Some steps to consider when mixing cats, houseplants

Cats like houseplants, but houseplants don't like cats. Or, at least, cats don't do houseplants any good.

Home repairs: Knowing when you can do it yourself

In times of economic hardship, "do-it-yourself" is a tempting mantra for many homeowners with dripping faucets, running toilets, leaky windows or sticky locks.

Maintaining the fluttering beauty of a moth orchid

To some minds, the poinsettia is cheapened by its ubiquity. But somehow that everywhere orchid, the phalaenopsis or moth orchid, always seems elegant and exotic, even when herded in the big-box store or supermarket.

Caring for your orchid

Buying a moth orchid

Orchids can become stressed if mishandled or improperly kept. Orchids in grocery stores tend to be too cold and displayed close to produce. Nearby apples, bananas or other fruit give off ethylene gas, which causes the orchid blooms to age prematurely.

For orchids, bark or moss?

Bark

Pros: Makes for tougher plants. Reduced risk of overwatering. Easier to see state of roots.

Cons: Needs watering more often. Harder to tell if it is wet enough.

Moss

Pros: Plants grow larger. Looks attractive. Surface lightens when it dries out.

Wallcoverings gain new generation of adherents

You could say Amy Reich and her husband, John Pracher, entered the new world of wallpaper by accident. Based on advice from a designer, the couple had agreed to paint the large hallway of their Leesburg, Va., home chocolate brown and immediately regretted their choice. Desperate to cover it up, they met with a succession of decorators. Finally, one firm, the Mill Co., suggested wallpaper.

Trying your hand at wallpapering

Purchasing

Window blind makers' safety plans too lax, critics say

A fight to make window blinds safer for children is growing more contentious after manufacturers of the common household product have ignored demands from federal regulators to eliminate exposed cords on window blinds and shades.

The manufacturers, who set standards for their own products, are adopting less-stringent rules that safety advocates say won't reduce injuries or deaths.

With sofas, you'll never get tired of the classics

Kelly Galvin Robson, a Philadelphia-based designer who runs the online shop High Street Market, was the guest for an online Q&A. Here is an edited excerpt.

Q. When looking to invest in a piece of furniture, like a couch, I want something I won't get tired of as my tastes change. What styles and lines do you find to be timeless and work with the most decorating schemes?