HGTV Magazine June 2013

Front door of the month Porch Light Olivia 13"-diameter metal star pendant, $149, potterybarn.com Outdoor Pillow Jordan Manufacturing sea cilantro 16" x 16" polyester pillow, $22, outdoorpillowsonly.com All-Weather Rocker All-natural teak rocking chair, $399, grandinroad.com Doorbell Harvey round doorbell in brass, $14, signature hardware.com Door DP-40 fiberglass exterior door, $253, jeld-wen.com for stores; paint: Citron by Behr; Baldwin Boston entrance trim set in lifetime polished brass, from $270, handlesets.com House Numbers Special Lite 3" numbers in brass, $6.50 each, wayfair.com DIY Welcome Mat Turn to page 101 to find out how to make it. Planter Banda 12"H x 14 ½"-diameter planter, $50, crateandbarrel.com. We added a hydrangea plant to ours.…

I'd choose a crafts room over a walk-in closet any day And I'd rather shop for paper punches, ribbon, fabric paint, and scrapbooking stickers than shoes. Whenever I can steal away to a crafts store, those aisles of supplies really get my brain buzzing with ideas. I'm not the most talented person when it comes to crafting, but that doesn't make me love it any less. The simple projects and easy embellishments come with just as many bragging rights as the complex ones. A few of my favorite crafty moves: Rickrack makes everything cuter. Tie it around wrapped presents, or glue it to the edges of curtain panels, pillowcases, or hand towels. If you came over for dinner, you'd see my set of cotton place mats that I crafted up…

I've made my 8-year-old daughter a fan of HGTV Magazine. She recently asked for my old issues, and she read them all in one sitting! When the April issue came in the mail, I had planned to read it later that day, but my daughter grabbed it and said, "I get to read it first this time." She thoroughly enjoyed it and let me know I was in for some good stuff—her favorite column is "Vern Knows…." Now her magazine subscriptions include Highlights, American Girl, and HGTV Magazine. I think she's on to something. —Sue Glenn, Stony Brook, NY After searching unsuccessfully for an outdoor pendant lamp for my front porch, I spied the Schoolhouse Electric light in April's "Front Door of the Month." This is one of my favorite…

Speckled glasses, page 64 Set of 4 Capri highball glasses, zgallerie.com Geometric lamp, page 68 Robert Abbey Delta 22 ½"-tall ceramic lamp in butter, lampsplus.com Margarita glasses, page 68 Plastic margarita glasses in green, partycity.com Scented candle, page 68 Demi Boho 4 1/5-ounce candle in Mediterranean scent, illumecandles.com Beach towel, page 68 Summer Oasis cotton towel in floral blue, dillards.com Hand soap, page 154 Mandarin Vetiver hand soap in 12-ounce glass bottle, caldrea.com Cotton napkins, page 68 Block print cotton napkins in green, pier1.com Outdoor pillow, page 61 Coral 12" x 20" polyester outdoor pillow in blue, grandinroad.com Pretty planter, page 3 Banda 12"H x 14 ½"-diameter planter, crateandbarrel.com. We filled ours with hydrangeas (not included). Ketchup dispenser, page 154 The Big Tomato 4"-tall dispenser, momastore.org WIN A KITCHEN MAKEOVER!…

Readers share their quirky household habits and everyday observations that really hit home. "I'm an obsessive table waxer. Our 9-foot cherry and reclaimed wood dining table is rarely without a fresh coat of furniture polish. Other things in the house may be breaking down, but heaven forbid there should be fingerprints on the table!" —Amy Thompson, Salt Lake City, UT "I'm addicted to pillows. I've counted each one in our home, in every corner and on every couch and bed, and I have 114! I started laughing at 80. I set every pillow in its place before leaving for work. Who doesn't feel inspired by a pretty pillow?" —Lynn Harrington, Kennebunk, ME "Everything in my pantry is in order, either by size, color, or food group. I reorganize it after…

2" Best distance between a bed and a nightstand. You need a little space between these pieces so furniture doesn't look crowded. This is close enough to easily reach an alarm clock or a glass of water. 2" Good distance between pictures on a gallery wall—horizontally and vertically. The grouping will look cohesive but not cluttered. 16–20" Comfortable coffee table height. Most sofas have seats that are 18 to 22 inches high. A coffee table about 2 inches lower is just right for putting up your feet. 12–18" Best distance between an area rug and at least one wall. With a foot to a foot and a half of bare floor, the rug won't look like wall-to-wall carpeting that didn't quite make it. 24" Best distance between outdoor path lights.…