If you're like a lot families, you rarely use your living room. A few times a year, generally around the holidays, is when you living room might get a work out. But generally it sits empty while you and the kids congregate in the family room or den.

Instead of letting your living room collect dust, turn it into a fun space you and the whole family can enjoy. Or, if you need a place to get away, convert your living room into a relaxing retreat where you can unwind.

Here are some fun design options for taking your living room from stuffy and formal to warm and inviting:

Family-friendly library. This easy conversion makes your living room a great place to read books, help your kids with their homework, play games and enjoy some quality family time. Paint a neutral gray or cream on the walls, hangs some shelves and fill them with books and other family mementos. The shelving you choose depends on your aesthetic. For a more classic library look, choose one wall and build or buy shelving uni

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Love it or hate it, wallpaper is back.

But these new designs aren't your grandmother's wallpaper. Gone are the pasty old flower patterns and shiny stripes that more closely resemble wrapping paper than something you'd want to put up on your walls.

"In the last three or four years you've seen a resurgence of wallpaper," said Kippie Leland, designer and owner of Leland Interiors. "People are kind of tired of plain walls and they're ready for more pattern. So you're seeing some of the old traditional patterns being re-interpreted in either a more simple pattern or a more updated color palette that looks fresh."

Today's wallpapers feature crisp, modern trellis patterns, energize a demure damask pattern with bright pinks and oranges, add texture and interest to a scroll pattern through beading and velvet, or offer detailed mosaic tile designs.

Designers have long utilized wallpaper as a way to bring life to a room and create artistic interest where there otherwise would have been a matte,

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Two demons wait for unsuspecting homeowners, hoping for their chance to gobble up time and money on new home and remodeling projects. They are called the Ripple Effect and Project Creep.

The Ripple Effect lurks quietly in the background. Just like the movements on the pond surface for which it's named, the Ripple Effect starts out small and grows, expanding until it engulfs the entire project. Project Creep is a silent menace, staying out of sight until it's too late to avoid and putting the whole job at risk.

Pebble in the pond

The Ripple Effect is the remodeling budget's worst enemy and can wreak havoc on small and large projects alike.

A window replacement is a simple, isolated project, right? But the interior and exterior trim must be replaced and painted and the exterior siding may have to be reworked, especially if the new window isn't the same size as the old one.

And that's just the beginning. Once that window is replaced and the new window trim painted, the rest of th

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If you're thinking of building or you're planning a remodel -- either for yourself or to make things more attractive for a potential buyer -- the latest home trends can offer some valuable insights to help with your planning.

Architects and other home design experts gathered at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference this summer -- which is always full of new products and ideas -- to discuss what's new and hot in home design trends. Some of the ideas are a bit of a departure from past years:

Garages are doing a lot more

Many home designers are looking at ways to design smaller homes with spaces that serve multiple uses, and that's now including the garage. With space in many homes at a premium, it's not too much of a stretch to consider cleaning up that vast cold expanse of concrete and making it more than a place to park the car. Garages are now sharing space with exercise areas, hobby rooms and other uses.

One of the most important uses for the garage is storage, but not just shel

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When you want to refinish and refurbish a piece of wood furniture, you'll need to strip off the old paint so you have a new surface to work with. You'll need to identify what type of paint or varnish is already on the furniture so you can pick out the right remover. After that, you'll need to prep the surface for stripping and use the right materials and tools to remove the paint completely. There really are no shortcuts for this type of DIY project, so patience is key throughout the process!

Here are some essential tips for stripping paint from wood furniture the right way:

1. Prepare your work area. Whether you're stripping the paint in the garage, the basement, or in a workshop, make sure you're covering your workspace completely with plastic or paper. Chemicals in the paint remover can be toxic, so make sure to open windows and have a fan blowing while you work.

2. Apply remover with a wide brush. You'll need a medium or large-sized, wide brush to apply thick coats of p

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Painter's tape, also known as painter's masking tape, makes it easier to achieve clean lines and professional results with your painting project. You could try painting straight lines freehand, but most people end up missing some spots or going over the edge of a surface with this strategy. Painter's tape will cover all areas that don't need to be painted a certain color so you end up with a very crisp line and sharp-looking finish. You use this tape as a guide to paint only the areas you want at any given time.

Here are five tips for using painter's tape:

1. Use a good-quality tape. While it is possible to complete your paint project using regular masking tape, you won't get professional results with just any type of tape. Invest in a good-quality tape designed for painting projects so it sticks to the surface easily and you can achieve that perfectly straight line.

2. Wipe down the area thoroughly. You'll need to work with a very clean and dry surface, so make sure there

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If you wish you had space in your home for a small office or work desk, don't give up on the idea simply because you lack a spare room. If you don't mind storing your clothes in a chest of drawers, you can free up your closet space for a desk, shelves and your electronics. Here's how to turn a closet into a cosy, functional office space.

Turn Your Closet into a Chic Recess

Start by removing the external closet doors and any rails or hardware that held them in place. This will open up the closet space. Next, remove any shelving or closet rods that will interfere with your office desk. When done, your closet will look like a bare recess in the wall.

Give the Recess a Style All Its own

To illuminate the appearance of a bare closet, patch any holes left in the walls by the removed shelving. Then paint the closet space in a dark, dramatic hue that matches the room. So, for example, if your room is painted in taupe, paint your closet in hunter green, maroon or dark caramel. I

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After the kitchen, the bathroom is the most remodeled room in the house. It is also the second most expensive room to remodel. Can't afford a complete bathroom renovation? You have several options to makeover the master bathroom for under $500.

Reface or refinish the vanity cabinets

Good quality cabinets can be expensive to buy, but you can easily get a brand-new look in your master bath without replacing the entire vanity. Simply replace the doors and drawer fronts and refinish the body with matching stain or paint. For a less expensive option, you can even re-stain or paint the entire cabinet, but for quality results, you will need to make sure to do it properly. Remove the original finish with sandpaper and re-stain with a similar or darker color. Or, paint with an enamel that was made for wood trim.

Unless you are a skilled woodworker, I recommend buying or ordering doors and drawer fronts to replace the original ones. To replace, simply use the appropriate screwdriver

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There are many good reasons to reupholster your own furniture. First, it can save you money as opposed to buying new furniture. Reupholstering vintage furniture is an excellent way to create your own custom, one-of-a-kind furniture. You may also want to refinish a piece that has great sentimental value. No matter what situation applies, learn to avoid the following do-it-yourself furniture reupholstery mistakes to increase your chances for a successful outcome.

Do Not: take on a complicated piece of furniture for your first project.

If you have never reupholstered a piece of furniture, don't try to take on a sofa as your first project. There is no shame in admitting you're a beginner; everyone has to start somewhere. An easy project for a "newbie" would be reupholstering a dining chair seat. This is where I started, with help from my parents when I first started out on my own. The seat can be easily removed by turning the chair upside down and removing a few screws. If the old

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One day in the not-so-distant future, my husband and I are going to invest the time and money into finishing our basement. Though our house is spacious, three children are quickly driving us to the garage and bathrooms to find a moment of peace and quiet. "To the basement," will be our battle cry! Here are five ideas we're considering for fun, functional basement remodels.

Game Room

A basement game room is a fun and practical choice for a family, whether the kids are 4 or 14 years old. Think beyond a couch, TV, and video gaming system. Consider checkerboard tile for the floor and life-sized chess and checker pieces. Paint one wall with chalkboard paint so you can keep a year-long tally of who wins Go Fish. Draw your own scrabble board on one wall. Install shelves that you stock with nothing but every board and card game that you own. Kids and grown-ups will love this fun(ctional) game room.

Movie Room

If my husband had his way, our basement would be include a movie room,

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