Whether they’re lighting a half bath or a grand entryway, globe fixtures have a way of giving a room understated polish. In fact, I’ve had to hold myself back from using them in too many rooms in my house, lest my home begin to look like a planetary constellation. Still, I find myself drawn to images of rooms lit by gorgeous glowing spheres as I continually seek out new ways to use them in my home that won’t make my family feel like we’re living in the International Space Station.

What Goes With Floral Upholstery? …Everything! It happened — you fell in love. And the object of your affection (while utterly charming at first) now seems too loud, too wild, too … something. What to do? If you’re thinking of your love life, we can’t help you. But if your troubles are caused by hard-to-match floral upholstery, these options for decorating around it should make life a little easier:

Once you have figured out what style of interior you want and how much you want to spend, your next decision is: What colors should you use?

While this home resembles the kind of Greek revival townhouse that lined the streets of New Orleans 150 years ago, it was actually built in 2004. “I went out of my way to make it as convincing as possible,” says the homeowner. The home’s interior leavens period reverence with contemporary brio, for a look that’s constantly evolving.

The kitchen is so often the center of home activity, and it’s even more so when there are kids around. But setting up a space that can handle everything from homework and play dough to family dinner takes a little thinking. Here are 12 ideas for designing and organizing your kitchen to make it the bustling but not chaotic (at least most of the time) hub of family life you want it to be.