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The article focuses on the design of old fashioned wooden chest to keep things organized. Plastic toolbox was not the thing people used in the past. From the American Revolution through the Industrial Revolution, toolboxes were works of art, built by cabinetmakers to demonstrate the owner's mastery of his craft. These prized chests are marvels of clever design. On some, front plates flip up to expose hidden drawers. On others, the weight of the lid engages pins that hold the front in place; lift the lid and the box pops open.

The article discusses the redesign of a couple's dressing closet in Kenilworth, Illinois. The couple turned an unused bedroom off their master bath to a spacious closet. However, the project created a big but empty-looking dressing closet. To solve the problem, the doorway was moved to improve traffic flow. The storage built-ins were also upgraded.

The article focuses on the choice made by Simon Lewis and Wendy Smith in replacing the floors in their Edwardian-era home in the Potrero Hill section of San Francisco. They wanted to make sure that the floor looks good and at the same time they conserve nature. They chose EcoTimber's White Tigerwood, an amber-striped hardwood from Bolivia. Lewis and Smith are part of a growing group of consumers who, when it comes to flooring, actually can see the forest for the trees. One of the options available these days for eco-friendly flooring is reclaimed wood, such as palm harvested from fallen trees on coconut plantations, timbers salvaged from abandoned buildings, and logs pulled from the bottoms of rivers, where they sank on their way to the mill.

The article presents information on the importance of an ultra-maneuverable mower that makes short work of big lawns. Unlike conventional riding mowers, with their 15- to 30-inch turning radiuses, zero-turns literally pirouette on a dime, so they can closely follow a yard's contours and cut around trees, lampposts, and other obstacles. That increased maneuverability means they can cover a lot more lawn in a lot less time — 50 percent less, according to manufacturers' tests. These machines are winning converts among homeowners, especially those with lawns big enough to justify the investment.

The article presents information on problems that are faced by people and the ways by which they can cope them. On the positive side, homeowner associations use members' dues to provide amenities, such as golf courses, playgrounds, and swimming pools, that would be too expensive for residents to afford alone, says Frank Rathbun, vice president of communications for the Community Associations Institute. A homeowner in Rockwall, Texas, was threatened with legal action for parking her RV in the driveway for a month, while a California woman was hauled into court for displaying a crucifix in a planter. One Denver resident is on the verge of losing her home over a failure to pay $43.35 of monthly dues. INSET: Fine-Print Primer.

The article reports that with showy plumes and leaves that rustle and sway, ornamental grasses can add surprising texture to any yard. Ornamental grasses — the tufted, mounding cousins of meant-to-be-mowed turf grasses — have come into their own as an option for beautifying flower beds and backyards. Whether native marsh or mountaintop plants like straw-colored northern sea oats or greenish-gray big bluestem, or one of the more popular Asian imports like Japanese blood grass or golden Hakone grass, ornamental grasses' graceful clumps possess an impressive variety of foliage, making them versatile players in any garden scheme.

The article analyzes ten lessons Hollywood can teach about home ownership. Oscar awards were not handed out at the Academy Awards for best bathroom renovation or best-converted barn. Which is too bad, since over the years many silver-screen houses have outshone the stars. Clean windows, a fresh coat of paint, and trimmed hedges can improve a home's curb appeal and deter intruders. In the motion picture "The Money Pit," a young couple moves into a mansion previously trashed by rock stars and tries to make it livable, even though a home inspector tells them it is literally falling apart. The moral that can be drawn is when an inspector tells you a house is better off being razed than renovated, listen to him.

This article informs that the flashlight is now a necessary part of home life, a good tool for searching for a screw gone missing under the dishwasher and a godsend in a blackout. But the "torch," as the English call it in their silly language, wasn't always thus. Flashlight was invented by David Misell, the partner of Conrad Hubert, whose company the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Co. built the first flashlight. Police officers were early big fans.

The article reports that , a former mill town, Portland, Michigan, owes its architecture to three fires that wiped out the business district. Afterward, town leaders banned buildings made of wood, in favor of locally fired red brick. Charles Storm's harness shop at 118 Kent Street sells electric guitars and sheet music today and a few doors down, one can sip draft beer under 19-foot-high pressed-tin ceilings where Cornelius Tomy once sold hats and mittens. The former co-operative, where members once sold wheat and stocked up on coal, will be doing brisk business in Halloween pumpkins.

The article informs about Illumistone, concrete slabs. Made by building material manufacturing firm Coastal Concrete Counters Inc., of Pensacola, Florida, the 2-inch-thick pieces, priced around $150 a square foot, get their glow from a single 75-watt bulb.

The article informs that colorful strands of the 6-inch-diameter Neutron-8 rope from technology firm Samson Rope Technologies can support 1,500 tons. It also floats, ideal for lashing ships together, or for tying one to a pier.

The article presents information on some houses that incorporate unusual features of architecture. With 350 square feet shoehorned into two narrow floors, and walls borrowed from the next-door neighbors, a bright blue row house on Queen Street in Alexandria, Virginia, that spans just 7 feet has got the Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" nod for world's narrowest. The Greeks built their first houses, around 6000 B.C., out of woven sticks plastered with mud and topped with thatched-grass roofs.

The article presents information on the blackboard-faced doors from Simpson Door Co. The doors are multipurpose, one can write phone message on it or make list on it. The blackboard is quarter-inch-thick and available in 3-by-6-foot fir model and 3-by-8 cherry door with a full-length chalkboard.

The article presents information on Vise bookends. The tool is useful for keeping the books upright and organized. It is made up of cast iron and is a well proportioned heavy equipment. It consists of cigar-sized, adjustable wood handles which can accommodate varying numbers of books. The circulars are so buffed that they do not damage the cover of the books.