Home decor

Scandinavian style is perfect fit for spring

Give your place a Scandinavian vibe with textiles, accessories and furniture pieces

Plant Clinic

Stunning royal poinciana has a natural shape

The natural shape of this stunning flowering tree is usually flat-topped or domed. Therefore, pruning is not needed for it to form its natural shape.

Dr. Dolittler

No evidence that cranberry improves cats’ urinary health

Clinical trials in humans have had mixed results, with some showing that cranberry can be of benefit for urinary-tract issues. Alas, no veterinary studies found it fruitful for preventing or treating bacterial infections of the urinary tract in domesticated pets.

Small + smart = a great house

Terence Conran is a British designer, author, developer and entrepreneur who already has plenty of professional titles to fill a business card, but he could probably add “amateur philosopher” to the list. This sideline talent emerges in the introduction of his latest book, How to Live in Small Spaces. As the title suggests, the book deals with home designs and strategies for square footage at the lower end of the scale. No mega-mansions on these pages, which instead feature homes modest in size but rich in livability.

Condo Line

HOA board spends without approval

You are feeling the pain of a board that has little oversight by the members. My guess is that very few members attend the meetings and really understand who the best candidates are. The problem is that the board sees this lack of supervision and submissive attitude by the members and does what it pleases. Unfortunately, there is no outside help such as a state agency. You must start a grassroots campaign to elect better directors. It is good that you fear the unaccounted expenses and want to see if you can stop these actions by the board.Q. Our HOA documents state that each home is to be maintained in a quality condition by each owner. We received a letter that strongly intimated we had to use a specific brand of paint. Three years past, we used a better quality paint than was recommended at that time and many owners who used the recommended paint have had failure of the paint. Now comes the board again forcing all homes to repaint using a recommended contractor and specific brand of paint. We would like a legal opinion as to whether the HOA board has the authority to order us to use the contractor and brand of paint.

Raising the bar

Creating cocktails in the garden

Shake things up in the backyard this summer: Cocktail gardening puts a new twist on edible landscaping.

Washington Report

Growing appeal for 10-year loans

A move to shortening of mortgage terms appears to be accelerating.