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Pumpkin Wars

by Grant Dudley October 30, 2012 17 Comments

On Halloween night, go trick-or-treating with your little ones, then come home and spend the evening with HGTV’s Property Brothers. Drew and Jonathan will be going head-to-head in our prime-time special, Pumpkin Wars.

The bros are helping two towns battle to see which one can carve and display the most jack-o’-lanterns (both attempting to set a new Guinness World Record). Watch the Brother vs. Brother showdown Wednesday at 9pm/8c.

Want to see Jonathan help eat the pies? Or see more of Drew in Keene? Check out behind-the-scenes videos from the episode.

Sneak Peek: Check out Facebook-exclusive photos from Pumpkin Wars right now. What’s that? You haven’t liked HGTV on Facebook, you say? Well, let’s take care of that first.

Warring Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott

HGTV Pumpkin Wars

How do you plan on spending your Halloween? Tell me below.

Home Survival Skills, Frankenstorm Edition: Dealing With Hurricane Sandy

by Jessica Yonker October 29, 2012 8 Comments

The powerful superstorm known as Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall tonight and last well into Tuesday, but many areas are already experiencing damaging winds and severe flooding. Several cities have mandated emergency evacuations, shutdown transit systems, canceled flights and closed schools until later this week. Many spent the weekend evacuating or rushing to stores to gather provisions for an inevitable power outage.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina and a year after Hurricane Irene, many homeowners are still trying to rebuild their lives. Hurricane Sandy, though a lower level category, is nearly twice the size of its predecessors. It has already left many without power and caused major flooding in the Northeastern United States.

If you’re a little confused on what makes this storm so dangerous, here’s the breakdown: Hurricane Sandy is only a Category 1 hurricane, but the wind speeds are expected to grow to over 90 miles per hour, meaning it could easily turn into Category 2 territory. Sandy is also setting records for its size – the storm’s wind field is 900 miles long. Thanks to an ill-timed full moon, the tide levels are high, making it easy for Sandy to transport even more water to the coast. Finally, Sandy is combining with an early winter storm system from the west and cold air from Canada, bringing snow as far south as the Carolinas and East Tennessee.

A storm like this naturally raises a lot of issues, so we’ve answered some tough questions and gathered advice for those of you in the path of the storm.

Featured

Daily Delight: Food Can Art

by Grant Dudley October 26, 2012 9 Comments

Canstruction® is an annual design competition and food charity in New York City. Over 25 teams of architects, engineers and contractors compete to build enormous structures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. They are then on view to the public until dismantled and donated to City Harvest. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to bring a can of high quality food.

If you’re in the NYC area, check out the exhibit November 2 – 14 at the World Financial Center Complex.

2011 sneaker that weighed more than a ton

2011 replica of Alexander McQueen’s Lady Gaga high heels (made from 3,600 cans)

Featured

Daily Delight: Lacquered Tortoise Shell From Nate Berkus

by Grant Dudley October 24, 2012 8 Comments

Interior designer Nate Berkus debuts The Nate Berkus Collection at Target, online and in stores, this month.

My favorite piece in Nate’s line is the lacquered tortoise shell. Nate’s inspiration for the look came from a real shell that his parents brought home from their honeymoon in Mexico. The souvenir always hung above the family’s fireplace — and, to Nate, shells have reminded him of home ever since.

Nate Berkus

What do you think? Are you intrigued by the shell, or are you — well, shell-shocked?

Featured

Help Wanted: 200K HGTV Twitter Followers Needed

by Grant Dudley October 17, 2012 3169 Comments

HGTV is so close to reaching 200K followers on Twitter — but, we need you to help us make that goal. By assisting us, you could win a $200 American Express gift card.

Are you ready to help?

Here’s what you do.

1. Copy and paste this line, then Tweet it:

Help @HGTV get to 200K followers for a chance to win a $200 gift card. RT then click here>> http://ow.ly/ewLdw.

2. Once you’ve Tweeted the line above, leave your Twitter handle in the comments section of this blog post (below) letting us know you’ve done it.

That’s all you do! Pretty easy, right? Oh, and if you’re not following HGTV on Twitter — then let’s remedy that right now!

Once HGTV has reached 200K followers, we will randomly choose a winner from the comments below to receive a $200 American Express gift card.

On your mark, get set — start Tweeting!

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $200. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.

Save the Date With Love vs. Design + Max Wanger

by Kayla Kitts October 6, 2012 4 Comments

So, I don’t have a ring on my finger (yet), but naturally, I swoon over all things wedding related. Currently, I’ve been obsessing over these unique one-of-a-kind wedding stationary designs from Love vs. Design. On Monday, Love vs. Design launched their latest photo save the date collaboration with photographer Max Wanger. Love vs. Design’s Jen and Floris Gierman spent several months brainstorming with Max on ways to incorporate his whimsical photography into wedding stationary. Together, they created 16 gorgeous and elegant save-the-date postcard designs to feature on the site. I’ve already picked out four of my favorites from the collection:

Love vs Design: Save the Date Ideas Gelato

Love vs Design: Save the Date Ideas Sparkling

Love vs Design: Save the Date Ideas Somewhere

Love vs Design: Save the Date Ideas Greetings From…

Swoon!

The ordering process is easy, and everything can be customized, from the font and size to the wording and language. And, of course, you can change the photograph to you and your loved one! See how the process works >>

Is your big day coming up? Head over to Love vs. Design to complete your wedding stationary to-do list: save the dates, invitations, response cards, programs, menus, place cards, thank you cards and more!

Featured

New Book Release: Carter’s Way

by Grant Dudley October 3, 2012 28 Comments

HGTV’s Carter Oosterhouse (host of Carter Can, Million Dollar Rooms and Red, Hot & Green) has a new book out for homeowners who want to tackle their home design challenges (with practicality, style and a bit of environmental responsibility). Carter’s Way hit bookshelves just yesterday.

Available for purchase Tuesday, October 2.

Carter knows how intimidating home design can be. With his upbeat “you can do it” attitude, he shows readers how to create budget-conscious design elements that they can implement with basic tools and a little DIY experience. His mission is to bring people’s imaginations to life when it comes to home design.

In Carter’s Way, he decodes the principles of design, using specific examples and stunning photography. He also teaches readers how to be environmentally responsible by using green products wherever possible — without adding huge costs or hassle to the project. Each chapter covers a different area of the house, acknowledging the diversity of layouts in today’s homes.

This room uses a black-and-white background to showcase two stunning purple chairs. Don’t be afraid to flash your style (as long as it makes design sense).

I spoke to Carter this week about his book and while I had him, I asked a few other questions as well. Here’s what he had to say.
Interview With Carter & Chance To Win Autographed Copy of Carter’s Way

Busy Philipps Talks Vintage Furniture Sale

by Abbi McCollum September 20, 2012 9 Comments

Actresses Busy Philipps and Courteney Cox have announced that they are teaming up with The Art of Elysium and One Kings Lane to co-curate a vintage and market finds sale on the One Kings Lane website. The sale will feature vintage items that they are donating from their homes, as well as an assortment of one-of-a-kind pieces hand-selected by the interior design enthusiasts. The 72-hour celebrity curated sale launches this evening at 9pm/8c at OneKingsLane.com and proceeds will be donated to The Art of Elysium.

Design Happens interviewed Busy Philipps and asked her about design, child-proofing and her One Kings Lane sale. Check out our chat below.

Actress Busy Philipps

DH: How would you describe your house? What’s your design style?

BP: It’s very eclectic. I personally don’t love when you walk into a home and you feel like it’s a page ripped out of a catalog. Some people feel very comfortable in those environments; that’s not how I choose to live. Our house is more like a collection of pieces and things. I have a sofa from Room and Board in my living room and we also have an antique wall unit with a desk. Years ago I bought Elizabeth Taylor’s dining room chairs from her Palm Springs Estate. There are things from Modern One gallery here in Los Angeles. We have really nice beautiful antiques mixed with newer pieces and we’re not married to one particular era or style. My favorite houses I’ve been in have been able to blend different styles seamlessly and that’s what we’ve tried to do in our home. And I think we’ve been pretty successful at it. What’s crazy about our house is that we are never finished. We are just those people who are continually like, ‘maybe we need a new couch for the TV room, we probably need to order a new bed, let’s re-wallpaper our bedroom.’ It never ends. We are never going to be done with our house. And I love it. I love doing it. It’s a never-ending project and I love it – much like our marriage, much like raising a child.

DH: You have a 4-year-old daughter. Did having a child change everything in your house, design wise?

BP: You have to be careful, especially when you have antiques and really nice things. You just teach them very, very early on – one finger, it will break really fast, you don’t climb on this furniture. You can climb on the sofa but you don’t jump on the sofa. And then she has her spaces – her bedroom, our bedroom, her playroom and our TV room that are her areas where she can go nuts.

We had a little bit of a situation. We have this really cool wallpaper – and you know wallpaper ain’t cheap – in our playroom, and she stuck all of these Tinkerbell stickers on it when she was two. Then she tried to take them off and ripped a big chunk of the wallpaper down. She didn’t get in trouble, I wasn’t watching her, you know what I mean, and she’s a little kid. I just had to suck it up and at some point I’ll have to pay to get it fixed, but it is what it is and things are just things.

She’s four now and she’s like “remember when I did that Mama?”
More With Busy Philipps

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New Book Release: The Great American House

by Grant Dudley September 19, 2012 15 Comments

Tomorrow, Gil Schafer III’s The Great American House:Tradition for the Way We Live Now will be hitting shelves in bookstores across the nation. And let me tell you, if you have a love for traditional design — you have to go find this book. We at Design Happens received an advance copy weeks ago and this book has been viewed by most everyone — and the resounding response from the team has been “That’s a stunning book!”

Available for purchase Thursday, September 20.

Gil takes the best of traditional architecture — from the detailed craftsmanship to the elegant, balanced proportions — and translates it for the kind of connected spaces that fit today’s family. The book is full of gorgeous photos, alongside personable, informative tips that illustrate the entire process of restoring, renovating, and building classic homes.

The Great American House inspired me to ask designers from across the U.S. to speak on what they consider to be classic elements of traditional design within American homes. Here is what they had to say.

Tobi Fairley of Tobi Fairley Interior Design:
American is by its very nature all-inclusive and about choice, individual taste, and freedom. To me, American interiors are bold. They’re courageous and risk-taking without forsaking tradition — timeless pieces of furniture layered among stunning patterns and striking colors. They’re also versatile and dynamic, affording a family comfort and luxury as well as high-function for daily use. Above all, American interiors are welcoming, hospitable and inviting; guests feel natural yet pampered.

The family room features painted paneling, a rustic beamed ceiling and a fireplace surround made from granite.

More Designer Interviews & Photos From The Great American House

Design Happens Welcomes Centsational Girl’s Kate Riley

by Kayla Kitts September 10, 2012 15 Comments

We’re so excited to announce a new addition to the HGTV Design Happens team! You all know Centsational Girl‘s Kate Riley, right? Of course you do. Well, starting tomorrow, and continuing every Tuesday, she’ll be writing a five-part weekly series on sprucing up secondhand finds and turning them into stunning home decor you’ll love for years. She’ll provide tips on seeing the potential in old finds and honing your DIY skills to give them a brand-new, modern-day makeover. Sound fun? We thought so, too! Check back tomorrow for Kate’s first post on secondhand sprucing, starting with the bedroom.