HGTV Magazine July-August 2013

Door Steel Smooth pine door, $133, jeld-wen.com for stores; paint: Major Blue by Sherwin-Williams; Camelot brass handleset in satin nickel, $139, schlage.com Porch Light Millennium Lighting Radial Wave Shade 12"-diameter pendant in satin red, $80, atgstores.com Outdoor Pillow Designed for Outdoors Blue Stripes 12" x 20" polyester pillow, $61, outdoorpillowsonly.com Rattan Chair Casbah chair in light brown, $120, pier1.com Welcome Mat Mystic Stars coir mat, $32, tag2u.com Mailbox GDM Mailbox Company Newport stainless steel mailbox, $89, wayfair.com; house numbers and border: vinyl decals, $3, vinylconcepts.etsy.com Doorbell Sunface doorbell ringer in nickel silver, $55, michaelhealy.com Birdhouse Wooden 10"-tall birdhouse with bunting, $50, plowandhearth.com…

My grandpa built it for my two sisters and me. It sat in my mom's basement for years, until my niece, Addie, 4, started putting her dollies in it. I knew a spruce-up was due, but I didn't expect how fun this remodel would be. I got to fulfill some decorating dreams, if only in miniature: black walnut hardwood flooring ($13 for an 11" x 17" sheet!), black and white basket-weave tiles, a teal accent wall, and butcher-block style countertops. The old canopy bed is now a white four-poster, and new cushions sit on the sofa my grandpa made. Turns out decorating on a small scale is good practice for how I love to personalize a house for real. Meanwhile, my niece is silly in love with the itty-bitty zebra…

During a recent vacation in Florida, I had to muster every ounce of self-control not to grab a copy of the May issue off the newsstand—I'm already a subscriber and I knew mine was waiting at home! Thanks for creating such a delectable and addictive treat. —Jo Rewers, Kalamazoo, MI I had a list of projects to do in my home and was dreading the tasks and expense. Just as I was wondering how to begin, I opened your May issue and saw "10 Skills Every Homeowner Should Have." Shower caulking: Done! —Susan Wilson, Eureka, CA I was delighted to see an awning included as a decorating idea in May's "Copy the Curb Appeal." Our awning not only looks great, but it also slashed our air conditioning bill by about…

ice pop garland, page 16 65 winners Ice Pop 12' paper garland, paper-source.com birdhouse, page 5 5 winners Wooden 10"-tall birdhouse with bunting, plowandhearth.com fish ice tray, page 60 10 winners Rubber ice cube tray, worldmarket.com paper party set, page 150 10 winners Ice cream truck with 12 cups and wooden spoons, shopsweetlulu.com horseshoe game, page 16 35 winners Steel horseshoe set, llbean.com outdoor pillow, page 160 15 winners Bird 16" x 16" polyester pillow in white, grandinroad.com nautical doormat,page 60 15 winners Anchors 24" x 36" doormat, garnethill.com cutting board, page 60 10 winners Farberware watermelon 15"-long silicone cutting board, pfaltzgraff.com ice cream machine,page 150 5 winners Automatic frozen yogurt, ice cream, and sorbet maker in turquoise, cuisinart.com…

1. How far into a paint can should you dip a brush? A. All the way to where the metal and bristles meet B. Halfway up C. One third of the way up 2. You've painted stripes using painter's tape. When do you pull off the tape? A. Right away B. After an hour C. The next day 3. What's the best way to unclog the nozzle of a spray paint can? A. Wipe it with a rag B. Poke the hole with a needle or pin C. Flip the can upside down and spray for five seconds D. There's really no way to unclog it 4. Ceiling paint is the same as wall paint. A. True B. False 5. What does a paint roller's nap refer to? A. The…

OUR EXPERT: Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean, who has sold 7 million copies of her dirt-busting advice books 1 Purex Free and Clear liquid detergent "It's tough to find a detergent that's hard-working and not loaded with fragrance and dyes. This is the one I've used for years." $4 for 50 ounces, grocery stores 2 Zout laundry stain remover "Here's a spray that doesn't just lighten stains, it fully erases them. Even grease!" $4 for 22 ounces, grocery stores 3 Niagara spray starch "Other starches leave residue if you don't keep the iron moving, but not this formula. And it has a no-clog nozzle." $1.50 for 20 ounces, grocery stores 4 Dr. Bronner's castile lavender liquid soap "I hand-wash delicates with a capful of this light-smelling soap because it…