Area homeowners win annual Painted Ladies contest

Grand Prize winner: Scott & Dawn Totorella, 169 Herrick Road, Riverside. Painted by Ronbo’s Fine Paint.

Updated Oct 28, 2016 4:25 PM Some of the most beautiful homes are found in Chicago and its suburbs. For 30 years, a suburban trade group for the paint industry has identified some of the more exceptional examples for its annual Painted Ladies competition. This year, three Elgin homes, including one painted by Habitat for Humanity volunteers, have won this prestigious designation.

Five ways ﬂea market foragers can update vintage pieces Posted Oct 29, 2016 6:00 AM

Richmond, Virginia, designer and artist Dana Gibson is always browsing flea markets and consignment stores for treasures, and she’s not afraid of putting in some time to make them look good.

A designer’s favorite light ﬁxtures Posted Oct 28, 2016 6:00 AM

Just like chefs who rely on their culinary greatest hits, many designers have their go-to paint colors, fabrics and sofa shapes. I am a designer who frequently mixes up color, shape and style to suit my clients’ diverse needs and tastes; the only exception is lighting.

12 money saving tips for new home buyer Posted Oct 28, 2016 12:00 AM

It is a great time to buy a home, and in all the excitement of shopping and dreaming, you’ll do yourself a big favor if you take the time to follow some basic money-saving tips.

Pillows add a burst of color, but you can have too many Posted Oct 28, 2016 6:00 AM

Victoria Sanchez, who created the master bedroom suite in this year’s DC Design House, joined Washington Post staff writer Jura Koncius recently on the newspaper’s Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.

Advice Columns

De Marne pens his farewell column Posted Oct 30, 2016 6:00 AM

Dear readers, this is my farewell. Newspapers have had financial woes for many years, and it is not getting any better. The digital age is taking over. So my column has become financially unsustainable and the powers-that-be at United Feature Syndicate Inc. have come to the conclusion they can no longer keep it going.

Consult tax professional after property sale Posted Oct 29, 2016 6:00 AM

Q. My mother passed away in 2014. I inherited her home. I paid a lawyer to go through probate and get the home in my name. A few weeks ago, I sold the home. When I do my 2016 income tax return, am I liable for taxes on the sale of the home?

Is the annual percentage rate a useful disclosure? Posted Oct 29, 2016 6:00 AM

While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau changed the mortgage disclosure rules substantially last year, it did not change the annual percentage rate disclosure requirement, which continues as the disclosure “centerpiece.” Whenever lenders disclose a rate quote, they must also disclose the APR.

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Home & Garden

Bathroom upgrade that’s almost as fast as a quick shower Posted Nov 1, 2016 1:00 AM

It is not uncommon to purchase a home and get a bathroom that is a horror: avocado green tub, or pink wall tile and maybe an old, white sink.

Area homeowners win annual Painted Ladies contest Posted Oct 30, 2016 6:00 AM

Some of the most beautiful homes are found in Chicago and its suburbs. For 30 years, a suburban trade group for the paint industry has identified some of the more exceptional examples for its annual Painted Ladies competition. This year, three Elgin homes, including one painted by Habitat for Humanity volunteers, have won this prestigious designation.

De Marne pens his farewell column Posted Oct 30, 2016 6:00 AM

Dear readers, this is my farewell. Newspapers have had financial woes for many years, and it is not getting any better. The digital age is taking over. So my column has become financially unsustainable and the powers-that-be at United Feature Syndicate Inc. have come to the conclusion they can no longer keep it going.

more Home & Garden News »

Foreclosure News & Records

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Business News

Industry Insider

Buy what you love, not what matches
Posted Oct 29, 2016 6:00 AM

According to designers, eclectic design is “in.” “Today’s homeowners like the eclectic look because they feel it adds character,” said Anne Hildreth, a designer in the Vernon Hills Steinhafels furniture store. “They don’t want to go in and buy an entire collection of furniture and have their house end up looking like a page from a catalog.”