b e t w e e n f r i e n d s
a
lthough our spending
priorities may be
changing right now,
our life priorities
aren’t. For
Better
Homes and Gardens
readers, what matters
to us most—and what always will—
is
home in its biggest, broadest sense: as the
place where we create our lives with the
people we love.
So even in these economic times, most
of us are still finding ways to make our
homes live better. It’s not just about good
looks (although we love that, always).
Today, we’re on a mission to just plain get
more
from the space we have. We like
comfortable, casual living, so we’re ignoring
old formalities and assigning new roles to
our rooms. We like to gather friends
outdoors, so we’re reimagining our yards as
living areas decorated with container
gardens and completed with outdoor
music. We’re multitaskers, so we’re adding
function to every sliver of space and
Today, m ost of us are on a mission to
get m ore from our hom es— m ore
com fort, m ore function, m ore
living.
rethinking every piece of furniture.
(What else might it store? Where else could
it be useful?)
This issue is particularly focused on
making the most of the room you have,
with great examples gleaned from average
homes. Single mom Trenna Lang shows
how it’s done in a modestly sized cottage,
page 142,
where she ignored floor plan
labels and made every inch (and dollar)
count. Design pro John Loecke tackles a
12
x
13
-foot spare room, shaping a guest
room/office/media room with fierce
practicality and a sense of fun. Suzanne
Boren creates an outdoor living center in
the most unexpected of spaces—the
driveway,
page 89.
Most of us are spending more time at
home these days. We’re saving money,
yes, but also living a little richer by
appreciating the everyday pleasures of
home—a great meal together, family
movie nights around the TV, or a simple
grill-out with friends. I’m certain many of
you have discovered your own ways to live
better with the resources you have. Share
your stories with me at
BHGEditor@
meredith.com.
Gayle Goodson Butler, Editor in Chief
LETTERS & COMMENTS [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION HELP BHG.com/service WRITE 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
8
MAY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
