The Home You Own - The Washington Post

Stop trying to flush your secrets — and other advice from plumbers

By Rachel Kurzius

You may be cleaning your counters wrong. Here’s how to tackle 7 types.

By Maya Pottiger

10 ways to get a nicer home with just $20

By Annie Midori Atherton

(Caitlin O'Hara for The Washington Post)

How to refinish mid-century modern furniture as a beginner

Expert advice on wood furniture refinishing projects you can tackle yourself — plus, when you should hire a pro, and when a piece just isn't worth the effort.

By Laura Fenton

7 DIYs that add instant character, according to interior designers

Interior decorators share their best secrets for amping up a room’s personality without spending a lot

By Michelle Brunner

How to renovate an old house without sacrificing its character

Respecting your home’s history — while injecting it with your personality — is a balancing act. Here’s how to pull it off.

By Michelle Brunner

Want to make your windows bigger? Here’s what it takes.

By Troy McMullen

Perspective

Etsy promised shopping with a soul. Then the scammers came.

By Kate Wagner

How to keep your kid’s toys from taking over your home

By Christina Sturdivant Sani

Don’t Miss

(Caitlin O'Hara for The Washington Post)

How to refinish mid-century modern furniture as a beginner

By Laura Fenton

(Courtesy Erica Connolly)

How to finally get those photos off your phone and onto your walls

By Kristin Luna

Bidding wars and $1,000 succulents: The wild world of rare houseplants

By Hannah Holland

What to do if your pet eats your weed

By Sophia Solano

More single women than men buy homes. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.

By Courtney Vinopal

Simple ways to make your older dog’s life better and safer

By Melanie D.G. Kaplan

Formal to fun: Your unused dining room could be the perfect playroom

By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans

Moving homes creates tons of waste. Here’s how to be greener about it.

By Emma Foehringer Merchant

Get motivated with our spring-cleaning bingo card

By Marisa Kashino, Emma Kumer, Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, Riley MacLeod and Chloe Meister

Review

We tested three virtual interior design services. The winner was clear.

By Jamie Killin

Reader Q&As

Upcoming

Is your house a mess? Ask an organizer to the stars your questions.

By Jura Koncius14 hours from now

How to spot a bad flip? Page Turner of HGTV took your questions.

By Jura KonciusMay 18

Paint for moody master bedrooms, updating builder white: An expert’s tips

By Jura KonciusMay 11

Are gray walls dead? Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent answered that and more

By Jura KonciusMay 4

What is the best front door color? Your curb appeal questions, answered.

By Jura KonciusApril 27

How to renovate an old house without sacrificing its character

By Michelle Brunner

How to finally get those photos off your phone and onto your walls

By Kristin Luna

Bidding wars and $1,000 succulents: The wild world of rare houseplants

By Hannah Holland

Advice

8 tasks for your May home maintenance checklist

By Jeanne Huber

What to do if your pet eats your weed

New show explores Swedish ‘death cleaning’ as a path to better living

More single women than men buy homes. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Simple ways to make your older dog’s life better and safer

Formal to fun: Your unused dining room could be the perfect playroom

Advice

What is the black grime on my window frames and how do I get rid of it?

Perspective

How I beat the algorithm to find my own design style

By Maggie Lange

Review

We tried ‘the AI interior designer.’ It has a lot to learn.

By Jamie Killin

cleaning

Home Improvement