Home and Garden Television

If you're in the market for a recreational vehicle ...

1. Rent before you buy. If you are not absolutely sure an RV is right for you and your family, try renting one first. Rule No. 1 for owning an RV is you have to use it. It can be difficult to determine that if you have never done it. Plan a weekend or weeklong trip and kick the tires of one before you make a decision.

Our home-office renovation was not expensive. We stripped the old wallpaper, and then primed the wood trim. My husband and I did all the painting ourselves. The pine bookcases, mine since childhood, languished in our old basement for years, but my husband sanded and painted them and they look terrific.

Before you begin organizing a space, you need to define its purpose.

Ask yourself these questions: How do I want this room to be used? What items need to be stored in the room to support those activities? What storage do I currently have available to house the items needed?

Big or small, inexpensive or extravagant, your outdoor living space is an investment toward creating your own personal sanctuary. But it doesn't have to be overly complicated: just include fire, water and earth. Here are several ways to use these elements to create a cozy open-air refuge.

Fire

From casual to formal, stunning table settings are sure to add an elegant touch to your next dinner party. Get ideas and design tips for centerpieces, dinnerware and decorations:

-- Use colors that complement the season and your guests.

-- Be sure to consider how the table setting will mesh with your dining room.

Father's Day, graduations and weddings can quickly fill up the spring calendar, also making this a busy time of year for gift giving and shipping. Make sure gifts are properly packed and shipped with care so your loved ones receive them intact and on time.

Ready to take the plunge and build your new dream home? Play it smart and follow these surefire tips:

Carefully Select the Builder:

Top designers offer their views on what they can't live without and what they'd like to see less of.

Linda Woodrum has designed for HGTV's "Dream Home" for 10 years.

Love it: "A huge, huge sink. I hate these little divided sinks. Actually, I can't live without two big sinks."

Interior designer Kenneth Brown, host of HGTV's "reDesign," believes that kitchens should "fit what you need in how you use your kitchen. Some people are happy with a hot plate and a mini-fridge; others are gourmet cooks and make meals for 100 people a month."

Here are some tips on creating a workable and beautiful kitchen:

-- Streamline everything.

One of the easiest ways to add designer zing to your home is to arrange objects into vignettes, or groupings, atop tables and shelves. Think of it as creating a beautiful still life. You can make a vignette on top of any flat surface: dresser, table, bookshelf, countertop or window ledge.