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At the sign of the teapot on Putnam Street

Miss Nellie S. Carothers, at the age of 39, was a woman with good, sound business sense. Having already tried careers as a milliner and a nanny, in September of 1914 she opened her own tea room in downtown Marietta. It happened in the right place at the right time. Important social changes, ...

Let the outside in with all-season rooms

Many homeowners express interest in creating fewer barriers between the interior and exterior of their homes. Some may have backyards built for entertaining and want to facilitate the transition between the inside of the residence and the outside when guests arrive. In other instances, homes may back to a nature preserve that homeowners want to enjoy more readily. Whatever the reason for bringing the outside in, all-season rooms can serve as a welcoming bridge between indoor and outdoor spaces. What is an all-season room? Also known as a four-season room, all-season rooms are ...

Decorating homes for Halloween

Drive through a suburban neighborhood in October and it’s likely you will find yards filled with inflatable witches, animatronic grim reapers and makeshift graveyards bearing witty sayings on tombstone and bony hands reaching out from the soil. Decorating for Halloween has become big business, with consumers spending a collective $10.6 billion in this category in the United States in 2022, according to a survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics and the National Retail Federation. In fact, decorations, particularly outdoor decorations, were the second most popular way to ...

Create welcoming indoor living areas for cool weather seasons

Plan now to ensure that when fall weather signals the end of “outdoor living,” your indoor space will be a welcoming respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Walk around to inspect furniture, cabinets, use and lack of space, and decor in general. Would new paint on wood furniture, cabinets, doors or trim be brighter (or more tranquil)? How about a new live edge or other accent table or new legs for an existing table? Do closets need a redo to add storage? Could the home office use shelving? Or maybe space exists for a family game area? The possibilities are ...

Fireplaces are useful features in a home. Fireplaces are sources of ambient heat and also add style to indoor spaces. Fireplaces can complement just about any interior style. Fireplaces can be traditional and burn wood or connect to a home’s natural gas supply for on-demand ambiance. What’s more, fireplaces may come in vented or ventless varieties, depending on homeowners’ preferences and what is allowed by community building codes. That means a chimney or flue may not be needed - expanding the list of rooms where a fireplace can be installed. Certain trends have emerged among ...

Pre-winter perennial pruning pointers

Foliage and football might be two things people instantly associate with fall, but there’s more to this beloved season than brightly colored leaves and action on the gridiron. Gardeners know that spring is an ideal time to plan and plant their favorite flowers and most flavorful fruits and vegetables. However, seasoned gardeners know that gardening is a year-round commitment. Pruning is one of the keys to keeping perennials coming back for years to come, and fall is an ideal time to take on this important task. Pruning perennials in the fall is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. ...