybarn.com Boot scraper Cast-iron boot scraper, $80, eddiebauer.com Thermometer Blanc Fleur indoor/outdoor thermometer, $70, lampsplus.com Outdoor bench Amalfi bench, $199, grandinroad.com Pillow Jiti Alvin 12" x 20" outdoor pillow, $70, outdoorpillowsonly.com Doormat Xoxo coir 18" x 30" doormat, $32, tag2u.com…

In 2009, I told myself I'd plant a vegetable garden and make fresh salads weekly. Never did it. In 2010, I said I would overhaul my bathroom to be big enough for (yes!) a chandelier and a claw-foot tub. Oops, that one fell through the cracks. I recycled the garden resolution in 2011 (repeat failure), then skipped resolutions entirely for 2012. But I will make good in 2013! Because this time around, I'm getting real with my New Year's resolutions. My goals may be small, but there's big victory in following through on them. Does what I'm saying sound familiar? Let me know. If you're downsizing your resolutions, tell me about them. What are you really setting out to do this year? Great ideas often come from readers, and I…

We've been fans of HGTV for years, and now we're hooked on the magazine. All of the vibrant colors in your October/November issue, especially the orange chair on the cover, inspired us to redo our dull taupe family room. It's a small area, so rather than paint all the walls bright orange, we used painter's tape to add a dramatic stripe. We get raves whenever we have guests over—and we owe it all to you.—Rick French and Mike Sciortino, Cathedral City, CA I'm a teen, so most people expect me to read fashion magazines, but I always pull out HGTV Magazine instead! You have helped me turn my dark, "teenage angst-y" bedroom into a colorful space that makes me smile, even after a bad day at school. My favorite changes…

Clean Laundry Drawer fresheners in classic clean scent, $8 for a set of 3, fresh-threads.com Febreze Air Effects pet odor eliminator in fresh & clean scent, $4, grocery stores Vacuum beads in line dried scent, $16, goodhome.com Diffuser in fluffy towels scent, $22, yankeecandle.com White Barn candle in cotton scent, $20, bathandbodyworks.com Lavender Dog shampoo in lavender scent, $9, eco-me.com Diffuser in lavender scent, $33, mangiacotti.com Candle in lavender scent, $30, crabtree-evelyn.com Gain dryer sheets in lavender scent, $7 for 120, soap.com Pine-Sol cleaner in lavender clean scent, $4, grocery stores Fresh Herbs AB Home diffuser in arugula scent, $59, shoparchipelago.com Dish soap in herb garden scent, $7, begleysbest.com Toilet bowl cleaner in basil scent, $5, mrsmeyers.com Linen and room spray in basil blue sage scent, $9, caldrea.com Botanicals Collection…

Straight answers to scratch-your-head questions. Stay on top of your credit with an app like Credit Karma Mobile, which alerts you when there's an important change to your credit report (free, on iTunes). …to open a store credit card just for the initial discount? A: Saving an extra 20% off your purchase may sound like a great deal when you're standing at the register with an armful of clothes, but, ultimately, store credit cards can be risky, says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at smartcredit.com, a credit management site. For starters, these cards carry high interest rates and heavy late fees. "Incur one or two fees and you've wiped out the discount you got when you opened the card," says Ulzheimer. Plus, every time you apply for a new…

…a lot more than just hangers! Find out what three experts suggest for keeping your clothes, utility, and coat closet under control. CLOTHES CLOSET Lisa Adams, owner of LA Closet Design in Los Angeles, creates custom closets for celebrities and pro athletes. Her motto: An organized space equals a calmer life! A jewelry holder "If you don't need an entire jewelry box, put this velvet-lined tray on a shelf. It has slots for rings, bracelets, and necklaces." Jewelry insert tray, $46.50, rockler.com A belt keeper "It works great for ties and scarves, too." Honey-Can-Do 12-hook tie hangers, $7.50 for a set of 2, amazon.com A compact steamer "It heats up quickly and de-wrinkles everything from delicate blouses to suits." ProCompact garment steamer, $50, shoprowenta.com Skinny hangers "These take up way…