You Said It: 'If You Do Nothing Else ... Clean Your Gutters,' and More

Rounding up just a fraction of all the great quotations I read on Houzz each week is such a joy. It gives me an excuse to carefully read all the stories and file them away for future inspiration and help around my own home. Houzz stories this week reminded me to call John the lawn guy to come clean out the gutters, told a tale of newlyweds building a dream, gave me great advice for solving a design dilemma and made a Julie Andrews song run through my head. Here are 10 that made a lightbulb go off, made me chuckle or warmed my heart. Please add any that struck a chord with you in the Comments section.

"In the Central European Advent tradition, Krampus punishes bad children while St. Nicholas rewards good ones." — Mitchell Parker

What? Where to begin? This photo is worth a million words. Krampus? I'd never heard of him, but hey, Central Europe, that's a really intense way to get kids to be nice over naughty, so kudos.

There's so much that cracks me up about this photo by Klaus Pichler (and the rest in Parker's story), but most of all is that the dog is completely nonplussed and curled up at Krampus's feet like he's waiting for some scone scraps.

Full story: The Unicorn in the Bathtub and Other Mind-Blowing Sights


"Lilah Horwitz and Nick Olson never imagined that a napkin sketch from one of their first dates would one day become a reality." — Vanessa Brunner

Now that's the first sentence of a story I want to read. It grabbed my attention just as much as the photograph did.

Full story: The Glass Walled Cabin That Romance Built


"Nick's man-cave bar has Gritty's Halloween Ale on tap and his bourbon collection on display." — Mary Prince

She had me at "Gritty's Halloween Ale." Couples have to compromise so much when designing, it's important that everyone has a special space that reflects individual tastes. Nick's also includes a really neat backsplash fashioned from a Ford. Besides all of the photos in the first story I mentioned, this one was one of my favorites this week.

Full story: My Houzz: Easygoing Elegance for a Massachusetts Saltbox


"You don't need tons of money to make a space your own and beautiful." — aislinnchristian (in the Comments section)

Houzzers, please keep this in mind as you peruse Houzz. I'll be helping you transform Houzz envy into inspiration room by room each week.

Full story: The Cure for Houzz Envy: Kitchen Touches Anyone Can Do


"Another trick that works well for asymmetrical windows: Partially overlap the windows with wall-to-wall drapes to reveal only what you want. No one can tell if these windows are asymmetrical or not." — Judith Taylor

If asymmetry is throwing you off balance, you can fake it without a massive construction project. Taylor's story is full of great ideas for how to handle funkadoo windows with style.

Full story: How to Work With Awkward Windows


"If you do nothing else in fall to get ready for winter, clean your gutters." — Kenny Grono

It's time to get practical about battening down the hatches and making sure your home withstands the winter without any damage. Spending money on this stuff is not fun, but it will save you loads of aggravation and dollars down the road. Grono's story is one you shouldn't miss.

Full story: Protect Your House From Winter Water Damage


"If you feel overwhelmed by the countertop and backsplash options, try focusing on countertop selection first." — Jennifer Ott

With kitchens it is very tricky to know where to start. I'm with Ott; the counter is really the pièce de résistance in the kitchen. Fall in love with it first and then work everything else around it.

Full story: Countertop + Backsplash: Making the Perfect Match


"What could be more classically Christmasy than brown paper packages tied up with string?" — Laura Gaskill

Indeed, these are a few of my favorite things. Gift wrap has become so elaborate, it can be overwhelming, time consuming and expensive. Go back to the basics; this combo is easy on the budget and hard to mess up.

Full story: Budget Decorator: Easy Holiday Decorations



"We couldn't live without books ... they are piled up in every corner of every room on every floor. Same goes with musical instruments ... they're all accessible to the girls all the time." — Andrea Cardinal

There's a balance between decluttering and livability. Perfectly styled photos often don't reflect the way we really live, or family priorities. Seeing this family's love of reading and playing music on display warmed my heart.

Full story: My Houzz: Cheery, Playful and Collected in Ohio


"Moloney-Grelli suggests having your water and tea leaves as close to your heat source as possible to reduce early-morning effort and accidents with scalding water." — Tiffani Carboni

The worst part of my day are the minutes in between having to get out of bed and trying to get that coffee brewing. The lack of caffeine in my system makes it that much more difficult, but Carboni's article is full of tips for how to make that dreaded precaffeine time in the morning easier and safer.

Full story: Hot Ideas and Tips for Coffee and Tea Stations

This is just a small sample of all the great stuff I picked up on Houzz this week. Did a line, piece of advice or comment on Houzz stick with you? Please share it with us in the Comments section.

URL: You Said It: 'If You Do Nothing Else ... Clean Your Gutters,' and More http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-22043.html