Welcome Mat

Your weekly roundup of the latest news in home furnishings, interior design and home improvement. - 07/03/2009

Mary Carol Garrity: Style at Home

Go natural for memorable table

I am not the rugged outdoorsy type (my idea of being in the great outdoors is spending an evening on my screened porch), but I love to celebrate the beauty of the natural world in my decorating. So when I entertain this summer, I'm inviting Mother Nature to help me dress my table with dishware, linens and accents inspired by her handiwork. - 07/03/2009

Martha Stewart: Ask Martha

Maine's hard-shell lobsters just as delicious

Q . My family will be in Maine in early July. Will there be soft- or hard-shell lobsters at that time? How are they best prepared? - 07/03/2009

Nancy Szerlag: Gardening

You can still plant late-season vegetables

If you want to start a vegetable garden, but failed to get it planted this spring, don't despair, there's still time. - 07/03/2009

Jeff Ball: The Yardener

July and August turn up the heat on lawns

Fourth of July weekend begins two months of crunch time for our lawn. The heat of July and August will put the health of our turf grass to the ultimate test. Will it stay green all summer without daily watering? Will those weeds come back? Will I avoid any disease or insect problems? - 07/03/2009

Kate Lawson: Simply the Best

There's no fool like a fresh raspberry fool

No one likes being called a fool, but when it comes to raspberries, I'm the biggest there is. Thanks to raspberry fool, a rich, creamy dessert made with fresh raspberries, mascarpone cheese and heavy cream, with a splash of orange liqueur thrown in for good measure, I get positively goofy this time of year. - 07/03/2009

Judy Solomon: Marketplace

It's time to show your colors

Three cheers for anything red, white and blue! It's patriotic, colorful and fun to haul out these items every Fourth of July. Here are a few things you might want to add to your holiday stash. But remember, if you want to use any of them this weekend, you'd better run -- not walk -- to get them. Or you might prefer to do your shopping next week when you are likely to get substantial discounts. And rest assured, everything that we've selected will still be in style a year from now. - 07/03/2009

Jocelynn Brown: Handmade

Mink and crystals dress up this purse

What do Erykah Badu and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm have in common? Both have been presented with an elegant, handcrafted bag from Lady Katherine Purses and Jewels by Katherine Biles of Detroit. - 07/03/2009

Khristi Zimmeth: Trash or Treasure?

Antiques even make for some pretty good page-turners

Summer is officially in full swing with the arrival of the July Fourth holiday weekend, but there's still time left for summer reading. And because the next best thing to shopping for antiques is reading about antiques, we've gathered a list of beach (and bed) reading for antiques and collectibles lovers. Some are out of print (check eBay and Amazon if you can't find them in local libraries or bookstores), but well-worth searching out. - 07/03/2009

Jeanine Matlow: Smart Solutions

Turning small spaces into the lap of luxury

It's easy to live large in a small space as John Breco so deftly demonstrates in his 1,360-square-foot Farmington Hills home. All you need is a little ingenuity and the right attitude. - 07/03/2009

Vista Maria home tests green thumbs of residents

Tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini and assorted herbs have been planted by volunteers and residents now looking forward to a harvest at Myriam House on the grounds of Vista Maria, a home for abused girls in Dearborn Heights. - 07/03/2009

Glenn Haege: Ask Glenn

Look for Energy Star rated and ultra-low temperature dehumidifiers

Dear Glenn: My brother and I need a dehumidifier for our basements and we do not know what to buy. Each store has something different and it is very confusing. I have a 1,600-square-foot basement and my brother has an 800-square-foot basement. - 06/30/2009