Curtains aren’t an easy call in the kitchen. True, they’re a quick DIY alternative to cabinet fronts. And they hide your holdings. But a skirted sink runs the risk of looking country kitschy. Not, however, in the hands of Christien Starkenburg. A Dutch interior designer who wears many hats, Starkenburg has her own firm, Interieur-Plus, as well as furniture workshop, SlowWood. And she’s the creative director and fourth-generation owner (with her brother, Henk) of Jan de Jong, a Scandi-accented interiors emporium in Leeuwarden, capital city of Friesland, that her family opened back in 1899. Thanks to Starkenburg, the business has one of the best-looking kitchens around, and those humble curtains make it especially memorable. Photography…

If I’m honest with myself, one of the main reasons I’ve gravitated toward all-white walls is that I’m indecisive and timid when it comes to color. I’ve seen so many reds-gone-awry and greens-on-acid in others’ homes that I’m quite happy to stick to palette-cleansing white. But then I come across a project like this one that uses color brilliantly, and I question my loyalty to Scandi walls. The Pavilion at Lamb’s House, in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a “luxury self-catering” guesthouse designed and owned by architects Kristin Hannesdottir and Nick Groves-Raines, the founders of Groves-Raines Architects. Named by Conde Nast Traveler…

Noted expert and industry consultant Christine Williamson helps decode the science, and offers practical tips to make your home more comfortable and efficient, and This Old House’s Richard Trethewey dons his lederhosen and fawns over German energy efficiency. Subscribe on    or wherever you get your podcasts. Caséta by Lutron, pioneers in smart home technology, is the title sponsor of Clearstory, and The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, is a presenting sponsor. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/article/building-science-if-these-walls-could-talk-clearstory-ep-6

Buying an espresso machine (and we mean a real, shot-pulling espresso machine) can take months of research and sourcing before committing. A good machine doesn’t come on the cheap, but if you add up those $4.95 lattes, the investment pays off in just a few months. There’s always the easy route of coffee pods and push-button machines or the stovetop Bialetti, but when you’re ready to graduate to the big time, here’s a list of can’t-go-wrong classic machines. We’ve polled our own group and cross-checked our picks with reviews from New York Magazine, Business Insider, and Gear Patrol for the…

Looking to DIY?For about $3 per foot, you can get micromesh gutter guards that you can install yourself. Some offer a thin sheet-metal support under the mesh. Others, such as the Gutter Guard by Gutterglove (Home Depot), shown above, stiffen the mesh by bending it in a corrugated pattern. Though not as robustly built as the company’s pro-installed guards, they do a better job of excluding debris than nonmesh alternatives. Two products that meet these criteria: ArmourGuard Supreme (All Weather Armour) carries a 25-year warranty; Gutterglove Pro has a 40-year warranty. Both require pro installation by a local dealer, saving…

(Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem)Zones: 6–9Firethorn, as it’s commonly called, is prized for bountiful bunches of orange, red, or yellow fruit, which arrive in late summer and can last into winter. Left unchecked, pyracantha can spread up to 18 feet and grow just as high, but it’s easily espaliered or pruned into a hedge. Beware its large thorns; snip them, or look for a newer, thornless variety (Pyracantha coccinea ‘Thornless’). In milder climates, pyracantha will keep its leaves year-round. If you’re in a cooler spot, the dark-green leaves will turn bronze before falling. Note: Though it’s not listed as invasive by…