House & home Coverage

Five ways to make your kitchen a winter wonderland

The kitchen is the heart of any home, so this is the perfect place to bring joy and winter enthusiasm into your life! Stuck on where to start? Here are some of our favorite winter kitchen decor ideas that will bring warmth no matter how cold it is outside your door!

Sandra Moncada-Mainz, Couture Haus Interior Design

Northern Exposure -- New Frontiers for the Triangle

With all it has to offer -- a mild climate, award-winning schools, abundant job opportunities, world-class healthcare, a reasonable cost of living, rich cultural offerings, diverse dining venues and the great Carolina outdoors -- it's no wonder that some 60,000 newcomers move here every year.

Kelly McCall Branson

Is the Housing Market Making You Moody? Influencing Design Trends in 2023

With record-high gas prices, a housing market boom and global uncertainty, it hasn't been an easy transition back to stereotypically normal pre-pandemic living.

Erica Jevons Sizemore, writer for New Homes & Ideas

New standard allows smart home devices on different systems to work together

Early adopters of "smart home" technology had to choose whether to work mainly with Alexa, Google, Apple or something different altogether. But thanks to a new home standard called Matter, that's changing.

Parents shoud consider dangers of weighted blankets for small children

Dr. Daniel Park, medical director at the pediatric emergency department at UNC Hospitals, says the blankets pose a risk for two reasons - the zipper and the weight of the product itself.

Dropping temperatures, rising costs: Help is available to pay heat bills

Wake County's Energy Assistance Program has already promised more than $1 million to struggling families. About $3 million more is available.

Adam Owens, WRAL reporter

Considering moving to Durham? Here's what you need to know.

This issue, we explore the northern tip of our Triangle, featuring the highlights that make up Durham, North Carolina.

Carl Johnson, Carl Johnson Real Estate, writer for New Homes & Ideas

Historic Durham neighborhood opens its doors for tours of renovated homes

Those looking for a way to spend a sunny Sunday can tour some historic homes in Durham this weekend.

Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

Trinity Park home tour celebrates some of Durham's oldest homes

Those interested in seeing some remodeled historic homes can tour Trinity Park in Durham, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods.

80 nominees named for 'Coolest Thing Made in NC' contest

Online voting began Thursday in the "Coolest Thing Made in NC" contest.

New trends in home design that accommodate aging

As you age, your home may no longer suit your needs -- but moving may not be of interest to you. In fact, 76% of Baby Boomers own their homes, and more than half don't plan on buying a different one in the future, according to research by Chase Bank.

WRAL contributors

What I Learned From Purchasing a Fixer-upper During a Pandemic

One lesson my partner and I learned was how to successfully purchase and renovate a fixer-upper house from 3,000 miles away.

Interiors and Article By Steve Marraffino, Principal Designer, Marracar Design, writer for New Homes & Ideas

Native Gardens: Supporting Local Businesses and Your Local Environment

The Triangle is literally in bloom this time of year! Surrounded by vibrant greens, the work in the garden is just getting started and the seemingly never ending battle of weeding and mowing has only just begun.

By Carl Johnson, Carl Johnson Real Estate, writer for New Homes & Ideas

Summer fan direction: Hot air is here. Make sure your ceiling fan is spinning the right way for cooling

Changing your fan to the summer fan direction will improve the airflow in your room. Additionally, it can help you save money on your energy bills.

Declutter and do good: Clean out your closet for spring, pay it forward to others

If you are having to pack up winter clothes to make room for warm-weather outfits, it may be time to purge. Here are three ways to declutter and do some good for others.

Tara Lynn, WRAL contributor

The best things to plant (and when) in North Carolina

It can be helpful to know the best things to plant and when to do so. These include everything from your vegetable garden to your flowers. Some plants are native to North Carolina, and some need love to flourish and thrive.

Your complete guide to growing vegetables indoors in NC

It's sometimes difficult and expensive to get our hands on all the vegetables and fruits we enjoy, especially out of season. Fortunately, you can grow your supplies from scratch, and you don't need 100 acres of pristine farmland to do it.

How to improve your soil for gardening in central North Carolina

Gardening can be frustrating if you don't have the rich soil your plants need. Here is how to enrich poor soil.

A Wooden Knife Sharper Than Steel? Scientists Say So

More than 60 years ago in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” Julia Child, one of America’s most emulated chefs, described the necessity of decent, reliable kitchen equipment.

Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times

How to create a beautiful lawn based on the type of grass you have

The question: How can you achieve that luscious green yard you've always wanted? The answer: Start by choosing the best grass type for your region.

Interior Design: Be a statement maker

Find yourself being stagnant in the same decorating doldrums yet another year and craving some inspired motivation for your home's décor?

Tonya Hill, Opalus Designs, Writer For New Homes & Ideas; Photography by JW Motion & Still

Exploring our neighbors to the South: Garner and Clayton

As we continue exploring the many cities, towns and villages that make up the greater Triangle, this issue, we'll head south from downtown Raleigh and take a look at two towns with a long history in the area.

By Kelly McCall Branson, writer for New Homes & Ideas

Finding a price to call home: a new construction & residential real estate outlook

With nearly 25,000 people per year moving into Wake County, by 2030 another quarter million people will be living here and all of them will require housing - and this number doesn't even take into account expansion among neighboring counties, all of which have been equally robust.

By Erica Jevons Sizemore, writer for New Homes & Ideas

Co-Host of HGTV show talks with WRAL about his visit to NC State Fairgrounds

The Spring Edition of the Fairgrounds Southern Ideal Home Show is underway this weekend. Darren Keefe is a co-Host on HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He's providing a live demonstration at the State Fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon.

NC local guide: How to care for your lawn this spring (for beginners)

This local guide will provide you with essential lawn care tips and practices.