Home & Garden

Life & Style Need a new place? How about living in the backyard

By Cedar Burnett, Associated Press Published: Nov 14, 2012 at 2:32 PM PDT Last Updated: Dec 6, 2012 at 11:41 AM PDT

Something small is afoot. Backyard cottages — from 800-square-foot bungalows to Lilliputian studio cabins — are springing up behind houses in many cities, some of which have changed zoning laws to accommodate them.

Life & Style First of three free Fix-It Fairs start this weekend

By Shannon L. Cheesman, KATU.com Producer/Reporter Published: Nov 12, 2012 at 6:18 PM PDT Last Updated: Nov 12, 2012 at 6:18 PM PDT

Homeowners looking for tips on how to save money, stay healthy or perhaps live sustainably are in luck.

Life & Style Survey: Portlanders losing patience with garbage service (Video)

By Patrick Preston, KATU News Published: Oct 31, 2012 at 10:30 AM PDT Last Updated: Oct 31, 2012 at 10:34 AM PDT

Many Portlanders are losing patience with the city’s garbage and recycling services, according to a new survey by the city.

Life & Style Odd Bainbridge Island home called Hobbit house (Photo Gallery)

By TAD SOOTER Kitsap Sun Published: Oct 5, 2012 at 12:35 PM PDT Last Updated: Oct 22, 2012 at 10:48 AM PDT

"The neighbors call it a hobbit house, among other things," Chris Whited said. In fact, the new 1,200-square-foot house already dwarfs two cottages the 59-year-old contractor has built on his property.

Life & Style Home sales surge in Wash., but prices languish

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press Published: May 11, 2012 at 11:33 AM PDT Last Updated: May 11, 2012 at 11:33 AM PDT

Sales of existing homes in Washington state surged in the first quarter of the year, but average prices did not, according to a new report.

Life & Style Doing some remodeling? Call the Green Building Hotline for tips (Video)

By KATU.com Staff Published: Apr 12, 2012 at 10:08 AM PDT Last Updated: Apr 12, 2012 at 10:17 AM PDT

If you're ready to make some changes around your home or business but you're not sure where to start, help is just a phone call away.

Life & Style 'Little Free Library' movement arrives in Gresham

By KATU.com Staff Published: Apr 10, 2012 at 1:08 PM PDT Last Updated: Apr 10, 2012 at 1:08 PM PDT

These days when we want a good read we can simply download it to a device but a big movement of little libraries is putting real books back in people's hands.

Life & Style 'This house fits us like tailored clothing' (Video)

By Kerry Tomlinson, KATU Problem Solver Published: Feb 21, 2012 at 11:39 AM PDT Last Updated: Feb 23, 2012 at 3:02 PM PDT

A Portland couple’s 128 square foot home could probably fit into your bedroom with room to spare.

Life & Style Deck the halls with ... tomatoes?

By Associated Press Published: Dec 9, 2011 at 2:49 PM PDT Last Updated: Jan 3, 2012 at 12:44 PM PDT

Move over mistletoe: New Hampshire greenhouse experiments with tomato plants as holiday decor

Life & Style Worried about the new garbage rules? Family gives it a trial run (Video)

Published: Oct 28, 2011 at 6:13 PM PDT Last Updated: Oct 28, 2011 at 6:17 PM PDT

What's got most people complaining about the new garbage rules that take effect on Halloween is trash piling up. The city says that won't happen. We found a family willing to test the system.

Life & Style Easy fall decor (Video)

Published: Oct 26, 2011 at 9:20 AM PDT Last Updated: Oct 26, 2011 at 6:51 PM PDT

Fall is a great time to bring the outdoors inside. Interior Designer Lora Coburn showed how to decorate with mini pumpkins, orchard fruit, acorns and branches.

Life & Style Martha Stewart's Halloween Decorating Tips! (Video)

Published: Oct 24, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT Last Updated: Oct 24, 2011 at 2:35 PM PDT

Martha Stewart joined us today to tell us about her spooky fun Holiday special, “Martha Stewart’s Haunted House!” This special is a virtual how-to guide for doing Halloween Night right.

Life & Style How to get rid of ants - naturally! (Video)

Published: Oct 20, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT Last Updated: Oct 21, 2011 at 2:31 PM PDT

Are ants marching through your kitchen cupboards or all over your cat’s food? Don’t panic. Metro Natural Gardening Expert Carl Grimm had advice for taking them on without toxic chemicals.

Ants often come inside searching for food when the weather gets cold and wet.

Life & Style Remind me again what I'll need to do with my garbage? (Video)

By Shannon L. Cheesman, KATU.com Producer/Reporter Published: Sep 28, 2011 at 4:44 PM PDT Last Updated: Oct 31, 2011 at 9:11 PM PDT

Starting on Halloween - Oct. 31 - the city will want you to throw all your food scraps and yard debris into the same roll cart so it can all be composted.

Life & Style Decoupage: Make boring better

By Meagan Williams Published: Oct 7, 2011 at 10:27 AM PDT Last Updated: Feb 4, 2013 at 3:01 PM PDT

Decoupage is popular in the craft community, but it was only recently that twenty and thirty-somethings with a quirky sense of style and a small budget were able to utilize the super-simple tactic to improve boring furniture currently filling their homes or to make thrift-store finds even better.