HGTV Magazine October 2014

front door of the month porch light Luna Clear 10"-diameter glass and brass pendant, $169, schoolhouseelectric.com outdoor pillows From left: Pillow Perfect Summer Breeze 18 ½" x 18 ½" polyester pillow, $44 for a set of 2, wayfair.com; Rebecca Allen The Lady of Shalott 16" x 16" polyester pillow in red, $45, denydesigns.com bench Claire 45½"W x 23"D x 38 ¼"H hardwood bench in poppy, $199, grandinroad.com door Arbor Grove Collection three-panel fiberglass door, $785, clopay.com for stores; paint: Witching Hour by ColorLife by Sherwin-Williams; Baldwin Prestige Avendale handleset with Tobin lever in polished brass, $189, homedepot.com welcome mat Kosas Home DM Trinity coir doormat in orange, $35, wayfair.com house numbers Step Edge 2¾"-tall zinc-plated cast-iron house numbers, $3 each, houseofantique hardware.com doorbell Hammered Style 4"-tall doorbell button in antique…

It may surprise you to hear that every month we create our cover from scratch. And by scratch, I mean we actually build a room in a huge New York City photo studio. It's by far the biggest design challenge we give ourselves. Days before the shoot, pros arrive for the heavy lifting: laying floorboards, putting up drywall, installing windows, whatever we need. Next, 50 to 100 boxes of preselected props arrive. Each one gets unpacked and arranged on tables around the studio to pick and choose from later on. Then it's finally time for the fun! Over the course of two days, we create endless scenarios, mixing chairs and rugs, pillows and poufs, flowers and vases, photographing our favorites. If there's one thing I've learned from creating 24 covers…

I'm ashamed to admit your July/August issue was my first time reading HGTV Magazine, but I simply couldn't put it down. It was packed with fresh ideas, colors, and shopping finds—a little something for every taste. I can't wait for the next one. —Sherina Evins, Birmingham, AL While waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store, I was thrilled to spot your magazine. I ordered a subscription right away, plus one for my sister. Thank you for this always-inspiring HGTV fix. —Linda Walker, Dallas, TX Your feature on kitchens packed with color was long overdue (July/August's "A Rainbow of Kitchens"). I'm tired of white. Give me color and lots of it! —Vera Harland, Fairlawn, OH The remodel of the Tybee Island, GA, cottage in your July/August issue ("From…

     • Wallpaper: For a similar look, try Sweet Zoe Shop Quatrefoil wallpaper in lilac purple, $60 per single roll, spoonflower.com.      • Chair: Scout chair, $1,265, crlaine.com for stores; upholstered in Duralee Gota cotton fabric in indigo, decorativebuyingservice.com      • Pillow: For a similar look, try Peace/Love Pop 16" × 16" wool pillow in purple, $145, jonathanadler.com.      • Throw: Merino wool and cashmere throw in blue, fuchsia, and purple, $230, sorchastore.com      • Pouf: For a similar look, try Hand-Knitted 14"H × 20"-diameter cotton pouf ottoman in purple, $80, plowhearth.com.      • Rug: Darby 8' × 10' wool shag rug, $749, westelm.com Chairs Eton cotton chair in Hayley blue, $1,074, ballarddesigns.com Winston cotton-blend chair in woven indigo, $1,059, bassettfurniture.com Wilton cotton chair in marine leaflette, $1,777, mainecottage.com Pillows Cute Heart Shop Heart 16" ×…

how to fix a running toilet Check the flapper. Open the tank and make sure the flapper is sitting tight against the tank's bottom. If it's loose, it's probably because the chain doesn't have enough slack, so water continues to flow into the bowl, making the toilet run. If the flapper's OK, skip to step 4. Turn off the water. Twist the shutoff valve behind the toilet, then flush to drain any remaining water. TIP FROM A PRO "If there's some water in the tank while you're working, don't worry about sticking your hands in there—it's clean." —Chip Wade, host of Elbow Room Adjust the length of the flapper's chain. Reach into the tank and rehook the chain on the tank lever—it should be just long enough that the flapper…

…to never rake? A: Think leaf cleanup's a drag? Good news—it's fine for your rake to gather dust. But that doesn't mean you should just let fallen foliage blanket your lawn. Instead, mulch it (chop it into tiny pieces). All you need is a mulching mower. If you don't have one, you can use a regular mower, but you'll need to remove its bag so the leaves get cut up but not sucked up. Either way, as the leaf bits decompose on your lawn, they act as compost, fertilizing your grass. "Mulching lets you keep all those nutrients from the leaves that fall off your trees and puts them back into the soil," says Pam Penick, a landscape designer and author of Lawn Gone! This also saves you from bagging…