This Old House

This Old House gives you the inspiration, information and instruction you need to take on home improvement projects of all sizes and succeed. In every issue, find fresh design ideas for every room, creative DIY solutions, step-by-step projects, and tips from the pros. For annual or monthly subscriptions (on all platforms except iOS), your subscription will automatically renew and be charged to your provided payment method at the end of the term unless you choose to cancel. You may cancel at any time during your subscription in your account settings. If your provided payment method cannot be charged, we may terminate your subscription.

QUALITY COLOR FOR EVERY ROOM

Change is good—really

Around The House • What’s happening in the world of This Old House

You did it! • Reader projects, tips, and triumphs

Fit for generations to come • Renovating an ancestral home built in 1864 yields the structural and functional improvements the house needed, and the comfort and livability the family deserves

Susan’s side of the house

Designed for flexibility • A tight galley kitchen, a large dining room, and an unused entry porch combine for an adaptable, efficient, and stylish space that fits a WFH cooking teacher and her family to a tee

A PRO’S KITCHEN PRIORITIES • April McGreger’s kitchen looks beautiful, sure, but it’s also all business, with fluidity and efficiency built into the design. “I have certain tricks in setting up a kitchen that make cooking and baking easier,” she says. Here, her top three.

Relaxing retreat • A once dark and dated primary bath gets a breath of fresh air with soothing neutral finishes, including wood and marble

GET THE LOOK • To create a timeless bath that feels up to date, try combining classic styles from various eras

REFRESHER COURSE • A couple with two young sons takes the starch out of a venerable California Craftsman, respecting its history while updating the interior and adding an overlay of fun

Renovation recap

Colorful Character • Upbeat, quiet, daring, mercurial—paint colors are a sure way to bring some personality to your rooms. Uncertain where to start? Designers say you already know what you like. “People are naturally drawn to certain shades—they have visceral reactions to color,” says Washington, D.C.–based designer Zoë Feldman. She and other smart design pros work with those preferences, factoring in the available light, other elements in a room, the home’s architecture, and ultimately, how the homeowner wants to feel in the space—calm or energized, for instance. Whatever the desired mood, the recent trend toward white walls may already be over. “Post-pandemic, people are looking for ways to make their living spaces more interesting, and color is a part of that,” says Feldman. Ahead: how designers think about choosing and using the just-right shade of paint.

A better paint job starts here • TOH painter Mauro Henrique shares his best practices for achieving a flawless finish

Pick the right primer • Here’s how Mauro gets a room ready for paint

Pick the right primer

Go-to painting tools • Some of Mauro’s must-haves for interior paint projects

Make a plan: what to paint when

TECHNIQUE BASICS • Practice the fundamentals for a first-rate finish

A quick guide to paint finishes • Paint comes in a variety of light-reflecting sheens. Here’s how Mauro approaches which one to use where

How to paint divided lights • Whether you’re working on windows or doors, taping off glass is time-consuming. Mauro knows a better way

How to paint a straight edge without painter’s tape

Need to match paint that’s already on a wall?

Do cleanup right • Take the time to carefully remove protective coverings and thoroughly clean...