Real LI

Have you ever hosted a TV show ... in your head? Well, if you’re into “Do It Yourself” home projects, there could be a real audience in your future.

Here’s the deal: the DIY Network is scouting its next host in what the producers call the “Stud Finder search.” Viewers — those who are outgoing and passionate do-it-yourselfers — are invited to enter a contest via the network's Web site. Submissions include a video and photos as well as an explanation of why you are the right person for the job.

“We are looking for the next true DIY Network star, someone who has the right combination of skills and personality to make their way into living rooms across America," says Kathy Finch, the network's general manager, in a statement.

Entries must be submitted by July 13. The network will select four finalists, while viewers choose the fifth via online voting. Of course, the five will compete before a winner is named.

— LISA DOLL BRUNO

I still can remember my grandmother‘s pot roast, the smell of the kitchen on the High Holidays and the Seder that took hours to complete. These memories mold us and stay with us for a long time. We send our kids to Hebrew school, we expect them to learn Hebrew and Jewish traditions, as well being a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Although we go to services, do we perpetuate this in our homes?

Continue reading "Bellmore decorator offers kosher kitchen tips" »

Long Islanders like to decorate, as these reader photos show.

In Valley Stream, Howie Schwartz does Hannukah in style with this 3-foot-high custom-made dreidel that spins on a Star of David base and oversized gelt.

Glen Head resident Katherine Tongue says that she loves to share her decorating skills with the world. “So every December, we have an open house so that our neighbors, friends and family can come and enjoy the decorations,” she says.

Olga Messina says the “showpiece” at her Lido Beach home is the Christmas tree in her living room “with ivory and gold ornaments and garland, and nativity scenes at some side tables.”

See reader photos here.

Readers decorate for the holidays

If you only think of using red and gold as a major decorating element during the holidays, you have another thing coming. Designer Karen Lyons was able to deliver for homeowner Anne Tozzo by going with a red that leaned toward rust. She chose a wallpaper that incorporated the red and the gold for a formal look that has interest. The way she pulled it together was to add additional red and gold accents to the room ---- in the candles, the runner, the upholstery of the chairs and even the rug.

When asked the trick to getting the color right, she first suggested not being afraid of bold colors. Yeah, but that's not enough to give the average homeowner enough courage to let go of the whites and cream colors. Queried further, she added that staying in the same tonal family will help -- think muted colors together, metallic colors together. But, the best thing to do is to live with the colors. Get some samples and view them at varying times of the day. A color that is spectacular in the bright sunlight of early morning may be way too dark and tunnel-creating by the evening. Or, if you're not ready to make that big color commitment, think accent. Look to your pillows, artwork, candles or other pieces to pull the color into the room in subtle ways that make you smile instead of cringe.

Newsday photo / Daniel Goodrich

So, does The Donald know furniture? Don't know, but he thinks he does, evidenced by the three new lines he's introducing this fall in North Carolina, the furniture capital of the world.

The online furniture magazine, Furniture World, had this to say about the line: "The Trump Home collection includes furniture, lighting, floor fashion, room décor and home fragrance. Each piece has been designed to reflect the sophisticated elegance of the Trump lifestyle, and now retailers and consumers can buy into a complete design program of affordable luxury."

Here's a tool that will either make your furniture-moving tasking quicker, and easier on your back, or just frustrate the heck out of you -- the "Home Quick Planner." It runs $23 to $25 and is available through Edmund Scientific (scientificsonline.com; 800 728.6999) and Fat Brain Toys (fatbraintoys.com; 800 590.5987). It takes probably a good hour to get used to, but then it is kind of fun. It would make a cool gift for someone who likes moving the furniture around all the time. The strange thing about it is that it is touted as both a useful tool for an adult and a fun toy for a child. And they're right. It does work for multiple age groups and multiple functions.

The graph paper is simple enough to use and there are 700 little pieces of stick-on paper furniture. The nice thing is that the squares are bigger than a lot of graph paper I've used, and the page folds out so it can go from 8.5-inch by 11-inch to 17-inch by 22-inch -- a lot easier on the eyes and the fingers. So, if you're preparing to move furniture for the holidays or want an unusual gift for the holidays, take a gander at the Quick Home Planner kit.

There also is available a 3D Home Planner Kit ($25-$30) that is a little more time consuming. It helps with design of the exterior of your home, including some landscaping.

In the market for a new seawall? If so, it’s always best to do your homework first. One product to research is one that a Centerport resident came across — Truline vinyl piling, manufactured by the Florida-based company, Formtech Enterprises, Inc.

This product, according to the company’s press release, is a “new sheet piling solution for seawalls and other types of retaining walls that combines the strength of concrete with the protection and versatility of vinyl.”

Truline is touted as being durable, virtually maintenance free, and easy to install. The press release included testimonies from three Long Islanders: consumer Rosalin Resnick, her boyfriend Ray Guerin and contractor, Ron Takats of Takron Contracting. As the story goes, when Resnick purchased the Centerport property in 2005, she knew she had to replace the deteriorating 100-year-old concrete seawall. The project proved to be an arduous task until Guerin discovered Truline and told Takats about it. They obviously went with Truline and all systems were a go.

Of the project, Takats was quoted as saying, “In my 20 years experience, this is the best product I have used for seawalls. In these rocky conditions, the pilings sank in so smoothly and were so easy to manage. I have zero complaints with this product.”

OK, yes, it is a sweepstakes with not much hope of winning. And, yes, they want to get you hooked into buying furniture. But the Bassett Furniture sofa giveaway is a lot of fun. Click here and then onto the sweepstakes icon.

That's all it takes, but we defy you to enter the site without custom designing at least one piece of furniture.

You'll probably be surprised what you think your taste in a sofa is and what you end up liking. Think you're into bold prints? Maybe not so much after you see a big ol' sofa full of it. Or, maybe what you thought wouldn't be appealing is appealing after you see it with accent pillows. Either way, it is a fun way to waste a few minutes.

This countertop is made of concrete, which some claim will be the next hot thing in kitchens. The project cost $10,000 to $12,000, say the owners of this house, which is in Amagansett (and on the market for $4.675 million). Read why these homeowners and others have made concrete their choice.

Newsday Photo / Bill Davis

Here’s a way to do pull a room makeover together and see, sort of, the end result. SceneCaster has created several ways to mix and match furnishings, floor and wall coverings, as well as all the tchotchkes that can be found on the Web. Like something at Pottery Barn or Macy’s, bring the image of it to the room. All layouts can be made to scale which can help a makeover maven see when a when a furniture piece is too big or too small. Intriguing is the ability to link videos to the virtual televisions. This could be a way to create a dorm room using only the specifications from the school. Downside: The software moved slowly at times, which might frustrate a feng shui master seeking to route energy.

A couple walks into a realty office ready to look for a place to live. And the first thing the salesperson asked is, “What’s your house sign?” Bad Borscht Belt humor? Not. Coldwell Banker has devised a Housetrolgy quiz to help future buyers decide what style of residence might be suitable. Take the quiz and connect with your subliminal style. Notice the pitch is to buyers -- not sellers. The only sign sellers want is "Sold!"

First-time home buyers: HSBC will hold a free informational seminar about affordable housing options and other home-buying tips from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at HSBC Bank, 1572 Union Tpke. in New Hyde Park. For more information, call 516-328-6237.

- M. BOZENA SYSKA

Learn all about ferns from Mobee Weinstein, foreman of the gardeners at New York Botanical Gardens and a professor at Farmingdale State University, at the Long Island Horticultural Society's monthly meeting at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Burns Horticultural Center at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. Come early at 7 p.m. to learn about daylilies from Dan Mahony, past president of the Long Island Daylily Society. Admission is $5 for non-members, free for members. For more information, call 631-968-0971 or click here.

-M. BOZENA SYSKA

Stop by Hicks Nurseries for tips on home entertaining using organically grown foods from Long Island, from Jeri Woodhouse, co-owner of "A Taste of the North Fork," from 1 to 4 p.m.tomorrow at 100 Jericho Tpke. in Westbury. Free, and no registration is required. For more information, call 516-334-0066 or click here.

-M. BOZENA SYSKA

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program features tours of four East Hampton gardens tomorrow: Arlene Bujese (10 a.m.-2 p.m.); Margaret Kerr (10 a.m.-2 p.m.); Carol Mercer (10 a.m.-4 p.m.); and Alexandra Munroe and Robert Rosenkranz (11 a.m.-4 p.m.). Tickets are $5. Kids under 12 are admitted free. For tickets, call 888-842-2442 or click here.

Learn about composting in your own garden and get tips on decomposers, recycling and the composting process -- then make a compostable summer craft -- at Queens Botanical Garden's free workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. To register, call 718-539-5296 or click here.

- M. BOZENA SYSKA

“House Call: Foolproof Tricks of the Trade from a Master Contractor” by Ed Del Grande (Viking Studio, $15.95): The author, host of HGTVPro.com and DIY Network shows encourages homeowners to know what their house is all about before taking on projects -- learn about the plumbing, heat and electrical systems first. Then he takes on a series of projects and through easy directions and illustrations, he shows us how to clear a sink clog, replace a showerhead, change ceiling light fixtures, install wainscoting, repair damaged drywall and a lot more. His biggest emphasis, though, is knowing what the house already has and making sure homeowners understand how their house functions so they know realistically what jobs they can safely tackle.

- PAM ROBINSON

If you're interested in learning how designers work with clients to bring their vision to life, then scope out the Corcoran Group’s book, “Properties for Living.” The real estate agency partnered with HC&G magazine to write about the designers. The book showcases more than 400 exclusive East End properties with editorial that includes a look at this years 10 most sought after designers, which in turn builds on Corcoran’s branding campaign “live who you are.”

Aspiring designers willing to travel to the ends of the earth for their big break may only have to go as far as the end of Long Island.

Traditional Home magazine and the New York School of Interior Design are joining forces to provide three students with the opportunity to spend their summer internship in Montauk as design protegees working with top designers. The task: Design and decorate a luxury residence at the new Panoramic View Residences.

The challenge is referred to as "Oceans 3: Showhouse Showdown." If this sounds like a title for a reality show — it is. The television special is scheduled to air late 2008. And get this — the residences will host a variety of events this summer and fall, including a partnership with the Hamptons International Film Festival.

A discussion of potting and soil mixes is on the agenda for the monthly meeting of the Long Island Cactus and Succulent Society at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Kellenberg Memorial High School, 1400 Glenn Curtis Blvd. in Uniondale. Call 516-735-4479 for more information.

A discussion of potting and soil mixes is on the agenda for the monthly meeting of the Long Island Cactus and Succulent Society at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Kellenberg Memorial High School, 1400 Glenn Curtis Blvd. in Uniondale. Call 516-735-4479 for information.

Tour the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building on Main Street in Huntington, built to honor the men who died during the Civil War, as part of The Huntington Historical Society’s “Heritage Antiques Show.” Get your ticket for the Soldiers and Sailors show at Huntington High School, Oakwood and McKay roads, where antiques are for sale, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7. Call 631-427- 7045, ext. 401, or click here.

Get locally grown perennials, annuals, roses, shrubs and saplings, plus advice on how to deter deer from garden grazing, at the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons’ Garden Fair on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society, Main Street and Corwith Avenue. Preview party and early-bird gala 6 to 8 tonight; $50. Admission is free 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. Call 631-537-2223 or click here.

What’s in a luxury bathroom? Plenty — for some it’s the most Zen place in the entire house — especially if the kids aren’t banging down the door. Somewhere along the line, these private spaces became less of a pit stop and more of a really pleasant — and often tranquil environment.

Check out some of these swanky bathrooms which will be be published this fall in “The Luxury Bathroom” book: In one Sagaponack weekend retreat, belonging to Diane and Craig Soloman, each have their own bathroom. But it’s Craig who went for the show stopper.

According the book, Diane wanted calm, peaceful and practical. Her bathroom is described as an “airy, hushed room with dark-stained wide-plank floors and wood-paneled walls painted soothing cream.” The focal point is “a voluptuous freestanding tub with an undulating profile.” An antique silver-leaf vanity mirror, a metal console made from a vintage armor box, and pieces from the Soloman’s growing art collection appear to complete the room.

As for Craig — the walls in his bathroom are striped with bold horizontal bands of limestone and beige marble, which “play off exotic accents like the rosewood vanity, which is repurposed 1960s Danish console.” A rosewood armoire stands in the corner. And his glass shower is all about the fixtures and multiple shower heads.

Another airy and spacious bathroom featured in the book, also in the Hamptons, has black and white subway tile, a vintage looking steam shower, an oversized tub and a pair of custom cherry vanities, including one to apply makeup.

This bathroom was included in the renovation of the 1930s farmhouse -- a weekend retreat for designer Betty Wasserman. According to the book, Wasserman wanted the "bathroom's interior to mesh seamlessly with the rest of the house," which she is calling a country-modern style. A high contrast palette of ebonized woods are offset by the black and white subway tile.
The ebonized wood floor and the cherry vanities compliment each other.

What's really impressive is this bathroom's storage. A mirrored medicine cabinet was installed above the sink and beside it, a low slung glass fronted unit for towels as described in the article. And how's this for creative? The cabinet was salvaged from the kitchen, where it hung on a wall. The designer added legs and set it on the floor. It's just the right height for her 5-year-old daughter too.

For more on Long Island bathrooms, read today's Newsday story here.

The mower knows.

The electric LawnBott can be programmed by a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or PDA, according to its sellers, Kyodo Co. and Zucchetti Centro Sistemi.

At the specified time, the mower leaves its “docking station," cutting within a special perimeter wire set into the ground. When it’s low on energy, the mower knows and goes back to the station to be charged up. When the ground’s too wet, the mower returns home.

Its “virtually no noise motor” means LawnBott can work at night without neighbors complaining, the sellers said.

One drawback: a list price of $3249.

Rea LI mentions all this only because the American Dream encompasses a lawn -- and maybe one day it won't include grass cutting chores.

The three-bedroom, two-bath spaceship house in Chattanooga, Tenn., that will be auctioned tomorrow is similar -- in shape, at least -- to a house on Long Island that seems like it belongs in outer space. Like the house on the side of Signal Mountain, above, the house on Millstone Road in Water Mill near Bridgehampton is round. And, in fact, owner Mihai "Nova" Popa did have some spacey things in mind when he had it built. The artist "designs models of circular modular cities to float on the ocean, and to launch into space should humans face an exodus from a dying planet in an ecological apocalypse he believes is a possibility," writes Newsday's Carol Polsky in a recent story.

AP photo

Northport kitchen designer Susan Serra is the new U.S. distributor of the Hansen Living collection of free-standing solid wood kitchen and bath furniture. Designed by Danish architect Knud Kapper out of eco-friendly, sustainably harvested woods (walnut, oak, teak and ash) with stone, glass and steel, the handcrafted pieces stand on legs and include cupboards, islands, tables, and units for stoves and sinks. They’re an example of soft modernism, says Serra, and are made to last. The finish of the stained and oiled solid woods can be easily renewed, or left to develop a patina. The cost of the pieces are similar to that of traditional high-end cabinetry, says Serra, who intends to install the line in her own home in the spring so prospective buyers can see it in action.

-- CAROL POLSKY

If you've bought an "architecturally important house" or overseen "a painstaking renovation," you might consider hiring a photographer to take photos of the home, according to an article in today's New York Times. The fees can run up to $75,000. Sandy Perlbinder and her husband, Steve, won this photograph of their Sagaponack home at a charity auction. Actually, they won a session with photographer Todd Eberle to shoot the Norman Jaffe-designed house. The couple declined to tell the Times how much they paid, although bidding started at $10,000. The estimated retail price of the shoot: $20,000. The work hangs in their Manhattan apartment.

Joyce Dopkeen / The New York Times photo

This home theater in this waterfront Montauk house was inspired by Radio City Music Hall and the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey," reports Coolhuntereck. "The theater has a series of round arches, which house 600 five-watt dimmer-controlled light bulbs that provide a soft ambient light for when you need to find that elusive remote control," according to the site. "And as in the Music Hall, the lights are positioned to glow away from the viewers -- because we all hate to have lights in our eyes when watching the big screen."

Continue reading "Montauk resident tricks out home theater" »

At nearly 11,000 square feet, overlooking a lake and with a $4.8 million price tag, the New American Home 2008 should have a WOW factor. And it does. But it's not so much about the bells and whistles as it is about one key factor -- warmth. I can't believe a home of this size has such a warm feel. But designer Dan F. Sater, an acclaimed Southwest Florida architect pulled it off.

I've seen four of these grandiose show homes, and this one is by far the most inviting. With prefinished wood floors and earth-tone carpeting and wall applications, you can imagine Paula Dean making a pecan pie in one of its three (or is it four?) kitchens. It's got a real Southern feel, and, well, I just like it.

The New American Home is a feature attraction of the NAHB International Builders Show. This year's show completes a four-year run in Orlando, and the home is about 10 miles from downtown Orlando, in a high-end subdivision being built off Lake Nona. Last year's home was in an urban setting, and it was a four-story mix of contemporary design and hard, cold materials. Concrete, steel and glass seemed to be everywhere. But this year's version, the 25th in the series, is sunny by comparison.

This is a big home, but it's open-air space of 2,900 square feet makes if feel smaller. It's hard to explain, but when two remote-controlled sliding doors open in the rear of the home, an inground pool and hot tub seem to appear at your feet. The doors open and bring in the outdoors. They don't push visitors out. It's good stuff.

Now, it's supposed to be green, as in eco-friendly, and we'll examine that at another time.

But, if first impressions count for anything, this home is a keeper.

Meet Terry Sciubba. She loves real estate so much that she doesn't only run a real estate firm, but her hobby is buying houses. Sciubba, owner and manager of Sea Cliff-based Sherlock Homes Realty Corp., has lived in six different houses with her children. (This is her most recent house in Sea Cliff.) According to Newsday, "she admits her wanderlust sometimes has been an element of stress for her family and that, in fact, it contributed to her divorce." Read more about Sciubba and other serial buyers by clicking here.

Newsday photo / Bill Davis

Photographer Elliott Erwitt's East Hampton house is one of dozens featured in the new book "America At Home: A Close-Up Look at How We Live," out in April from Running Press. The book came out of a week-long project last September in which "100 of the top photojournalists and millions of Americans documented the concept of home." The photo of Erwitt's house features his two young grandchildren -- Phoebe, 7, and Jesse, 5 -- standing inside whimsically painted school lockers. Since the two were toddlers, they have always climbed inside the lockers as soon as they arrived at their grandfather's home "to see how much they've grown since their last visit." Among its 250 photos is another of a nearby home that's on the market. "On a quiet East Hampton lane, minutes away from the train that brings commuters into Manhattan, a brand-new house glows brightly, waiting for prospective buyers to tour its four bedrooms. While most of America is reeling from the subprime mortgage crisis, a few communities like this one ... maintain their value." One reason? "President Clinton spent his summer vacations there, two First Ladys spent their youths playing on the town's beaches, and famed artist Jackson Pollock created his most famous paintings in East Hampton."

Looking to transform your summer place into a year-round retreat? The February 2008 issue of House Beautiful features Ashley Whittaker’s design makeover of a Southampton home.

Whitakker used bright colors and warm materials like velvet and cashmere to make the house light in the summer and cozy in the winter. Whittaker says colors like turquoise in the dining room and sunroom make sense in all seasons, brightening “even the grayest of February days…it has great impact and sets a tone for the colors throughout.”

But don’t pick your color swatches before a outlining a furniture plan. “I don't even think about fabrics or colors until I have a furniture plan in my mind…. it really is the most important aspect of designing a great room,” she says.

An ancient Indian architectural and design philosophy, Vastu is finding new life on Long Island. The Sharmas, pictured here, cut a hole in the glass in the dining room of their Dix Hills home in order to build a door so that they could bring more prosperity to their lives. (They claim it worked.) And as Newsday writes, Gary Gopalani, and wife, Anjali, recently hired a Vastu consultant to make suggestions at their new home in the Hamlet Estates in Jericho. "The builders wouldn't let them make adjustments during construction, or visit the work site, although they were able to choose a plot with an east-facing entrance," writes Carol Polsky. Read more about their story here.

Newsday photo / Bill Davis

If it's "La Mouette de Mer," yes. That's the name one Manhattanite considered giving her weekend getaway in Bridgehampton until her father winced at the idea, according to today's Escapes in The New York Times. Instead of using the French for "sea gull," she went with "Three Waters." After all, the house "overlooks Mecox Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the cut that connects them." Her advice? “You don’t want it too cutesy or too sophisticated.”

Bachelor pads have changed since the Rat Pack days. Look at Rob DiMartino's Port Jefferson co-op, which he bought five years ago. DiMartino, a video producer for a Nesconset remodeler, has gone "tastefully understated" with his decor, writes Gary Dymski in his Newsday story about him and other Long Island guys. Read the full report -- including video -- by clicking here.

Newsday photo / Ken Spencer

Get inside houses and raise money for local charities, historical societies and other nonprofits. For the complete list, click here.

Credit the little girl in Montauk for helping dream up this room. According to the December issue of Architectural Digest, Manhattan designer Alexa Hampton consulted her (and her parents) before installing the "half-canopy bed and balloon shades." Says Hampton: "I'll show the parent some options. They'll show the child their choices. It gives the child agency in the process but also means that the parents can live with it."

Photo by Scott Frances, courtesy of Archirectural Digest

Actress Lorraine Bracco played a psychiatrist on the hit television series “The Sopranos,” so it’s fitting she will co-chair a benefit Thursday night to raise funds for the Brain Injury Association of New York State. Silent auction items from stars like Newsday.comCommack native Rosie O’Donnell, Mark Wahlberg, James Woods and NFL players Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice and Brett Favre are a highlight of the event, organized by diSalvo Interiors’ mother-daughter design team after a relative, injured in a World Trade Center explosion, fell into a coma this summer.

The benefit kicks off at 6 p.m. with speakers, live entertainment, cocktails and food, at the diSalvo Interiors showroom at 840 Franklin Ave. in Garden City. Call 516-873-6011 to purchase tickets for $125.

Bracco will attend, along with NFL players and NFL CFO Kim Williams. Among those scheduled to speak is a surgeon who treated injured ABC newsman Bob Wooddruff.
Auction items include a "Laverne and Shirley" script and a DVD of "A League of Their Own," both signed by actress/director Penny Marshall; original art, luxury accessories, exclusive event tickets and spa and hotel packages and signed sports jerseys.

Bracco owns a home in Bridgehampton in a five-bedroom postmodern dwelling which she purchased in 2004 from Anne Hearst, granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst. That home was briefly listed for sale at $3.25 million earlier this year before the actress changed her mind and took it off the market.

-- CAROL POLSKY

Getty Images photo

Before filming for a week in Huntington for the upcoming film "What Happens in Vegas," actor Ashton Kutcher spent a day installing closets at a Long Island City home. "He was really such a nice guy," says Bill Urspruch, office manager for Closet Factory's Long Island City office. "The day he was here, there was heavy rain and the office flooded. He was shoveling water out of here." That day, to research his role, he helped install a tie and a belt rack. "He was hands-on," Urspruch says. Afterwards, he stayed to sign autographs, call one installer's wife at home and take this photograph with Urspruch. In the movie, which also stars Cameron Diaz, Kutcher's character's father owns a closet company.

Read all about this trend here, including more about this Oyster Bay home, owned by architects Laura and Jim Smiros.

Newsday photo / Alan Raia

They didn't win the $10,000 grand prize, but Denise Keltos of Hauppauge and Mallory DeMayo-Randell of Bay Shore each won a Fold-Away Work Station and a two-pack of GearTrack channels in the first Gladiator GarageWorks Chaotic & Cramped Garage Makeover Contest.

The grand-prize winner, announced Thursday, is Dan Leslie, Macon, Ga., who will receive a garage makeover valued at $10,000 from Gladiator GarageWorks, a Benton Harbor, Mich., company. "My garage is really embarrassing, though we’ve done the best we could to keep it up," Leslie said. "My wife almost did a black flip when she heard I won.”

Overall, three others joined Keltos and DeMayo-Randell as first-prize winners and claimed the Fold-Away Work Station, valued at $265.

The contest opened this summer to contestants nationwide after a GarageWorks study showed that 40 percent of garage owners referred to their garages as a "storage unit" or "junkyard." The study also said that 60 percent of garage owners kept their vehicles outside because their garages were so unorganized.

For more information, click here.

-- GARY DYMSKI

House & Garden magazine -- which most recently featured actress Gwyneth Paltrow's Amagansett home -- will shut down with its December issue. “House & Garden has a long and venerable history within Condé Nast,” said Charles H. Townsend, Condé Nast Publications president and chief executive. “This has been a difficult decision to come to but we feel it is one that must be made at this time."

Townsend said the decision came after the sudden departure of Joseph Lagani, who went to Glam Media.

Condé Nast also publishes Architectural Digest, Domino and Vogue Living.

Even though the kids are grown and out of the house, retirees James and Diane Denier decorated their North Lindenhurst home anyway. "I do it every holiday," says Diane Denier, who is asking $359,990. Did she do it right? Read the full Newsday story here.

Newsday Photo / Alejandra Villa

Home improvement diva and Garden City resident Leslie Segrete will be in Miller Place this weekend to help a family renovate their home so that they can all live under one roof -- a boomer couple, their children and their parents.

“Eighty-nine percent of people age 45-plus want to stay in their current home and community as they age,” says Elinor Ginzler, director of Livable Communities for AARP. “One of the most common problems facing families is that their home no longer matches their needs and abilities. Both universal design and home modifications can make a tremendous difference in a home’s suitability for all residents – both young and old.”

Along with Tom Kraeutler, co-host of the syndicated radio show "The Money Pit," Segrete will make improvements to the kitchen, bathroom, entryways and living spaces.

There's an emerging trend for second kitchens, at least at the very high end of the housing market, reports Newsday's Carol Polsky. One is for cooking and the other for showing off, like this one in Amy and Ken Zhao's Lattingtown home. "This is the new thing," says John Kean, a luxury home builder based in Cold Spring Harbor. "We really didn't get much call for it until the last few years." Read the full story here.

Newsday Photo / Bill Davis

Talk about luxury. The new gated community on Long Island, writes Newsday's Keiko Morris, is all about "plush amenities" like two-story ceilings, granite countertops and built-in espresso machines. At Stone Hill at Muttontown, the newest luxury gated community, each home is distinct. Homes on the half-acre lots range from $2.3 million to $3 million; residences on the 1- to 1 1/2-acre lots are in the $3 million to roughly $4 million range, and those on the 2- to 2 1/2-acre lots range from $4 million to $8 million, depending on customization. Read more about it here.

Newsday Photo / Julia Gaines

There's yet another HGTV show on the cable network's lineup -- "Fun Shui," which is based on the ancient Chinese principle of design known as feng shui. On Nov. 2, as Newsday reports, the show will feature Jennifer and William Coleman of Middle Island, who have been waiting for two years to adopt a child from Africa. The show's team will transform a guest bedroom into a "green" nursery featuring edible paint and environmentally sustainable, organic and non-toxic furnishings. Read all about it here.

Pictured: "Fun Shui" host Stephanie McWilliams, with William and Jennifer Coleman